Anticytokine Therapies in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

The dysfunctional immune response that characterizes systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) associates with an unbalanced production of soluble mediators that are crucial in promoting and sustaining chronic inflammation. The successful use of biologics in several autoimmune diseases has led to studies in SLE aimed at contrasting the proinflammatory responses that contribute to tissue and organ damage in the disease. Several approaches have been developed and tested as potential therapeutic agents in SLE in preclinical studies and in clinical trials. This article provides an overview on antibody-based approaches in SLE that, although preliminary, have the potential to expand the current therapeutic possibilities in the disease.

KEYWORDS::

• anticytokine therapy
• clinical trial
• cytokine
• immunotherapy
• systemic lupus erythematosus

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Antonio La Cava is supported by grants from the NIH (NIH AR53239) and the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Antonio La Cava is supported by grants from the NIH (NIH AR53239) and the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.