Novel Treatments in Lupus

The treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) still depends on non-specific immunosuppression. Herein, we review promising targeted therapies that have the potential to change this therapeutic paradigm. Besides the FDA-approved B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) inhibitor, belimumab, interferon-α represents a promising treatment target, albeit with modest effectiveness primarily in non-renal SLE. Preclinical and early-phase clinical trials using biologics and small molecules targeting B and T cell activation as well as the cross-talk between these cells also show promise. BLyS and interferon targeting show the most promising results in challenging the current treatment status in non-renal SLE.