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Stem cells

HSCT for systemic sclerosis—swallows and summers

Nature Reviews Rheumatology volume 7, pages 624–626 (2011)Cite this article

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'Re-setting' autoimmunity through autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is undergoing extensive clinical testing. A small randomized clinical trial in patients with systemic sclerosis now reports positive outcomes in all those treated with the therapy, compared with those receiving cyclophosphamide. Nevertheless, major questions about toxicity and long-term efficacy remain unanswered.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Mrs Ann Tyrrell Kennedy, president of the Federation of European Scleroderma Associations (FESCA) for reviewing the manuscript from the patients' perspective and Prof. Alois Gratwohl, former president of the European group for Bone Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and pioneer in the field of HSCT for autoimmune disease, for a historical perspective.

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  1. Department of Rheumatology, University of Basel, Felix Platter Spital, Burgfelderstrasse 101, Basel, 4012, Switzerland

    Alan Tyndall

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  1. Alan Tyndall
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Tyndall, A. HSCT for systemic sclerosis—swallows and summers. Nat Rev Rheumatol 7, 624–626 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2011.136

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