Treatment of scleroderma

Although no new agents were studied in the treatment of scleroderma this year, major steps were taken to improve our investigative approach to this disease. The American College of Rheumatology Committee on Design and Outcomes in Clinical Trials in Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma) published guidelines for clinical trials in scleroderma. These guidelines suggest that great care should be taken in the design of therapeutic trials in scleroderma so that the clinical impact of new treatments can be properly understood. Excellent reviews were published this year on how to manage scleroderma and its complications, particularly in the area of gastrointestinal involvement. The need to better understand the treatment of lung disease in scleroderma was emphasized in several reports. Provocative new insight into the pathogenesis of scleroderma has suggested several potential targets for novel approaches to treatment. The challenge for scleroderma clinical researchers in the future is to prioritize treatment options and organize large collaborative studies that are prospective, controlled, and well designed.