Emerging treatments for bullous pemphigoid

Abstract

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune blistering disease. It is characterized by an immune response against the hemidesmosomal anchoring proteins BP180 and BP230. BP mainly affects elderly patients, with an increasing incidence over the past two decades. High potency topical and/or systemic corticosteroids as well as immunosuppressants are the current mainstay of treatment. However, long-term systemic immunosuppression may result in significant morbidity and mortality. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of BP have enabled the investigation of newer therapies that specifically work against a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators associated with BP. These new treatments hold promise to be highly efficient and safer alternatives and are expected to be shortly available for the treatment of BP. This review discusses current evidence on the use of novel targeted therapeutic approaches in the treatment of BP.

Keywords: Autoimmune blistering skin disease; bullous pemphigoid; pathophysiology; treatment.