We then assessed the migratory ability and invasion of FBs and found that HC and EOS dcSSc-FBs migration and invasion were induced by EGFL7 in a concentration dependent-manner (1–100 ng/ml) without difference between SSc and HC (for EGFL7 1 ng/ml: p = 0.013 both for untreated HC- and SSc-FBs compared with treated HC- and SSc-FBs and for EGFL7 100 ng/ml: p = 0.0044 and p = 0.0020 for untreated HC- and SSc-FBs compared with treated HC- and SSc-FBs). The gene discussed is EGFL7; the disease is systemic sclerosis.