T-cell targeted therapies in autoimmune diseases

Significant advances have been made during the past decade in the understanding of autoimmune diseases and in the development of therapeutics targeting various immune pathways. T-cell-mediated immune dysregulation occurs in a variety of autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis. Inhibition of the T-cell function using CTLA-4Ig is currently approved for management of rheumatoid arthritis. Select therapies targeting adhesion molecules are used for the management of patients with psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. Therapeutics targeting tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a cytokine secreted by T cells, is widely used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Furthermore, several therapies target a variety of molecules related to T cells that are under development or undergoing clinical trials. Drug Dev Res 72:585–597, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.