Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine (Feb 2020)
Towards Precision Medicine in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Abstract
Elliott Lever,1 Marta R Alves,2 David A Isenberg1 1Centre for Rheumatology, Division of Medicine, University College Hospital London, London, UK; 2Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, PortugalCorrespondence: David A IsenbergCentre for Rheumatology, Division of Medicine, University College Hospital London, Room 424, the Rayne Building, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JF, UKEmail [email protected]: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a remarkable condition characterised by diversity amongst its clinical features and immunological abnormalities. In this review, we attempt to capture the major immunological changes linked to the pathophysiology of lupus and discuss the challenge it presents in moving towards the concept of precision medicine. Currently broadly similar types of drugs, e.g., steroids, immunosuppressives, hydroxychloroquine are used to treat many of the diverse clinical features of SLE. We suspect that, as the precise immunopathological abnormalities differ between the various organs/systems in lupus patients, it will be some time before precision medicine can be fully applied to SLE.Keywords: systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-DNA antibodies, lupus nephritis, lupus genetics, immunosuppression
