Immunopathogenesis and Novel Therapeutic Strategies for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Third Edition
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2026) | Viewed by 1642
Special Issue Editors
Interests: rheumatology; internal diseases; systemic lupus erythematosus; arthritis; systemic sclerosis; idiopathic inflammatory myopathies; preconception and pregnancy in chronic diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: systemic lupus erythematosus; rheumatic diseases; internal medicine; connective tissue disease in pregnancy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a connective tissue disease that may serve as a prototype for almost all autoimmune diseases. Its diverse clinical presentations and involvement in all vitally important internal organs is challenging for treating physicians. Moreover, despite enormous progress in rheumatology and clinical immunology, the pathophysiological background of the disease is still not completely understood. From a clinical point of view, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants are still the gold standard for the treatment of SLE. The main reason for this is the continued lack of new treatment strategies that are safe and efficacious for SLE. Therefore, understanding SLE’s pathogenic background and disease-driving mechanisms will contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
SLE pathogenesis is complex and, obviously, no single pathological mechanisms will be responsible for all SLE presentations. Moreover, the existence of many pathological theories suggests quite convincingly that none of these mechanisms are universal or explain the disease satisfactorily. In the course of SLE, several immunological phenomena may be observed, such as the loss of tolerance to self-antigens, autoreactive T- and B-cell activation, the synthesis of autoantibodies, and the activation of interferon. In recent years, advances in immunology have translated into the identification of several molecular and cellular targets, the modulation of which may exert therapeutic potential in the disease.
This Special Issue is designed as a platform to provide recent research advantages that focus on understanding the immuno-pathological mechanisms, biomarkers, and novel therapeutic strategies for SLE. Both review and research papers are welcomed. Please note that pure clinical or model studies are unsuitable for this journal, but clinical submissions with biomolecular studies are welcome. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The genetic background of SLE;
- The epigenetic regulation of lupus;
- Cellular and molecular mechanisms in lupus;
- The role of cytokine networks in lupus progression;
- Innate and adaptive immunity in SLE;
- The role of immunocompetent cells in lupus pathogenesis and disease mechanisms;
- The role of interferon and interferon signatures in lupus pathogenesis;
- Novel lupus biomarkers in SLE diagnosis and monitoring disease activity;
- Novel therapeutics and new treatment strategies for lupus.
Prof. Dr. Marzena Olesińska
Dr. Hanna Przepiera-Bȩdzak
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- SLE pathogenesis
- the epigenetic regulation of lupus
- the genetic background of SLE
- interferon
- cytokine networks
- innate immunity
- adaptive immunity
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