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Dr. DeRisi and his colleagues at UCSF are currently investigating the role of autoantibodies in scleroderma, aiming to uncover hidden patterns that drive disease. By analyzing patient blood samples, they are looking beyond standard autoantibodies—like Topo1 and RNApol3—that are currently used in the diagnosis of scleroderma. Their approach takes an unbiased view of the entire human proteome, and they hope to pinpoint new autoantibodies that can more accurately predict how and why disease progresses with an eye toward better disease management, prevention, and therapy.

DeRisi's group originally focused on infectious diseases and participated in the discovery of the original SARS virus in 2003. However, DeRisi realized that many patients were testing negative for infectious diseases and that autoimmune conditions were equally important. The SRF recruited the group to focus their expertise on autoimmunity using new technology to leverage the large and unique scleroderma patient cohorts that the SRF and affiliated scleroderma clinicians have assembled over years of painstaking work.

Through this collaboration, the project will enable the largest and most comprehensive look to date at the role of scleroderma autoantibodies—and the potential role of viruses as triggers of autoimmunity—leading to insights into disease development, subtypes, and potential new therapies.

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