Research in practice: Treatment of autoimmune bullous disorders

Autoimmune bullous disorders pose a clinical challenge based on their potentially lethal course and limited therapeutic options. The currently employed immunosuppressive treatments are accompanied by a plethora of side effects. Therefore, our group has sought for many years to dissect the molecular mechanisms of the immune pathogenesis of pemphigus and the pemphigoids allowing for a more specific treatment of these disorders. We have extensively characterized the role of autoaggressive T cells and potential regulatory networks in both disorders and have contributed several tools for more refined serological and T cell-based disease parameters. The ultimate therapeutic goal is anergy induction in these autoaggressive T cells which inititate and perpetuate the B cell-driven immune pathogenesis of pemphigus and the pemphigoids.