Autor(es):
Silva, Marta Alves da 
; Martins, Albino ; Teixeira, A. A. ; Reis, R. L. ; Neves, N. M.
Data: 2010
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/20430
Origem: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Descrição
The treatment of rheumatic diseases has been the focus of many clinical studies aiming to achieve the best
combination of drugs for symptom reduction. Although improved understanding of the pathophysiology of
rheumatic diseases has led to the identification of effective therapeutic strategies, its cure remains unknown.
Biological agents are a breakthrough in the treatment of these diseases. They proved to be more effective than the
other conventional therapies in refractory inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Among them, tumor necrosis factor
inhibitors are widely used, namely Etanercept, Infliximab, or Adalimumab, alone or in combination with
disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Nevertheless, severe adverse effects have been detected in patients with
history of recurrent infections, including cardiac failure or malignancy. Currently, most of the available therapies
for rheumatic diseases do not have sufficient tissue specificity. Consequently, high drug doses must be administrated
systemically, leading to adverse side effects associated with its possible toxicity. Drug delivery
systems, by its targeted nature, are excellent solutions to overcome this problem. In this review, we will describe
the state-of-the-art in clinical studies on the treatment of rheumatic diseases, emphasizing the use of biological
agents and target drug delivery systems. Some alternative novel strategies of regenerative medicine and its
implications for rheumatic diseases will also be discussed.
