New Therapeutic Targets

The success obtained with biologic therapies in rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthropathies has led to its use in other rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and, to a lesser degree, in Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). This review summarizes the biologic therapies that are still in a development phase, albeit a relatively advanced one, with the aim of applying them clinically in the near future. In this sense, SLE is the disease for which most trials are being carried out, including treatment with agents such as sodic abetimus (LJP 394) a synthetic analog of DNA, edratide (TV4710) a peptide from the antigen-binding site of anti-double stranded DNA, or monoclonal antibodies with different effects: B cell depletion (rituximab [anti-CD20+] and epratuzumab [anti-CD22]), lymphocyte proliferation inhibitors (belimumab [anti-BAFF]) or inhibition of costimulation (BG9588 [anti-CD40L] and abatacept [CTLA-4Ig]). In SS the agent that shows the most promise is rituximab though there are some studies with efalizumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the LFA-1 (CD-11) molecule. Finally, in PSS there is development of monoclonal antibodies against TGF beta a cytokine implicated in the fibrotic reaction that is the result of this disease, as well as one trial that is employing abatacept. However, in this disease the most important advances are being seen with the use of agents such as endothelin inhibitors or tyrosin-kinases, which are not considered biologic therapies.