title: Tocilizumab - a novel therapy for non-organ-specific autoimmune diseases.
abstract: In the past decade, tocilizumab, an anti interleukin-6 agent, has been successfully developed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In addition to countering inflammation, tocilizumab is also known affect B cell as well as T cell function, thus modulating immune function, and impact osteoclasts, as well as vascular endothelial growth factor. As such, its efficacy is currently being explored in a large number of autoiommune conditions including a number of vasculitides, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis, graft versus host disease, relapsing polychondritis, as well as Behcet's syndrome, spondyloarthropathies, and tumor necrosis factor receptor associated periodic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaly
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rosner
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000188:drug therapy; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000093242:Interleukin-6 Inhibitors
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000093242:Interleukin-6 Inhibitors; C502936:tocilizumab