Biotechnological approaches for the treatment of inflammatory diseases

Chronic inflammation represents a key pathogenetic event of many diseases, such as psoriasis, inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and sepsis. Conventional therapies for many of these disorders do not lead to the resolution of the inflammatory disorder, and frequently are associated with limited effectiveness and severe side effects. For these reasons alternative therapies have been developed, in the attempt to ensure a more sustained therapeutic response. Biotechnological approaches for the development of these novel drugs are giving exciting results: several biologic molecules are now tested in preclinical or clinical trials, and several of them are even approved for marketing.