Abstract

Targeted therapies including tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) inhibitors have transformed the management of a number of autoimmune conditions over the past 20 years. One autoimmune rheumatological condition with significant potential for the development of targeted therapies is systemic sclerosis (SSc). In this chapter, we use SSc as an example of how research into the pathogenic processes underlying autoimmune conditions can be translated into novel targeted therapies. We review the evidence base for a range of targeted therapies for SSc identified from a systematic literature search, before highlighting a number of studies currently underway. Keywords: systemic sclerosis, scleroderma, targeted therapies, biological therapy, biologic, rheumatology, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune