Systemic sclerosis causes the immune system to attack connective tissue, leading to skin thickening and damage to internal organs—especially the lungs, heart, and digestive system. Around 300,000 Americans have it. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and slowing organ damage, but no drug stops the underlying disease process.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing drugs that target the fibrosis itself—including pirfenidone and nintedanib, both approved for lung scarring in other diseases. Researchers are also studying JAK inhibitors for skin thickening, stem cell transplant for severe early disease, and medications to prevent or treat pulmonary hypertension and kidney crisis.
Antifibrotic drugs
Pirfenidone and nintedanib slow lung scarring in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and are now being tested in systemic sclerosis lung disease. Early results suggest they may preserve lung function better than current options.
JAK inhibitors
Drugs like tofacitinib and baricitinib calm immune signaling and are being tested to see if they soften thickened skin. Some trials combine them with drugs targeting fibrosis directly.
Stem cell transplant
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant resets the immune system and has shown long-term benefits in people with severe, rapidly progressing disease. Trials are refining who benefits most and how to make the procedure safer.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on disease duration, which organs are affected, how quickly the disease is progressing, and whether you've tried standard treatments like immunosuppressants.
What types of trials are currently open
- Lung disease trials — Testing antifibrotic drugs and other medications to slow the scarring that causes breathing problems in systemic sclerosis.
- Skin trials — Testing drugs like JAK inhibitors to soften thickened skin and improve movement.
- Pulmonary hypertension trials — Testing drugs that open blood vessels in the lungs, a complication that causes shortness of breath and heart strain.
- Stem cell trials — Studies of stem cell transplant for people with severe, early systemic sclerosis that's progressing quickly.
- Natural history studies — Following people over time to understand how the disease progresses and what factors predict organ damage.
Recently added Systemic Sclerosis 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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