Wellness
Why scleroderma affects mostly women and how to treat it
Two new studies have uncovered key biological mechanisms driving systemic sclerosis (SSc), or scleroderma – a rare and often devastating autoimmune disease that causes fibrosis (tissue hardening) and inflammation.
The research helps explain why the disease disproportionately affects women and reveals potential treatment targets, some of which are already in development.
Women are four times more likely than men to be diagnosed with the disease, but until now, the underlying reason for this gender disparity had remained elusive.
In one study, researchers found that two genetic receptors called TLR7 and TLR8, which are present on the X chromosome, are important drivers for the activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), fuelling chronic fibrosis.
pDCs are immune cells found in fibrotic skin but not in healthy skin and have previously been shown to contribute to scleroderma.
In healthy cells, one X chromosome is typically deactivated, however, the study revealed that in patients with scleroderma, this process is disrupted due to the ability of TLR7 and TLR8 to escape X chromosome deactivation in pDCs.
In healthy individuals, 10 to 15 per cent of cells can evade the deactivation process. But in scleroderma patients, the escape occurred in more than 35 percent of the pDCs. This was a significant and unexpected difference.
“The expression of two copies of the TLR7 and TLR8 in such a large number of cells can very well explain the chronic activation of these immune cells and why this disease is so prevalent in female patients,” said study lead Dr. Franck Barrat.
In a separate study, armed with insights about the role of pDCs in driving fibrosis, Dr. Barrat and colleagues set out to understand why the body’s natural mechanisms fail to shut down inflammation in scleroderma patients.
Normally, following a wound in the skin, immune cells infiltrate the skin and trigger an inflammatory response until the scarring process begins. A pause signal is then delivered to the immune cells to resolve the inflammation. But in scleroderma patients, this process stalls.
The culprit? A cytokine (a type of protein that helps control inflammation in the body) called CXCL4, which researchers found to be highly expressed in the skin of scleroderma patients. Instead of allowing inflammation to subside, CXCL4 prevents immune suppression, keeping pDCs in a state of chronic activation and promoting skin fibrosis.
“We show that CXCL4 prevents the normal termination of the immune response in the skin,” said Dr. Barrat.
“Basically, the pDCs are attracted by the fibrosis, but instead of being suppressed as they should be, CXCL4 keeps them active, in turn contributing to the cycle of fibrosis in these patients.”
While there is currently no cure for scleroderma, the research highlights the potential of several therapeutic strategies.
“This body of research makes a very strong case for exploring drugs that target and interfere with pDCs. There are already drugs in development that we can try,” said Dr. Barrat, noting that several therapies in clinical trials have shown promise in blocking pDCs and preventing skin lesions in patients with lupus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an AI tool in beta to help policymakers, experts and healthcare professionals access sexual and reproductive health information faster.
Called ChatHRP, the tool was created by WHO’s Human Reproduction Programme and draws only on verified research and guidance collected by HRP and WHO.
It uses natural language processing and retrieval-augmented generation to produce referenced content and cut the time spent searching through documents across different platforms and databases.
WHO said ChatHRP also has multilingual capabilities and low-bandwidth functionality to support use in a wide range of settings.
The beta-testing phase is aimed at a broad professional audience, including policymakers, healthcare workers, researchers and civil society groups.
WHO said the tool can help users quickly access up-to-date evidence, find sources for academic work and verify information on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Examples of questions it can answer include the latest violence against women data in Oceania for women aged 15 to 49, recommendations on managing diabetes during pregnancy, and whether PrEP and contraception can be used at the same time. PrEP is medicine used to reduce the risk of getting HIV.
WHO added that the system will be updated regularly as new HRP materials are published and includes a feedback loop so users can flag gaps in the information provided.
The launch comes amid wider concern about misinformation in sexual and reproductive health.
A 2025 scoping review found that misinformation in digital spaces is a systemic issue that can undermine human rights, reinforce discriminatory social norms and exclude marginalised voices.
The review also said misinformation can affect health systems by shaping provider knowledge and practice, disrupting service delivery and creating barriers to equitable care.
WHO said ChatHRP is intended to give users streamlined access to reliable information as a counter to “algorithms, opinions, or misinformation”.
Wellness
Women’s HealthX unveils Northwell Health, Corewell Health, Biogen & more to headline Chronic Disease stage
Women’s HealthX has announced its lineup of healthcare trailblazers speaking on Chronic Disease Management, alongside other specialisations including Fertility, Sexual Health, Maternity, Menopause and Cognitive Health, taking a holistic approach to women’s health.
It will bring together 750+ leaders across pharma, health systems, and innovation to address one of the most urgent and underexamined challenges in healthcare; the sex difference gap in data and evidence.
Since cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among women globally, and autoimmune and neurological conditions affect women at significantly higher rates, Women’s HealthX will home in on chronic disease management with 17+ sessions spotlighting case studies and lessons learned.
The Chronic Disease Management Stage at Women’s HealthX responds directly to this gap, convening senior decision makers and innovators to explore how sex specific science, digital health, and new care models can reshape outcomes for women.
