Analysis of Dermal Fibroblasts and Immune Cells During Systemic Sclerosis

The pathophysiology of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is still poorly understood and there are no effective treatments for this disease. SSc is a heterogeneous disease with varying severity. The heterogeneity of fibroblast profiles, observed in other fibrosing pathologies, has never been thoroughly explored in the skin of SSc patients. The immune system, and in particular B lymphocytes, plays a central role in the pathophysiology of SSc. The interactions between B lymphocytes and the cells responsible for excess collagen production, i.e. fibroblasts, are not fully elucidated The main objective is to analyze the heterogeneity of fibroblasts and infiltrating immune cells as well as their molecular signature in the skin of patients with SSc