Amy Hewitt

My Story

Follow this link to share YOUR story on our Facebook page. In the meantime, please allow me to share mine:

More than a decade ago, while a senior executive in the hospitality industry, I was moved by a friend and colleague who was a scleroderma patient. As a result of her illness, I began volunteering for the Foundation. Through years of pitching in, I became personally inspired at a level I had not anticipated. By 2007, after meeting another courageous patient, this time a young lady named Marina at a fundraising event, I realized that I could do more to help.

It was just a short time later, I expressed interest in an availability at the Foundation, packed up and moved to San Francisco, eager to apply my professional skills in support of scleroderma research. After witnessing firsthand the benefit research progress meant to my friend and her loved ones, I clearly understood the Foundation's credo of the best way to help patients being to fund the most promising research aimed at improved treatments and a cure. Research progress means my friend can, for now, experience the joy of watching her children grow. The match for me and the Foundation seemed ideal. Now here I am, three years later. . . 

Transitioning from the hospitality industry where creativity, collaboration and team work are a requirement for success, the shift to an organization where one of the leading principles, "collaboration is essential," made sense. No one person is going to come up with the solution for this complex disease. Progress is a result of working together. Given the Foundation's longstanding and successful collaborative approach to research, the SRF staff and I apply this principle to the arenas of fundraising and awareness building where collective efforts can have even greater impact.

It has been a fantastic journey so far and, with each day comes new inspiration. I look forward to sharing more of what we have achieved together. And, I encourage you to share your story. Tell us about what brought you to the Foundation or why scleroderma research is important to you... Inspire others to do the same!

We are deeply appreciative that you stand beside us in this fight. Share your story with others and, together, we'll provide inspiration that leads to increased awareness for scleroderma and more funds available for vital, lifesaving research.

Happy New Year!

Amy Hewitt
Executive Director


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Research News

T cells in systemic sclerosis: a reappraisal.

Author: O'Reilly S, Hügle T, van Laar JM.
Date Published: May-2012
Source: Rheumatology

SSc is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and extracellular matrix deposition that ultimately leads to loss of organ function. T cells appear to play a prominent role in its pathogenesis. The evidence for this comes from their being at the site of fibrosis, their activated phenotype and alteration in their number and frequency in peripheral blood.

Clinical and pathological significance of interleukin 6 overexpression in systemic sclerosis

Author: K. Khan, S. Xu, S. Nihtyanova, E. Derrett-Smith, D. Abraham, C. Denton, V. Ong
Date Published: May-2012
Source: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

Objective: To determine the potential clinical and pathological significance of altered expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods: Serum IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor levels were measured in patients with SSc (n=68) and healthy controls (n=15). Associations between serum IL-6 level and C reactive protein, platelet count and key clinical outcomes in SSc were explored. Expression of IL-6 in skin biopsies was also examined and western blot and reverse transcription PCRanalysis were performed using cultured dermal fibroblasts.

Potential Immunologic Targets for Treating Fibrosis in Systemic Sclerosis: A Review Focused on Leukocytes and Cytokines.

Author: Hasegawa M, Takehara K.
Date Published: April-2012
Source: Seminars in Arthritis & Rheumatism

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease characterized by tissue fibrosis. Although the pathogenesis remains unclear, a variety of cells contribute to the fibrotic process via interactions with each other and production of various cytokines. Recent literature related to the immunologic pathogenesis and future strategies for treating the fibrosis of SSc are discussed and, especially, this literature-based review that includes the authors' perspective, focused on leukocytes and cytokines.

Augmented production of soluble CD93 in patients with systemic sclerosis and clinical association with severity of skin sclerosis

Author: K. Yanaba, Y. Asano, S. Noda, et al
Date Published: April-2012
Source: British Journal of Dermatology

The cell surface protein CD93, expressed on endothelial and myeloid cells, mediates phagocytosis, inflammation and cell adhesion. A soluble form of CD93 (sCD93) is released during inflammation.

Levels of adiponectin, a marker for PPAR-gamma activity, correlate with skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis: potential utility as a biomarker?

Author: K. Lakota, J. Wei, M. Carns, M. Hinchcliff, et al
Date Published: May-2012
Source: Arthritis Research & Therapy

Progressive fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is linked to aberrant transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) blocks fibrogenic TGF-beta responses in vitro and in vivo. Reduced expression and function of PPAR-gamma in patients with SSc may contribute to progression of fibrosis.

News for Patients

Patients Share Of Expensive Specialty Drugs Is Rising

Author: Wiley-Blackwell
Date Published: May-2012
Source: Bio-Medicine

African Americans have more severe complications from systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma, than Caucasians. Findings published today in, Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), show that compared with Caucasians, African-American patients were more likely to have antibodies that increased frequency and severity of pulmonary fibrosis, which is associated with decreased survival.

Patients Share Of Expensive Specialty Drugs Is Rising

Author: M. Andrews
Date Published: May-2012
Source: Kaiser Health News

When Kathi Ryness's multiple sclerosis worsened in 2000, she began taking Avonex, a drug that helps slow the progression of the disease and reduces the number of relapses. At the time, her health plan covered the drug in full. But in 2009, she and her husband, Gary, were forced to switch plans. Under their new coverage, the Alamo, Calif., couple owed $660 every four weeks for the weekly Avonex injections, 30 percent of the $2,200 cost. Within a year, the cost went up again, leaving Kathi, who is now 62, and Gary, 66, on the hook for $800 every four weeks.

Mesenchymal-Stem-Cell-Induced Immunoregulation Involves FAS-Ligand-/FAS-Mediated T Cell Apoptosis

Author: K. Akiyama, C. Chen, D. Wang, et al
Date Published: April-2012
Source: Cell: Stem Cell

Systemic infusion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) yields therapeutic benefit for a variety of autoimmune diseases, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we show that in mice systemic infusion of BMMSCs induced transient T cell apoptosis via the FAS ligand (FASL)-dependent FAS pathway...

NIH launches collaborative program with industry and researchers to spur therapeutic development

Author: NIH
Date Published: May-2012
Source: NIH News

The National Institutes of Health today unveiled a collaborative program that will match researchers with a selection of pharmaceutical industry compounds to help scientists explore new treatments for patients. NIH's new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) has partnered initially with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly and Company which have agreed to make dozens of their compounds available for this initiative's pilot phase.

Toward Personalized Medicine in Scleroderma: Classification of Scleroderma Patients into Stable “Inflammatory” and “Fibrotic” Subgroups

Author: A. Leasak
Date Published: May-2012
Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology

There is no universally agreed-upon treatment for the fibrosis of scleroderma. Recently, much information has been generated relating to the fundamental mechanisms underlying this disease. Partly based on these observations, both anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic agents have been considered as possible therapies.

Ways to Give

There are many ways that you can support the work of the Scleroderma Research Foundation. We are grateful for your commitment to helping the SRF fund research that will result in improved therapies and, ultimately, a cure.

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