Novel Approach: Cancer drug might ease scleroderma

The chemotherapy drug paclitaxel, when given to mice, shows signs of impeding the skin disease scleroderma, researchers report. By slowing skin thickening, paclitaxel might offer a treatment for a disease that has defied cure.

Scleroderma results when excess collagen protein accumulates in the skin, rendering it fibrous and inflexible.