title: Vitamin D receptor agonists: suitable candidates as novel therapeutic options in autoimmune inflammatory myopathy.
abstract: The primary aim in the treatment of autoimmune inflammatory myopathies (IMs) is to recover muscle function. The presence of immune/inflammatory cell infiltrates within muscle tissues represents the common feature of different IM subtypes, albeit a correlation between muscular damage extent and inflammation degree is often lacking. Treatments for IMs are based on life-long immunosuppressive therapy, with the well known adverse effects; recovery is incomplete for many patients. More effective therapies, with reduced side-effects, are highly desirable. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonists emerge to retain pleiotropic anti-inflammatory properties, since they regulate innate and adaptive immunity by switching the immune response from proinflammatory T helper 1 (Th1) type to tolerogenic T helper 2 (Th2) type dominance. In skeletal muscle cells less hypercalcemic VDR ligands target powerful mediators of inflammation, such as TNF α and TNF α driven paths, without affecting immune or muscle cells viability, retaining the potentiality to counteract Th1 driven overreactivity established by the self-enhancing inflammatory loop between immune and skeletal muscle cells. This review summarizes those features of VDR agonists as candidates in future treatment of IM.
authors.affiliation: Section of Health Sciences, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, 00135 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crescioli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D018448:Models, Immunological; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009220:Myositis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000819:agonists* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol