A PERK/FOXO1 AXIS LINKS DNA DAMAGE TO FIBROBLAST SURVIVAL IN DIFFUSE CUTANEOUS SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS
Lamia Khan, Junquin Wang, Carmanah D. Hunter, Charmaine van Eeden, Desiree Redmond, Lisa M. Willis, Caylib Durand, Jan Storek, Kareem Jamani, Udo Douwe J. Mulder, Murray Baron, Janet Elizabeth Pope, Elena Netchiporouk, Jan Willem Cohen Tervaert, Harissios Vliagoftis, , Mohammed S. Osman
This paper identifies a PERK/FOXO1 axis that enables survival of fibroblasts in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis despite DNA damage, and shows that targeting this axis restores apoptosis.
bioRxiv · Feb 18, 2026 · PreprintMolecular Biology