Clinical and immunological phenotypic characterization to better understand pathogenesis and response to therapies in systemic autoimmune diseases: Volume II

This Research Topic is the second volume in this series, "Clinical and immunological phenotypic characterization to better understand pathogenesis and response to therapies in systemic autoimmune diseases". Please see volume I here.

Systemic autoimmune diseases (SAIDs) are a group of conditions characterized by a breakdown of the immune system, and this misdirected immune response can lead to a wide range of organ involvement and symptoms. While the exact causes of autoimmune diseases are not fully understood, it is generally believed that a combination of genetic, environmental factors, and epigenetics plays a role. Genetic factors can make individuals more susceptible to developing autoimmune diseases, while environmental triggers, such as infections, stress, or certain medications, may initiate the disease process. Epigenetics further contributes to liaise between genetics and environment in disturbing the immune response. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of SAIDs still represents a big challenge, and it could definitely improve the whole management process of these conditions, which have a significant impact on quality of life. Indeed, it would be very useful to explore whether there are specific disease profiles, which likely correspond to different pathogenetic mechanisms, such as understanding whether the study of different profiles can enable to identify specific biomarkers that can not only facilitate an early diagnosis, but also predict response to therapy.

Thus, the collection aims to achieve this by

• Clinical phenotypic characterization: Detailed analysis of the clinical features and disease progression of SAIDs to identify patterns and biomarkers that can predict disease course and response to treatment.

• Immunological phenotypic characterization: In-depth study of the immune system's response in SAIDs, including the identification of specific immune cell populations and their dysfunctions, as well as the role of cytokines and other immune mediators.

• Pathogenesis understanding: Investigation of the mechanisms that lead to the development and progression of SAIDs, including genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and immunological factors.

• Therapy response understanding: Exploration of how patients with SAIDs respond to different therapies, with the goal of identifying predictive biomarkers and developing personalized treatment strategies.

By combining these approaches, this research collection aims to advance our understanding of SAIDs and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Types of articles: systematic literature reviews, narrative reviews, original articles, editorials.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Genetic Susceptibility; Environmental Triggers; Epigenetics Biomarkers; Personalized Treatment

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.