Targeted therapies for systemic sclerosis

In the era of targeted therapy, patients with rheumatic diseases have seen real results. But what about those with systemic sclerosis—where is the long-awaited antifibrotic drug? Disparate aspects of the pathogenesis are gradually being integrated into a cohesive model, and molecular targets that are shared with other diseases are also being defined. As this Review stresses, careful evaluation of new strategies, with a focus on learning fundamental lessons about the underlying biology, will be needed to translate novel approaches into actual clinical progress in this recalcitrant disease.