IL6 and systemic sclerosis: Furthermore, blocking the IL-6 pathway with tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-6R, shows efficacy (13, 14) and is approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (15), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (16), giant cell arteritis (17), cytokine release syndrome (18), and systemic sclerosis (19), supporting a role for IL-6 signaling in disease pathogenesis.