Title:Update on Myositis Therapy: From Today’s Standards to Tomorrow’s Possibilities
Volume: 28
Issue: 11
Author(s): Stefanie Glaubitz, Rachel Zeng, Goran Rakocevic and Jens Schmidt*
Affiliation:
- Department of Neurology, Muscle Immunobiology Group, Neuromuscular Center, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department
of Neurology and Pain Treatment, Immanuel Klinik Rüdersdorf, University Hospital of the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor
Fontane, Rüdersdorf bei Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane,
Rüdersdorf bei Berlin, Germany
Keywords:
Inflammatory myopathies, myositis, disease mechanisms, treatment, immunosuppression, biologic agents, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis, necrotizing myopathy, anti-synthetase syndrome.
Abstract: Inflammatory myopathies, in short, myositis, are heterogeneous disorders that are characterized by
inflammation of skeletal muscle and weakness of arms and legs. Research over the past few years has led to a
new understanding regarding the pathogenesis of myositis. The new insights include different pathways of the
innate and adaptive immune response during the pathogenesis of myositis. The importance of non-inflammatory
mechanisms such as cell stress and impaired autophagy has been recently described. New target-specific
drugs for myositis have been developed and are currently being tested in clinical trials. In this review, we discuss
the mechanisms of action of pharmacological standards in myositis and provide an outlook of future treatment
approaches.