About this Research Topic

Background

Autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells, tissues and other body normal constituents. In both autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, the condition arises through aberrant reactions of the human adaptive or innate immune systems. Any disease resulting from this type of immune response is termed an "autoimmune disease" (AD). Treatments for the autoimmune disease have traditionally been immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, or palliative. The goal of these advancements is to have treatment options available that are less toxic to the patient and have more specific targets.

Neuroinflammation (NI) is inflammation of the nervous tissue and might be considered a subgroup of other AD. During NI, the patient's immune system is activated against the body's own proteins. NI may be initiated in response to a variety of cues and therefore there is increasing interest to determine whether reducing inflammation will reverse neurodegeneration on various levels. Last, but not least, the safety and efficacy results leading to marketing authorisation application and post-marketing variations from the regulatory perspective of pharmacotherapy mentioned above are crucial to build evidence for medical praxis in this particular field.

During neuroinflammation and autoimmune processes, chronic inflammation plays a key role, neutrophils and other leukocytes are constitutively recruited by cytokines and chemokines, resulting in tissue damage. Inhibiting inflammatory cytokines, such as various interleukins decreases neuronal loss seen in neurodegenerative diseases. Current treatments for multiple sclerosis include interferon-B, Glatiramer acetate, and Mitoxantrone, which function by reducing or inhibiting T Cell activation. Options tend to treat autoimmune diseases, in general, include: Monoclonal antibodies that can be used to block pro-inflammatory cytokines; Antigen-specific immunotherapy which allows immune cells to specifically target the abnormal cells that cause autoimmune disease; Co-stimulatory blockade that works to block the pathway that leads to the autoimmune response; Regulatory T cell therapy that utilizes this special type of T cell to suppress the autoimmunity. Mitigation of inflammation by activation of anti-inflammatory genes and the suppression of inflammatory genes in immune cells is a promising therapeutic approach. The current and new insight into the immunopharmacology of AD and NI treatment is now open from a pre-clinical and evidence-based medicinal point of view to build a piece of real-world evidence data for pharmacotherapeutics in the development stage as well as clinical praxis.

The Research Topic covers basic pharmacological research as well as clinical aspects in the field of autoimmune diseases, treatment of inflammation and the modulation of neuroinflammatory diseases. The pre-authorisation, as well as post-authorisation safety/efficacy results, from the pharmacotherapeutical perspective, are highly appreciated for the real-world evidence (RWE) database. Thus specific aspects related to adequate modulation of the inflammation might be crucial for new marketing authorisation applications as well as for extensions of indications and the decision-making process of authorities and healthcare administrations. Articles such as a Brief Research Report, Case Report, Clinical Trial, Correction, Data Report, Editorial, General Commentary, Hypothesis and Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Systematic Review etc. might fulfil the current Research Topic in variety of research and development field from academia/university as well as from institutions and pharmaceutical industry. This Research Topic could contribute to the RWE database and lead to rational pharmacotherapy of autoimmune diseases as well as modulate neuroinflammation and perhaps trigger to review of some obsolete medical guidelines.

This Research Topic is open to pharmacotherapy of inflammation caused by specific aspects or indirect conditions as well.

Because of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and optimal patient pharmacotherapy ensurance, the concomitant autoimmune diseases treatment along with already approved vaccines and treatments against SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 is, hence, one of the up-to-date goals where new data are needed. The immune system research of particular interactions and modulation (positively/negatively) under such pharmacotherapy is appreciated.

Moreover, several other diseases possess inflammatory conditions indirectly with a further need for medical intervention e.g. in oncology, diabetes, infection diseases, radiation/chemotherapy enteritis and others. As a result, new pharmacotherapeutic approaches, which are connected indirectly to inflammation in the organ systems, such as the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, kidneys etc. are welcome for submission as well.

Keywords: Immunopharmacology, Autoimmunity/Immunity, Neuroinflammation, Pre-clinical, Clinical, immunotargets, safety, efficacy, Humoral regulation, Regulatory science impact, Monocyte phagocyte system modulation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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