title: A review of the use of biological agents for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.
abstract: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a group of idiopathic, acquired, immune-mediated inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the peripheral nervous system. A majority of patients with CIDP respond to "first-line" treatment with IVIG, plasmapheresis and/or corticosteroids. There exists insufficient evidence to ascertain the benefit of treatment with "conventional" immunosuppressive drugs. The inconsistent efficacy, long-term financial burden and health risks of non-specific immune altering therapy have drawn recurrent attention to the possible usefulness of a variety of biological agents that target key aspects in the CIDP immunopathogenic pathways. This review aims to give an updated account of the scientific rationale and potential use of biological therapeutics in patients with CIDP. No specific treatment recommendations are given. The discovery, development and application of biological markers by modern molecular diagnostic techniques may help identify drug-naïve or treatment-resistant CIDP patients most likely to respond to targeted immunotherapy.
authors: Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, NY 10065-4885, USA. pstuebge@med.cornell.edu
authors: Joerg-Patrick
authors: JP
authors: Stübgen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007372:Interferons