Connective tissue diseases: a molecular link between vascular disease, platelet activation and tissue fibrosis in SSc.

摘要

"Inhibition of 5-HT2B receptors might be a promising new therapeutic approach for systemic sclerosis," claims Jorg H. W. Distler, based on the results of a paper from his research group now published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine. Vascular damage and platelet activation are known to precede tissue remodeling and fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), but how these processes are linked at the molecular level is unknown. The authors of this study focused on serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]), which is released by platelets on activation and is present at higher than normal levels in the blood of SSc patients.