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The future of autologous stem cell transplantation in systemic sclerosis

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation revolutionized the treatment of severe systemic sclerosis as the first therapy able to induce long-term remission in this relentlessly fibrosing disease. Nevertheless, questions remain about patient selection, conditioning, and how this treatment fits into the evolving immune-modifying therapeutic landscape. The field should move beyond standardization towards precision therapy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank J.M. van Laar for discussing and proofreading this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Julia Spierings.

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Schimmel, C., Spierings, J. The future of autologous stem cell transplantation in systemic sclerosis. Nat Rev Rheumatol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-025-01341-7

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