Novel, non-antigen-specific therapeutic approaches to autoimmune/inflammatory diseases

Anti-TNF therapy has made a major impact on the treatment of inflammatory a rthritides and Crohn's disease. It leads to prompt and prolonged clinical r esponse, even in patients refractory to conventional therapy. Moreover, the progression of joint damage noted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis tr eated with methotrexate was prevented by an anti-TNF-alpha antibody, sugges ting a genuine disease-modifying potential of TNF-alpha blockade.