This Research Topic is the second volume of the "Vasculitis" community series. Please see volume I
here.
Autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system mistakenly mounts a pro-inflammatory response against self. In some instances, depending on the target self-antigen, the blood vessels become the site of inflammation. This phenomenon is referred to as autoimmune vasculitis. It is not a single disorder but rather a group of rare diseases. This group of diseases includes the more commonly known diseases such as Kawasaki’s disease or granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), as well as the less common Behcet's disease and the ultra-rare Goodpasture’s disease.
Due to the rarity of these diseases, research into the etiology of autoimmune vasculitides has been challenging. Nevertheless, over the last 20 years, through multi-center collaborations and sheer determination, significant advances have been made in this area. This includes the development of humanized mouse models of disease to dissect the pathogenesis of diseases as well as successful Phase III clinical trials. These advances have opened up this area of research and we are now developing a fundamental understanding of these diseases which, we hope, will translate into more targeted and effective treatments.
The goal of this Research topic is to encourage researchers to share their recent advances in their specific area of autoimmune vasculitis. Through the collation of articles across the broad range of these diseases, it is hoped that the new ideas, tools, protocols, therapeutics, etc. can then be applied across of variety of diseases. Thus, collectively advancing the field as a whole.
Specifically, we are seeking new advances developed in a specific autoimmune vasculitide that could be applied to other forms of disease. Articles relating to the identification of new molecular or cellular pathways specific to autoimmune vasculitis as well as new experimental or repurposed therapeutics that could specifically treat disease would be relevant. We welcome Original Research, Review, Case Reports, Clinical Trial, Methods, Mini Review, Perspective and Systematic Review articles related to, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Advances into disease pathogenesis, such as new molecular or cellular pathways that cause inflammation to occur specifically in the blood vessels
• New or repurposed therapeutics that can restore tolerance and stop disease progression
• New animal models of autoimmune vasculitis
• New in vitro methods to measure blood vessel inflammation
• Up to date reviews in any one autoimmune vasculitic disease or the whole field