From promise to practice: evaluating the clinical impact of FcRn inhibition in IgG-mediated autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Summary: Imagine your body has a natural recycling center for antibodies, which are the proteins that normally fight off germs. But in some autoimmune diseases, bad antibodies mistakenly attack your own body. A new type of medicine works by blocking this recycling center. Because the center is blocked, the body is forced to throw away the bad antibodies instead of keeping them in the blood. These new drugs are showing great promise for treating diseases like lupus and arthritis, and the best part is they do this without turning off the rest of your healthy immune system. Doctors are very excited about these treatments, though they are still studying the best ways to use them safely over a long period of time.