Future developments in the treatment of immune-mediated polyneuropathies

Abstract

The Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy are the most extensively studied immune-mediated neuropathies. Randomized treatment studies have been performed with corticosteroids, plasma exchange and more recently with high-dose immunoglobulins. In the future treatment may be more individualized based on specific immunological mechanisms. More immune-modulating treatments will become available also with recombinant DNA technology. This will offer new possibilities, but prior to the effective introduction of these new molecules in the clinical setting, careful consideration and clinical trials are required.