Clinical trials and basic research: defining mechanisms and improving treatment in connective tissue disease.
Despite advances in elucidating the pathogenic factors responsible for its development, systemic sclerosis remains complex and poorly understood, and treatment options are limited. Multidisciplinary collaborative efforts are needed to better characterize clinical and prognostic parameters and to design and implement large-scale clinical trials in well defined populations with therapies that target potential disease modulators.
Rubin
Lewis J
LJ
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California San Diego, Campus Point Drive, La Jolla, California 92037-7381, USA. ljrubin@ucsd.edu
Black
Carol M
CM
Denton
Christopher P
CP
Seibold
James R
JR
D000818:Animals; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012107:Research Design / Q000639:trends; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*