Multidisciplinary Team of UPMC Children’s Investigators to Present Abstract on Stem Cell Transplantation for Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis

A multidisciplinary team of investigators from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh will present findings from new research using autologous stem cell transplantation to combat treatment resistant juvenile-onset systemic sclerosis at the upcoming American College of Rheumatology (ACR) meeting in November.

Members of the multidisciplinary team includes faculty from the Divisions of Pediatric Rheumatology, Cardiology, Pulmonary Medicine, and the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapies led by Paul Szabolcs, MD. 

Additional members of the team to provide expertise in gastrointestinal and motility disorders amongst patients with systemic sclerosis include Vibha Sood, MD, medical director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Program in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. The presenting author of the abstract is Katherine Torok, MD, from the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology.

The team’s abstract presents preliminary safety and clinical response data for the first three patients to undergo an autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant protocol to treat aggressive or treatment-resistant forms of system sclerosis in children.

Learn more about the study and its findings using the link below to the published abstract.

Torok K, Rosser F, Rose-Felker K, Sood V, Kurland G, Olson A, Frost M, Vandergrift V, McIntyre S, Maslanka A, Schollaert-Fitch K, Barnum J, Szabolcs P. Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation with CD34-Selected Peripheral Blood Stem Cells in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Juvenile-Onset Systemic Sclerosis [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021; 73 (suppl 10). 

Individuals attending the conference who are interested in learning more can here Dr. Torok’s presentation on Sunday, November 7 in Poster Session B from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Additional details are available at the ACR conference website.