Introduction on Therapeutic Opportunities for Autoimmunity Publisher



Rezaei N^{1, 2, 3} ; Yazdanpanah N^{1, 3}
Source: Translational Autoimmunity: Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases Published:2022

Abstract

Autoimmune diseases have induced a huge burden on individuals, families, economy, and the healthcare system. Considering their wide spectrum of manifestations and systemic involvement in some of the cases, different complications are associated with these diseases. On the other hand, since most of the current treatments systematically target the immune system, patients might experience a variety of adverse effects. Despite the progress in finding new targets and treatment strategies in animal studies, the development of treatments in clinical application is not seen to the same extent. One important explanation regarding this issue is the difference between the animal and human physiological systems. Moreover, the genetic and epigenetic differences between individuals potentially result in different disease manifestations even with the same underlying pathology besides different spectra of response to treatment. Therefore, finding proper treatment for autoimmune diseases by conducting translational studies that facilitate the application of current evidence from laboratory, animal studies, and preclinical findings in clinical practice is of interest. In this chapter, a brief review of currently available treatments for autoimmune diseases and existing challenges in this field are provided. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.