Graves' Disease: Is It Time for Targeted Therapy? A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune disorder causing hyperthyroidism.
• Current treatments like antithyroid drugs, radioiodine, and surgery have limitations, including incomplete efficacy and risk of hypothyroidism.
• Understanding GD's autoimmune basis is crucial for developing better therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review emerging therapeutic approaches for Graves' disease.
• To highlight novel treatments targeting specific immune pathways and the thyrotropin receptor (TSH-R).

Main Methods:

• Narrative literature review.
• Analysis of preclinical studies and clinical trials on novel GD therapies.
• Identification of key molecular targets in GD pathogenesis.

Main Results:

• Novel therapies target key molecules such as cluster of differentiation 20 (CD20), cluster of differentiation 40 (CD40), protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22), cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), B cell-activating factor (BAFF), and Fc receptor-like protein 3 (FcRL3).
• Emerging treatments targeting the TSH-R and immune pathways demonstrate promising efficacy and safety profiles.
• Recent clinical trials indicate potential advancements in GD management.

Conclusions:

• Targeted therapies represent a promising new frontier for Graves' disease treatment.
• These novel approaches may overcome the limitations of current hyperthyroidism management.
• Further research and clinical trials are essential to establish the role of these emerging therapies in GD care.