Treatment of autoimmune diseases with conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) results, in many cases, only in moderate efficacy or relatively short-term duration of therapeutic effect. Moreover, a number of patients may not tolerate these drugs or experience adverse events. Therefore, the introduction of biological drugs has significantly changed the clinical course especially for the patients with particularly complicated disease or poor response to the treatment, demonstrating the ability to inhibit disease progression.
However, even to this type of treatment not all patients respond, and in some cases the initial response wanes over time, partly due to immunogenicity (the formation of antibodies that block the full therapeutic effect of the biological drug) or due to poor tolerability.
Therefore, it is important to continually develop new drugs and biosimilars that target other key cytokines and immune pathways. Another aspect is the off-label use of pre-existing biological drugs.
Considering the growing experience of clinicians as well as emerging issues in biological treatment, in this Research Topic, we welcome reviews, systematic reviews, comments and original research articles including, but not limited to, the following themes:
• New potential biologics’ targets in autoimmune diseases and new strategies and directions for treatment of autoimmune diseases;
• Biologics’ interactions and their metabolism in autoimmune diseases;
• Implications of pharmacogenomics in the treatment with biologics;
• Genetic and epigenetic research on biologics and biosimilars.
Note to author: Only manuscripts that adhere to the scope of the section will be considered for review.
Treatment of autoimmune diseases with conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) results, in many cases, only in moderate efficacy or relatively short-term duration of therapeutic effect. Moreover, a number of patients may not tolerate these drugs or experience adverse events. Therefore, the introduction of biological drugs has significantly changed the clinical course especially for the patients with particularly complicated disease or poor response to the treatment, demonstrating the ability to inhibit disease progression.
However, even to this type of treatment not all patients respond, and in some cases the initial response wanes over time, partly due to immunogenicity (the formation of antibodies that block the full therapeutic effect of the biological drug) or due to poor tolerability.
Therefore, it is important to continually develop new drugs and biosimilars that target other key cytokines and immune pathways. Another aspect is the off-label use of pre-existing biological drugs.
Considering the growing experience of clinicians as well as emerging issues in biological treatment, in this Research Topic, we welcome reviews, systematic reviews, comments and original research articles including, but not limited to, the following themes:
• New potential biologics’ targets in autoimmune diseases and new strategies and directions for treatment of autoimmune diseases;
• Biologics’ interactions and their metabolism in autoimmune diseases;
• Implications of pharmacogenomics in the treatment with biologics;
• Genetic and epigenetic research on biologics and biosimilars.
Note to author: Only manuscripts that adhere to the scope of the section will be considered for review.
