View clinical trials related to Scleroderma.
Filter by:Patient Power is a patient research network and database (registry) to collect prospective information about demographics, self-reported diagnoses and medications, and willingness to participate in research from participants with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SpA), other musculoskeletal conditions, chronic neurological conditions like migraine, chronic pulmonary conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, autoimmune dermatological conditions such as psoriasis, and other chronic inflammatory or immune-mediated conditions. In addition, since patients with chronic conditions often have other co-morbidities like cardiovascular health and obesity-related metabolic disorders, these conditions will also be included. Participants will provide information from their smartphones or personal computers. The information will be used by researchers and clinicians to help patients and their providers make better, more informed decisions about treatment of chronic conditions.
Dyspnea (i.e. breathlessness) and exercise intolerance are common symptoms for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), yet it is not known why. It has been suggested that muscle dysfunction may contribute to dyspnea and exercise intolerance in ILD. Our study aims to: i) examine differences in the structure and function of the leg muscles in ILD patients, ii) determine if leg muscle fatigue contributes to dyspnea and exercise limitation in patients with ILD, and iii) determine the effects of breathing extra oxygen on leg muscle fatigue, as well as ability to exercise in ILD patients.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common peripheral entrapment neuropathy, this study aims to investigate if, and to what extent local ozone therapy could offer symptom improvement in scleroderma patients with Carpal tunnel syndrome
A two-component therapeutic consisting of FCX-013 and veledimex for the treatment of localized scleroderma (or morphea). The first component, FCX-013, is autologous human fibroblasts genetically-modified using lentivirus and encoded for matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), a protein responsible for breaking down collagen. FCX-013 is designed to be injected under the skin at the location of the fibrotic lesions where the genetically-modified fibroblast cells will produce MMP-1 to break down excess collagen accumulation. With the FCX-013 therapy, the patient will take an oral compound (Veledimex) to induce MMP-1 protein expression from the injected cells. Once the fibrosis is resolved, the patient will stop taking the oral compound which will stop further MMP-1 production from the injected cells. FCX-013 plus veledimex is being developed in anticipation of improving skin function in patients by resolving fibrotic lesions and normalizing dermal collagen production
Patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and scleroderma who develop pulmonary hypertension (PH) do not fit well into the current classification system and treatments for pulmonary hypertension. This study aims to better understand patients with ILD-PH and scleroderma and to determine if treatment with Macitentan is beneficial.
This study is designed to treat systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) patients with an autologous stem cell transplant using a regimen of immune suppressant drugs and chemotherapy that is less toxic to your heart.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a diverse group of parenchymal lung disorders characterized by restrictive lung function and impaired alveolar diffusion capacity, leading to dyspnea on exertion, reduced exercise endurance, and poor quality of life. Patients usually complain of progressive breathlessness, persisting non-productive cough, which occurs with exercise. Hemoptysis, fever, chest pain are also seen. The most common comorbidity in chronic lung diseases is the progressive loss of exercise tolerance. Not only dyspnea, but also peripheral muscle dysfunction and cognitive deficits such as, anxiety and depression are responsible for the reduction of mobility in the patient. In the context of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program to be applied in interstitial lung diseases; upper and lower limb endurance, stretching and relaxation techniques, aerobic exercise training, respiratory muscle training, training of energy conservation methods, support by determining oxygen requirement, nutritional evaluation, prevention of weight and muscle loss, psycho-social support. The purpose of PR programs in this disease is; to improve muscle strength, endurance, and mechanical activity, to improve dyspnea sensation, to improve functional capacity, to inform and educate the patient about the patient's disease. The use of whole body vibration (TVT) is an increasingly common method of therapeutic use in order to improve neuromuscular performance. TVT applications have shown that increases muscle activity, muscle strength and muscle strength, improves lower extremity blood circulation and balance, and increases growth hormone production. TVT training effects have rarely been studied in patients with pulmonary disease. Muscle strength and performance enhancement were significant effects of TVT, which was emphasized as a promising exercise method for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Over the past decade, endurance and strength training has been established as the most important components of exercise training programs in patients with COPD and ILD. Therefore, inclusion of TVT into exercise training programs in ILD patients may lead to beneficial results. The investigators hypotheses are: 1. the combination of home respiratory exercises with whole body vibration training may lead to more improved respiratory muscle strength, dyspnoea, functional capacity, balance, peripheral muscle strength and quality of life in ILD patients 2. when applied as an isolated intervention, home respiratory exercises programme may lead to lower results than combination programs.
