SRF approves over $1 million in research funding

The SRF is investing over $1 million this year on research aimed at discovering the cause, investigating treatments, and ultimately finding a cure that will end the suffering caused by scleroderma.

Following the annual SRF Scientific Workshop (March 5-6, 2004, in San Francisco), in which research progress and new proposals were assessed, the SRF Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Committee approved funding for seven projects in 2004-2005. Coupled with the expanding SRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, total research funding reached $1 million for the year.

Click here for a list of SRF research projects.

The roster of projects reflects growing emphasis on the vascular component of scleroderma, with three projects directly addressing vascular dysfunction, including angiogenesis defects in scleroderma. Projects on fibrosis and autoimmunity are also funded, as part of a coordinated program focused on understanding the interactions of scleroderma disease mechanisms.

Still other SRF-funded scientists are using cutting edge microarray techniques to better understand the cell biological basis of the disease, with one goal, among many, being the development of early biomarkers for improved diagnosis and treatment.

Unique to the SRF program is the support of the Scleroderma Center at Johns Hopkins University which, with its large patient population, provides critical insight into the disease through collaborations in both basic and clinical research.