Novel therapeutic agents for Sjögren ’s syndrome

Abstract

Sjögren ’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the exocrine gland that predominantly affects salivary and lacrimal glands. The principal target is the tubular epithelium of salivary and lacrimal glands, leading to the characteristic symptoms of dry eyes and mouth. The decreased functional capacity. of the lacrimal and salivary glands which is the result of the inflammatory process and Iymphocytic infiltration observed in SS. SS is one of the three most common autoimmune disorders. but there are currently no effective systemic therapies. Recent studies have broadened our understanding of the etiopathogenesis and immunopathology of primary SS. Systemic therapy includes treatment of the underlying systemic disorder with steroidal and non-steroidal agents, disease modifying drugs, and cytotoxic therapy to address the extra glandular manifestations. In spite of intensive research in other systemic treatments including biologic therapies，there is limited evidence to support their use in routine clinical practice. This article reviews existing data on the use of local and systemic treatments for glandular and extraglandular manifestations of primary SS