Auto-immune diseases
The failure of our immune system to recognise structures, cells or proteins in the body is responsible for the development of systemic autoimmune diseases. We call them ‘autoimmune’ because our immune response mistakenly targets our own body; and ‘systemic’ because they affect different organs and systems such as the lung, kidney or nervous system, in addition to the well-known effects on the musculoskeletal system.
In recent years, improved knowledge of these diseases has made it possible to correctly diagnose autoimmune diseases at an early stage, allowing us to establish appropriate treatment regimens to reduce the damage that they cause.
The primary therapeutic strategy for tackling these diseases revolves around the modulation of the immune system. Various immunosuppressants and the use of molecules targeting key components of the immune system can restore, to some extent, or at least minimise the abnormal immune response associated with these disorders. The considered use of these treatments will make it possible to deliver personalised, precision therapy to patients suffering from these diseases in the near future.
Vasculitis in its different forms (depending on the calibre of the vessels), lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome, scleroderma and inflammatory myopathies are some of the classic systemic autoimmune diseases.