Many people living with a rare disease turn to peer-led support groups to cope with their condition and access educational resources. Systemic sclerosis (SSc), or scleroderma, is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disease where peer-led support groups play an important role. There are currently approximately 200 SSc support groups in Canada and the US, most of which are led by people with SSc. Many SSc patients, however, cannot access support groups. In other cases, support groups are not sustained due to factors that include the burden on group leaders living with a serious, unpredictable disease and limited group leadership skills of some untrained leaders. Our partners from Scleroderma Canada and the Scleroderma Foundation in the US are committed to improving support group accessibility and effectiveness. These organizations maintain a list of active support groups, but currently do not provide training or other resources to groups or their leaders. To address this gap, our team, including investigators and patients from the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN), developed the Scleroderma Support group Leader EDucation (SPIN-SSLED) Program, which is designed to improve support group leader confidence and self-efficacy, reduce burnout, improve emotional well-being, and improve health-related quality of life. In the planned full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) that will follow our feasibility trial, we will evaluate whether the SPIN-SSLED Program is effective in improving SSc support group leaders' self-efficacy for carrying out their leader role (primary) and if it reduces burnout, improves emotional well-being, and improves health-related quality of life (secondary). Thus, the SPIN-SSLED Feasibility Trial answers the following research questions: (1) Is a full-scale SPIN-SSLED RCT feasible? (2) Are adaptations needed to the research design for the planned full-scale RCT? (3) Are there ways to improve the SPIN-SSLED Program for delivery in the planned full-scale RCT based on input of support group leaders who participate in the feasibility trial?
Systemic sclerosis (SSc, AKA scleroderma) is an autoimmune condition characterized by endothelial damage and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. One of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with SSc is pulmonary hypertension (PH), which is estimated to occur in up to 31% of high risk SSc patients. Early detection of patients with SSc-PH may lead to improved outcomes and although there have been concerted efforts to accurately screen for SSc-PH, these patients continue to present with advanced disease and suffer from poor survival. Therefore, better methods to screen for patients with PH and, perhaps more importantly, to screen for those at risk for PH development are desperately needed. Since PH and SSc are disorders originating from the endothelium, biomarkers that reflect endothelial damage are very promising tools to identify early disease. Such potential biomarkers include endothelial microparticles, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), pentraxin-3, and soluble endoglin. No previous study has used a combination of these biomarkers to detect the presence of PH in patients with SSc, or studied the novel concept of exercise-induced changes in biomarker levels. The investigators will collect the above listed endothelial biomarkers before and after exercise, and combine these levels with exercise echocardiogram findings, and routine clinical information to derive a composite detection score for the early identification of systemic sclerosis-associated PH.
The Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) is an organization established by researchers, health care providers, and people living with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis or SSc) from Canada, the USA, and Europe. The objectives of SPIN are (1) to assemble a large cohort of SSc patients to complete outcome assessments regularly in order to learn more about important problems faced by people living with SSc and (2) to develop and test a series of internet-based interventions to help patients manage aspects of their disease, including hand limitations. In SSc, approximately 90% of patients experience significant hand function limitations, which impact overall disability more than any other aspect of the disease. The SPIN hand exercise program was designed by SPIN experts in rehabilitation, behavioural therapies, and e-health interventions, as well as patient representatives in SPIN. The program core consists of 4 modules that address specific aspects of hand function, and integrates tools to support key components of successful self-management programs, including goal-setting and feedback, social modeling, and mastery experiences. The SPIN-HAND trial is a pragmatic randomized control trial (RCT) embedded in the SPIN Cohort that will evaluate the effect of SPIN's online hand exercise program, in addition to usual care, on hand function and health related quality of life (HRQL) in SSc patients with at least mild hand function limitations. SPIN will randomize 586 SPIN Cohort participants with at least mild hand function limitations and an indicated interest in using an online hand exercise program to be offered the hand exercise program or usual care only.