Biological therapies and management of oral mucosal disease

Abstract

Biologic drugs are drugs made by living organisms and the term is usually limited to monoclonal antibodies or receptors targeting specific cytokines or cells that have been developed in recent decades. These drugs have had an enormous impact on the management of cancers, including head and neck cancers, and immune-mediated inflammatory conditions, for example, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. General dental practitioners will routinely be managing patients who are on these medications for a wide range of systemic conditions. These drugs also have a limited role in the management of immune-mediated oral mucosal disease. In this article, we will introduce the range of biological agents and their systemic indications and then elaborate on their use in oral mucosal disease and the disadvantages associated with their use.