Lupus Nephritis: Unmet Needs and Evolving Solutions

Lupus nephritis (LN) is seeing more and more enriching immunotherapies, but important unmet needs remain. Here, we discuss how to focus on histologic signs of immunologic activity triggering immunotherapy versus signs of irreversible kidney injury requiring care for CKD. In addition, the correct interpretation of residual proteinuria requires dissecting immunologic activity from glomerular hyperfiltration, e.g ., by repeat biopsy. Despite modern triple immunotherapy, per-protocol biopsies still document irreversible injury to occur in the first year. Immediate inhibition of the complement system may address this unmet need and may even help to ultimately replace early glucocorticoid therapy. We advocate the concept of a clone-directed therapy to sufficiently suppress the autoreactive clones of memory B and T cells inside the lymphoid tissues as well as the long-lived plasma cells in the bone marrow that maintain activity of SLE and drive disease flares. Numerous B-cell and plasma cell-targeting therapies are gradually becoming available, and their parenteral route of application may also avoid oral drug nonadherence. Replacing oral and toxic medications such as steroids, mycophenolate, and calcineurin inhibitors is now a goal for the next decade. Obtaining orphan disease designation for LN would accelerate progress and is supported by latest data on LN prevalence. With these conceptual and management improvements, LN, once "complex" and frequently fatal, may become easy-to-manage as other autoimmune diseases.