New prospects for treatment of autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders and epidemiological studies demonstrate that their incidence is increasing worldwide. A complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors underlies their etiopathogenesis. It is certainly recognised that the pathogenesis of these disorders, their diagnosis and therapy is a ‘hot topic’ and one of the most intriguing subject in medicine. Hopefully, the most recent findings may provide insights into future developments. In this Issue, internationally recognised experts in the field have contributed providing an excellent overview of recent therapeutic strategies and of experimental approaches leading to future perspectives. I hope these papers may contribute a new view for treatment.