title: Emerging biological therapies for systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with unpredictable disease course, intermingled with periods of remission and exacerbation. Current therapies for SLE are not ideal in terms of efficacy and toxicity. Although the prognosis of the disease has improved in the past decades, further improvement is hindered by the occurrence of organ damage as a result of persistent disease activity and treatment-related complications. Novel biological therapies targeting at higher treatment efficacy and fewer adverse effects are being developed.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review summarizes recent data on novel biological therapies for SLE. The pitfalls of clinical trial design and future directions of the development of SLE therapeutics are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The variable therapeutic response observed in SLE reflects the clinical and immunological heterogeneity of the disease. The treatment plan of SLE patients should be individualized, with the target of quenching out disease activity, minimizing disease flares, and treatment related morbidities. Despite the disappointment of recent clinical trials, avenues are being opened for novel agents that intervene at different levels of the pathophysiological cascade of SLE. With the availability of a new treatment armamentarium, it is hoped that the survival rate and quality of life of SLE patients can continue to improve.
authors.affiliation: Tuen Mun Hospital, Department of Medicine , Tsing Chung Koon Road, New Territories, Hong Kong, SAR , China +852 2468 5386 ; +852 2456 9100 ; ccmok2005@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Chi Chiu
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Mok
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001691:Biological Therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069283:Rituximab
chemical_list: C573858:AMG623 peptibody; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000069283:Rituximab; C511911:belimumab; C533411:ocrelizumab; C524618:TACI receptor-IgG Fc fragment fusion protein
keywords: biologics; lupus; novel; targeted therapy; therapeutics; therapy