title: Modern therapeutic strategies for autoimmune diseases.
abstract: Autoimmunity is an overreaction of immune competent cells to self structures resulting in an unwanted clinical outcome. Traditional therapeutic strategies, still relevant in many cases, involve broad acting immunosuppressants such as cyclophosphamide with the predictable attendant toxicity. More recent concepts include blockade of specifically defined targets such as TNF-α, with resulting immunomodulation and less toxicity. Both of these strategies require ongoing drug treatment of established disease. A long standing goal, not yet achieved, is the predictable induction of tolerance, obviating the need for chronic treatment. Experimental strategies to achieve this include pre-emptive (preclinical) treatment before chronification is established, total immune ablation and immune "resetting" and autoantigen immunisation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University of Basel, Felix Platter Spital, Burgfelderstrasse 101, 4012, Basel, Switzerland. alan.tyndall@fps-basel.ch
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tyndall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha