title: Cellular Therapies in Systemic Sclerosis: Recent Progress.
abstract: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disease with a high mortality and morbidity. While progress has been made in terms of identifying high-risk patients and implementing new treatment strategies, therapeutic options remain limited. In the past few decades, various cellular therapies have emerged, which have been studied in SSc and other conditions. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of currently available cellular therapies and critically assess their merit as disease-modifying treatment for SSc. Currently, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only cellular therapy that has demonstrated clinical effects on the immune system, neoangiogenesis, and fibrosis. Robust mechanistic studies as well as clinical trials are essential to move the field forward.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Femke C C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: van Rhijn-Brouwer
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gremmels
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joost O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Fledderus
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Timothy R D
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Radstake
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marianne C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Verhaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands. j.m.vanlaar@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Jacob M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van Laar
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000628:therapy*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000637:transplantation
keywords: Cellular therapy; Dendritic cells; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Mesenchymal stromal cells; Regulatory T cells; Systemic sclerosis