View clinical trials related to Systemic Sclerosis.
Filter by:Systemic Sclerosis is a disease that may be caused by the immune system reacting against skin and certain organs. It is possible, that by changing the immune system we can modify the progression of this disease. Stem cells are created in the bone marrow. They mature into different types of blood cells that are needed including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In this study, we will stimulate the bone marrow to make extra stem cells. Next we will collect the stem cells, select specific cells, and store them. We will then give high dose chemotherapy that will destroy the patients immune system. We will then give back the selected stem cells we collected. We believe that these selected stem cells may be able to "re-create" the immune system without the portion that causes Systemic Sclerosis. The purpose of this study is to try to discover if stem cell transplantation can help patients with Systemic Sclerosis. We will also try to learn what the side effects are of this treatment in patients with Systemic Sclerosis. We hope that this treatment will help to relieve the symptoms patients are experiencing, although we do not know if it will.
Systemic Sclerosis (also known as Scleroderma) is a chronic, autoimmune disease of the connective tissue generally classified as one of the rheumatic diseases. Systemic Sclerosis causes fibrosis (scar tissue) to be formed in the skin and internal organs. The fibrosis eventually causes the involved skin to harden, limiting mobility, and can also damage other organs. Excess Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1 (TGF-beta1) activity may result in the abnormal fibrosis characteristic of Systemic Sclerosis. An antibody against TGF-beta1 may modify pathologic processes characterized by inappropriate fibrosis. Genzyme Corporation is currently investigating a human monoclonal antibody (CAT-192) that neutralizes active TGF-beta1. This study is being conducted in the U.S. and Europe to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of repeated treatments with CAT-192 in patients with early stage diffuse Systemic Sclerosis.
OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the toxicity of cyclophosphamide and rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin in patients with diffuse systemic sclerosis. II. Determine the efficacy of this regimen in terms of controlling disease in these patients.
OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the safety and long term complications of total body irradiation in combination with cyclophosphamide, anti-thymocyte globulin, and autologous CD34-selected peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation in children with refractory autoimmune disorders. II. Determine the efficacy of this treatment regimen in these patients. III. Determine the reconstitution of immunity after autologous CD34-selected PBSC transplantation in these patients. IV. Determine engraftment of autologous CD34-selected PBSC in these patients.
This study will examine the effectiveness of two psychological treatment approaches designed to help people who have scleroderma with three important areas of daily living: pain, depression, and distress about changes in appearance. The study will also evaluate the impact of depression on the two psychological treatments. Because psychological approaches requiring a trained professional can be expensive and are often not available to most patients, this study will also look at the effectiveness of a self-help treatment approach.
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral iloprost, a prostacyclin analog, in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether parenteral relaxin improves skin tightness, Raynaud's phenomenon, digital morbidity, and digital ulcers in a patient with progressive systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). II. Determine whether relaxin decreases collagen production by fibroblasts in vivo and cultured from skin biopsies.