Educational Forum - AntiTNF-α strategy: Present status of this therapeutic paradigm

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a proinflammatory cytokine is involved in the pathophysiology of a number of disorders including Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. AntiTNF-α strategies target this pathogenic element to provide clinical benefit. The various strategies are in preliminary stage of experimentation and much remains to be elucidated before these are applied clinically. Though antiTNF-α therapy is currently approved only for rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, the future of this therapeutic paradigm holds much promise. The number of official indications for strategies against this biologic agent are likely to increase to include congestive heart failure, psoriasis, asthma, septic shock, stroke and malignancy. This will make it a truly broad spectrum therapeutic weapon currently available to us.