Emerging biotherapies for Sjögren's syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune epithelitis. This exocrinopathy is frequently associated with extraglandular complications, and the patients are at risk of developing B cell lymphoma. Given the lack of disease-modifying drugs, and the fact that SS is a quintessential B-cell mediated disease, attention has recently been focused on biotherapies.


METHODS
Despite negative grounds, TNF-alpha antagonists have been tested in the disease, and proven not be efficient. However, B-cell depleting therapy using anti-CD20 antibodies such as rituximab, which is a chimeric mAb, has shown promise in the field, while anti-CD22 mAb seems to be less active.


RESULTS
New treatments against the B-cell activating factor of the TNF family are about to be tested, or replaced by receptor immunoglobulin decay protein.


CONCLUSIONS
B-cell depleting therapies seem promising in SS, but no data are, thus far, available on treatments targeting B-cell activating factor of the TNF family.
Tobón
Gabriel J
GJ
Université de Brest, Université Européenne de Bretagne, Laboratory of Immunology, CHU Morvan, BP824, F29609 Brest, France.
Saraux
Alain
A
Pers
Jacques-Olivier
JO
Youinou
Pierre
P
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D035703:Therapies, Investigational; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001688:Biological Products