Attending pharma & healthcare organisations include:
- Tracy Sims, Executive Director, Cardiometabolic Health, Eli Lilly
- Adrian Kielhorn, Senior Director, Global Head HEOR Neurology, Alexion Pharmaceuticals
- Lauren Powell, Head of Health Equity and Clinical Innovation, Biogen
- Amy Kao, SVP, Head of Neuroscience and Immunology Research, EMD Serono
- Stella Vnook, Executive Chair and CEO, Kaida Biopharma
- Amanda Borsky, Director, Clinical Research, Northwell Health
- Lacey McIntosh, Division Chief, Oncologic and Molecular Imaging, UMass Memorial Medical Center
- Nicole Turck, Vice President Operations, Women’s Health, Corewell Health
- Mette Dyhrberg, CEO, Autoimmune Registry
- Lyn Agostinelli, Principal Consultant, Halloran Consulting Group
Sessions addressing the real gaps in women’s chronic care
The agenda features a series of high impact sessions tackling the structural and scientific gaps in women’s health:
- Improving outcomes in obesity through evidence based person centered care: Eli Lilly
- Tackling sex based health inequities by breaking down barriers and bias: Alexion Pharmaceuticals
- Close the health equity gap in women’s health by improving how autoimmune diseases are diagnosed, treated and managed: Autoimmune Registry
- How a GYN only care model is driving faster access to gynecological care: Corewell Health
- Transforming early detection in ovarian cancer: new pathways to accuracy, safety, and better outcomes: UMass Memorial Medical Center
Panel discussions include:
- Why chronic disease looks different in women and why health systems haven’t adapted: Biogen, Kaida Biopharma, EMD Serono
- How can we better engage with our customers: Northwell Health, Halloran Consulting Group
Health equity starts here. REGISTER YOUR PLACE
Why This Matters Now
Women’s HealthX positions chronic disease not just as a clinical challenge, but as a critical frontier for innovation, investment, and system redesign.
From AI powered monitoring and digital therapeutics to real world data and integrated care pathways, the stage highlights where meaningful progress is already being made and where the biggest opportunities lie.
For the FemTech ecosystem, this represents a pivotal moment: aligning technology, clinical insight, and commercial strategy to finally close the long standing data and care gaps in women’s health.
About Women’s HealthX
Women’s HealthX is where the transformation of women’s health begins at its true foundation: data, science, and evidence.
It’s the leading event dedicated to closing the sex difference data gap and accelerating breakthroughs through science driven, real world case studies.
Taking place on December 3 to 4, 2026 in Boston, USA, the exhibition will bring together more than 750 healthcare leaders, including clinicians, payers, employers, investors, and policymakers.
Seven different stages with 150+ expert speakers taking an holistic approach to women’s health. From fertility, maternity, sexual health, cognitive health, menopause and chronic disease, we address care at every stage of a woman’s life.
Cervical cancer elimination in the EU is becoming achievable as HPV vaccination coverage rises, a new report says.
As Europe marks European Immunisation Week 2026, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said progress in human papillomavirus vaccination is continuing across the EU and European Economic Area.
All EU and European Economic Area countries now recommend HPV vaccination for adolescent girls and boys as part of their immunisation programmes, marking a major step forward in Europe’s cancer prevention efforts.
Bruno Ciancio, head of unit, directly transmitted diseases and vaccine preventable diseases at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said: “The elimination of cervical cancer in the EU/EEA is becoming an achievable goal, thanks to the HPV vaccination programmes.
“The progress we are seeing across Europe demonstrates what can be accomplished when countries invest consistently in effective immunisation strategies.
“We are closely monitoring this progress and actively supporting countries to accelerate uptake and move faster towards cervical cancer elimination.”
According to the report, three EU and European Economic Area countries, Iceland, Portugal and Norway, have reached the 2024 EU Council Recommendation target of 90 per cent HPV vaccination coverage among girls by the age of 15.
Fifteen years after HPV vaccination programmes were introduced in Europe, a growing body of evidence confirms the vaccine is highly effective in preventing cervical cancer.
Large-scale studies from Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as other parts of the world, have shown significant reductions in HPV infections and precancerous lesions, which are abnormal cell changes that can develop into cancer if left untreated, alongside falling cervical cancer rates among vaccinated women.
Since 2020, European countries have reported a decreased incidence of cervical cancer among vaccinated women.
Studies from Sweden, Denmark and the UK show that early administration of the vaccine increases its full protective potential.
A Swedish study suggested that vaccinating girls before their 17th birthday reduced the incidence of cervical cancer by 88 per cent.
An additional six-year follow-up found a sustained reduction in cervical cancer risk and a population-level decline in invasive cervical cancer incidence after HPV vaccination.
The report showed that vaccination programmes and health system design are critical factors in reaching high levels of HPV vaccination coverage.
Evidence from across Europe showed that school-based vaccination programmes are particularly effective and tend to reach higher levels of coverage among both girls and boys.
Entrepreneur2 weeks agoFuture Fertility raises Series A financing to scale AI tools redefining fertility care worldwide
Menopause3 weeks agoMore research needed to understand link between brain fog and menopause, expert says
Fertility3 weeks agoFuture Fertility partners with Japan’s leading IVF provider, Kato Ladies Clinic
News6 days agoWomen’s digital health market set to reach US$5.28 billion in 2026 – report
Mental health2 weeks agoLifting weights shows mental health and cognitive benefits in older women, study finds
News3 weeks agoSelf-employment linked to better cardiovascular health outcomes in Hispanic women
Entrepreneur3 weeks agoFlora Fertility closes US$5m seed round
News2 weeks agoResistance training has preventative effects in menopause, study finds