title: Towards inhibition of morbidity and mortality in Sjögren's syndrome: opportunities and challenges.
abstract: In recent years considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the immunopathology of primary Sjögren's syndrome. Several genetic and environmental risk factors as well as cellular and molecular pathways have been identified, providing multiple targets for therapeutic strategies. Establishment of disease activity scores allows careful monitoring of therapeutic strategies and has set the stage for definition of clinical response criteria. Early detection of autoimmune symptoms before the onset of primary Sjögren's syndrome might trigger early intervention strategies to prevent immunopathology. New studies that indicated a strong association between lymphoid neogenesis and development of lymphoma and extra-glandular manifestations indicate that future therapeutic strategies should perhaps be directed at patients at risk for more severe disease. Several challenges remain, such as dissecting the causes and consequences of several types of IFN signatures or elucidating how viral triggering of the immune system is involved and could be targeted. The biggest challenge may be prevention of dryness since the causes of dryness remain elusive and could include non-immunological ones. In the coming years it will become clear to what extent novel drugs can prevent immunopathology and clinical symptoms like dryness and fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Immunology, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center of Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joel A G
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: van Roon
authors.forename: Timothy R D J
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Radstake
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*