Connective tissue diseases articles from across Nature Portfolio

Here, the authors identify six risk SNPs for systemic sclerosis by performing GWAS on Japanese patients and meta-analyzing Japanese and European GWAS datasets. Downstream analyses indicate that B cells contribute to pathogenesis.

Age-related B cells (ABCs) have pathogenic roles in autoimmune diseases. Research has now identified ZEB2 as the transcription factor that mediates differentiation into ABCs.

A meta-analysis of data from six genome-wide association study cohorts implicates several signalling pathways, including Hedgehog and Notch signalling, in Dupuytren disease.

The identification of novel risk variants in the largest genome-wide association study of Raynaud phenomenon to date provides insights into the pathophysiology of the condition, including the potential role for α_2A-adrenoceptors, and suggests opportunities for drug repurposing.

New findings suggest that targeting the DAMP protein S100A4 could mitigate both inflammatory and fibrotic pathways in systemic sclerosis.

Chromatin accessibility of an enhancer that regulates the expression of a disease-associated microRNA is affected in monocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, highlighting this enhancer as a potential therapeutic target.

New research provides insights into the mechanisms underlying the renal protective effects of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in lupus nephritis.