Summary

This article discusses the first results from the Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation International Scleroderma trial [ASTIS; ISRCTN54371254], an international, investigator-initiated, open-label Phase 3 trial that suggests that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation results in better long-term event-free and overall survival compared with conventional treatment for patients with poor prognosis, early diffuse, cutaneous systemic sclerosis.