Recently, we found that human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) express melanocortin 1 receptors (MC-1R) that bind alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). In search of novel therapies for scleroderma (systemic sclerosis [SSc]), we used the bleomycin (BLM) model to investigate the effects of alpha-MSH on collagen synthesis and fibrosis.