Female sex hormone clue to fighting serious immune disease

The results of a study showed for the first time a beneficial effect of estrogens in experimental models of skin fibrosis that are representative of the disease process in systemic sclerosis (SSc). These findings may explain the increased incidence of SSc in women after the menopause, the greater severity of SSc in men, and importantly open up the possibility of developing potential hormone therapies for this difficult-to-treat condition.