Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on May 31, 2008
Rheumatology 2008 47(8):1261; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ken211
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BOOK REVIEWS |
CONTEMPORARY TARGETED THERAPIES IN RHEUMATOLOGY, Edited by J. S. Smolen and P. E. Lipsky.
CONTEMPORARY TARGETED THERAPIES IN RHEUMATOLOGY, Edited by J. S. Smolen and P. E. Lipsky. £145.00. Informa Healthcare, 2007. 636 pp. ISBN: 9-781841-844848.
In the past decade, initiated by the introduction of TNF and IL-1 inhibition, the evolution of therapeutic strategies in rheumatology has left the area of unspecific targeting of pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive pathways towards a more ‘surgical type’ of therapeutic regimen, the so-called targeted therapies. In this novel book ‘Contemporary Targeted Therapies in Rheumatology’, two leading experts in this field, Josef S. Smolen and Peter E. Lipsky, who have actively taken part and accompanied this therapeutic evolution, present the current knowledge and the potential developments resulting from ideas of renowned basic science and clinical researchers from all over the world. Owing to the intention of the book, each of the five sections of the book contain series of chapters addressing the different aspects of targeted therapies: (i) cells and their surface receptors, (ii) cytokines, chemokines and other effector molecules; (iii) intracellular transcription factors and signalling molecules; (iv) inflammatory mediators and matrix molecules; and (v) the bench-to-bedside animal and human experimental translational aspects. However, the true value of this book is not only the general overview about the variety of potential ‘targets’ in the pathophysiology of the different rheumatic diseases but also the in-depth information why and how these developing targeted strategies could work in everyday clinical practice. This includes a well-balanced selection of authors and contributions ranging from very basic chapters on MAP kinases and novel fields such as osteoimmunology to clinical chapters addressing drugs in licensing studies including anti-IL6 receptor and BLyS, ideas on very early stages of disease development and even a background information to outcome assessment strategies. In summary, this book clearly fills a niche in the bookshelf of every clinician, clinical researcher and basic scientist, who is interested in the ongoing dynamic developments in rheumatology.
Disclosure statement: The author has declared no conflicts of interest.
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