What are the most promising treatments for Scleroderma?
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disorder that affects the tone of the skin and other tissues. It can present as a tight, immobilizing glove like feeling in the hands. When this disease manifests in a musician, it can be a disabling, career ending disorder. Brian Setzer was recently diagnosed with an undisclosed autoimmune disease that is preventing him from playing guitar, that he reports as feeling as though he is wearing gloves on his hands. It seems reasonable to speculate that the disease is more specifically, “Scleroderma”.
At first, even second glance, this wouldn’t leave too many feeling optimistic about his future of playing. As one of the rockabilly guitar heroes of the past many decades, this news has been very disappointing for many.
I did a bit of research on the more recent developments in treatment for scleroderma and this is what I found. While #2 seems like it could be a bit more invasive, but given that scleroderma can be fatal, #2 addresses this and seems to be pretty effective!
So, based on recent clinical trials and research, the most promising treatments for scleroderma that show significant success rates are:
1. Cell-based therapies: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has shown promising results, with studies reporting improvements in over 60% of patients after 12 weeks of treatment[1]. This includes reductions in skin hardening, improvements in lung function, and decreases in inflammatory markers.
2. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT): Long-term studies have shown impressive outcomes:
– 81.8% progression-free survival rate at 2 years
– 90% overall survival rate
– 88.7% response rate[5]
Another study reported 81% overall survival and 70.5% progression-free survival at 8 years post-HSCT[5].
3. Novel drug therapies: A Phase 2 clinical trial with FT011, a new oral therapy, demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in 60% of patients treated with the 400mg dose after 12 weeks[1].
While these treatments show promise, it’s important to note that scleroderma is a complex disease, and treatment success can vary depending on the individual and the specific manifestations of their condition. Ongoing research and clinical trials continue to explore new therapies and combinations to improve outcomes for scleroderma patients.
Citations:
[1] https://www.biospace.com/ground-breaking-results-in-phase-2-scleroderma-study-by-certa-therapeutics-demonstrates-improvement-in-more-than-60-percent-of-patients
[2] https://www.mayo.edu/research/clinical-trials/diseases-conditions/scleroderma
[3] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1530887/full
[4] https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/scleroderma-clinic/overview/ovc-20478748
[5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10234204/
[6] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3666163/
[7] https://www.rarediseaseadvisor.com/hcp-resource/systemic-sclerosis-life-expectancy/
[8] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scleroderma/symptoms-causes/syc-20351952
Dr. Lou Jacobs has been a chiropractor and acupuncturist in Portland, Maine for over 23 years. He works with all people who need help but has two specialties. The first specialty in which he is board certified, is pediatric and perinatal chiropractic care. He has also specialized in the health, wellness and injury management of musicians and performing artists.