The UCSF-led Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) met recently in Washington, DC, in its ongoing effort to fight Sjögren's syndrome.
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Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) comprises a group of clinical and laboratory investigators from across the world who focus on the development of the International Sjögren's Syndrome Registry.
SICCA is working toward establishing standardized diagnostic criteria for this disease and building an international registry of uniform clinical data and biospecimens that are available to scientists all over the world, with the intent of furthering the understanding of Sjögren's syndrome and, ultimately, treating it.
Sjögren's ("SHOW-grins") syndrome is a chronic disease in which white blood cells attack the moisture-producing glands. The hallmark symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, but it is a systemic disease affecting many organs, and may cause fatigue. It is one of the most prevalent autoimmune disorders, striking as many as 4 million Americans. Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is defined as primary SS when it occurs by itself. When SS follows another connective tissue disease, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, it is termed secondary SS.
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Members of the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance met recently in Washington, DC. |
SICCA includes five research groups, located in Beijing, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Kanazawa, Japan, and San Francisco. UCSF is both the coordinating center for the SICCA registry and a research site for enrolling SICCA participants.
The project is directed by co-principal investigators Troy Daniels, DDS, MS, and John Greenspan, PhD, BDS, dean for research in the UCSF School of Dentistry, who are UCSF professors of oral pathology and pathology. It is supported by a five-year National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research grant and National Eye Institute grant, which is now in its third year.
SICCA investigators include dentists (oral medicine and oral pathology), ophthalmologists, rheumatologists and statisticians engaging in a collaborative effort.
Links:
Dental School Receives Major Award to Study Sjögren's Syndrome
