Research Group Muriel Elhai
Our Projects
Joint involvement is common in SSc, affecting around 46 to 97% of patients. Despite its high prevalence, arthritis in SSc has received little attention compared to other organ manifestations, such as lung fibrosis and skin fibrosis. However, investigating articular involvement in SSc is of paramount importance for disease management and patient well-being. Firstly, arthritis is a major contributor to disability and has a detrimental effect on patients‘ quality of life. Secondly, joint involvement independently predicts disease progression and death. A deeper understanding of arthritis in SSc may therefore help to stratify patients and enable earlier interventions. Despite the burden of articular manifestations in SSc, their frequency and associated morbidity, there are no evidence-based therapeutic options for arthritis in SSc.
We are interested in studying the mechanisms of synovitis in SSc using single cell RNA sequencing data on synovial cells obtained by ultrasound-guided biopsies. We are using also 2D and 3D cultures to understand and characterise mechanisms of fibrosis. Our overall aim is to develop new therapies for joint involvement in SSc.
Selected publications
- Elhai M, Meunier M, Matucci-Cerinic M, Maurer B, Riemekasten G, Leturcq T, Pellerito R, Von Mühlen CA, Vacca A, Airo P, Bartoli F, Fiori G, Bokarewa M, Riccieri V, Becker M, Avouac J, Müller-Ladner U, Distler O, Allanore Y, EUSTAR (EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research group).. Outcomes of patients with systemic sclerosis-associated polyarthritis and myopathy treated with tocilizumab or abatacept: a EUSTAR observational study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2013 Jul;72(7):1217-20.
- Elhai M, Guerini H, Bazeli R, Avouac J, Freire V, Drapé JL, Kahan A, Allanore Y. Ultrasonographic hand features in systemic sclerosis and correlates with clinical, biologic, and radiographic findings. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2012 Aug;64(8):1244-9.
- Houtman M, Micheroli R, Bürki K, Pauli C, Edalat SG, Bertoncelj MF, et al. OP0092 DECIPHERING THE SYNOVIAL TISSUE AND FIBROBLAST SUBSETS IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2022; 81(Suppl 1):61-61.
