Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune disease where the immune system triggers excessive collagen production, hardening the skin and sometimes internal organs. About 300,000 people in the US have it. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and slowing organ damage, with immunosuppressants like mycophenolate and cyclophosphamide for lung and skin involvement.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing antifibrotic drugs that block collagen buildup, drugs that target specific immune pathways driving scleroderma, stem cell transplant for severe disease, and treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Researchers are also studying whether drugs approved for lung scarring in other diseases can help scleroderma lung disease.
Antifibrotic therapies
Drugs like nintedanib, already approved for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, are being tested in scleroderma lung disease. Early results suggest they may slow the scarring that makes breathing difficult.
Targeted immune therapies
Newer drugs that block specific immune signals, including IL-6 inhibitors and drugs targeting B cells, are showing promise in early trials. These may work better than older immunosuppressants with fewer side effects.
Stem cell transplant
Autologous stem cell transplant, where a patient's immune system is reset with their own stem cells, has shown long-term benefits in severe scleroderma. Trials are refining which patients benefit most and how to make the procedure safer.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on disease duration, which organs are affected, extent of skin or lung involvement, and whether standard treatments have been tried.
What types of trials are currently open
- Antifibrotic trials — Testing drugs that block collagen production or break down existing scarring in the lungs or skin.
- Immunosuppression trials — Comparing different drugs that calm the overactive immune response, including newer targeted therapies versus standard immunosuppressants.
- Pulmonary hypertension trials — Testing treatments for high blood pressure in the lungs, a serious complication of scleroderma.
- Stem cell trials — Studies of stem cell transplant for people with rapidly progressing disease who haven't responded to other treatments.
- Vascular trials — Testing drugs for Raynaud's phenomenon and digital ulcers, where blood flow problems cause painful fingertip sores.
Recently added Scleroderma trials
^68Ga-grazytracer PET for In Vivo Visualization of Immune Cell Effector Functions
This is a prospective, single-center, exploratory clinical study designed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical utility of \^68Ga-grazytracer positron emission tomography (PET) for noninvasive in vivo visualization of immune cell effector function in patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. \^68Ga-grazytracer is a granzyme B (GZMB)-targeted PET radiotracer developed to visualize cytotoxic immune activation. Approximately 60-80 adult participants will be enrolled in two study cohorts: (1) patients with malignant tumors who are scheduled to receive systemic anticancer therapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, or combination therapy; and (2) patients with autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and immune myocarditis, who are receiving or planning to receive immunomodulatory treatment. Participants will undergo \^68Ga-grazytracer PET/CT imaging before treatment initiation and again during the predefined treatment period. Imaging findings, including tracer uptake and semiquantitative parameters (e.g., SUVmax and target-to-background ratio), will be analyzed together with clinical outcomes, laboratory findings, disease activity assessments, and follow-up data. The primary objectives are to evaluate the safety and tolerability of \^68Ga-grazytracer PET imaging and to investigate the association between GZMB-targeted PET imaging and treatment response in patients with cancer, disease activity and organ involvement in autoimmune diseases, and therapeutic response to immunomodulatory treatment. This study aims to provide preliminary evidence supporting the use of \^68Ga-grazytracer PET as a molecular imaging biomarker for noninvasive assessment of immune effector function in cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Try progressive muscle relaxation exercises to ease fatigue and breathing
This study aims to evaluate the effects of progressive muscle relaxation exercises on fatigue, dyspnea, and respiratory function in patients with systemic sclerosis. Participants will be assessed before and after the intervention.
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