[Do specific antifibrotic properties of immunosuppressive drugs used in the treatment of systemic sclerosis exist?].
Better understanding of the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis, and especially the pivotal role of the extracellular matrix components, shed new light on the use of several immunosuppressive drugs to treat systemic sclerosis. We review the recent experimental data demonstrating the specific antifibrotic effect of several immunosuppressive drugs, independent of their immunosuppressive action, in light of the clinical results obtained when treating severe systemic sclerosis patients. Refined analysis of the molecular mechanisms underlying the direct antifibrotic effects of these immunosuppressive drugs (rapamycin and mycophenolate mofetil) will contribute to improve the therapeutic strategy in systemic sclerosis patients.
INSERM U957-EA3822, faculté de médecine, 1 rue Gaston-Veil, Nantes cedex, France. franck.verrecchia@inserm.fr
F
F
Verrecchia
L
L
Michel
H
H
Keshtmand
Y
Y
Wang
D
D
Launay
D
D
Farge
D000818:Animals; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide