According to a new study from Michigan Medicine, a substance produced by gut microorganisms can lead to scarring and blood vessel damage in patients with scleroderma. Researchers investigated how a compound generated by the gut microbiome called trimethylamine N-oxide, or TMAO, could cause changes to cellular processes in scleroderma. John Varga, M.D., senior author of the paper and chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Michigan Medicine, discusses the novel discovery and implications for patients.
