Clinical, Molecular and Imaging Biomarkers for Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment Response in Spondylarthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis

Spondylarthritis (SpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are heterogeneous immune-mediated inflammatory diseases characterized by complex interactions between genetic predisposition, innate and adaptive immune responses, tissue microenvironments and environmental triggers. Although clinical indices and conventional laboratory markers remain central to current practice, they show limited ability to capture early disease, define molecular phenotypes, predict treatment response, or monitor structural progression over time.



Recent research has highlighted the relevance of immune pathways such as the IL-23/IL-17 axis, TNF-driven inflammation, complement activation, stromal and tissue-resident immune cells, and microbiome-immune interactions in the pathogenesis and clinical expression of SpA and PsA. In parallel, rapid developments in multi-omics technologies (genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and microbiome profiling) and advanced imaging (MRI, ultrasound, PET/CT, radiomics) are generating promising candidates for diagnosis, prognosis and personalized treatment strategies.



However, most candidate biomarkers remain exploratory, require validation in large cohorts, and lack standardization for clinical use. A consolidated view of immunologically meaningful biomarkers that integrate molecular, imaging and clinical information is urgently needed to advance precision medicine in spondylarthritis and psoriatic disease.



The goal of this Research Topic is to gather high-quality clinical and translational work on clinical, molecular and imaging biomarkers with a clear immunological basis in SpA and PsA. By integrating data from genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, microbiome, advanced imaging and AI-driven analytics, we aim to improve early diagnosis, risk stratification, monitoring of disease activity, prediction of structural damage and response to therapy.



Ultimately, this collection seeks to bridge the gap between mechanistic immunology and real-world decision-making, paving the way for precision medicine strategies in spondyloarthritis and psoriatic disease.



This Research Topic welcomes original research, clinical and translational studies, reviews, mini-reviews, systematic reviews, perspectives, methods papers, FAIR data articles and hypothesis-driven research focusing on immunologically driven biomarkers in SpA and PsA.



Submissions should explore how immune pathways, inflammatory mechanisms, molecular signatures or immune-related imaging features contribute to early diagnosis, prognostic stratification, patient monitoring or treatment response in musculoskeletal inflammation.



Relevant areas of interest include (but are not limited to):



- Immune cell phenotyping, tissue-resident immune responses and cytokine networks (e.g., IL-23/IL-17 axis, TNF, complement, innate immune activation.)

- Genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and microbiome-based biomarkers.

- Imaging biomarkers (MRI, CT, PET, ultrasound, radiomics) with immunological interpretation or correlation to inflammatory pathways

- Biomarkers of treatment response or resistance to biologics and targeted synthetic DMARDs

- AI-driven models, machine-learning approaches and multimodal integration of clinical, imaging and molecular datasets

- Predictors of transition from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis and early identification of high-risk phenotypes

- Biomarker-informed precision medicine strategies



Important note for authors:

Submissions must include a clear immunological component. Purely clinical or imaging studies without immunological analysis or immune-based interpretation will not be considered.



Article types accepted:

Original Research; Clinical Trial; Review / Mini Review; Systematic Review; Perspective; Methods; Hypothesis and Theory; FAIR Data; Opinion; Editorial; Technology and Code.



We especially encourage collaborative, multicenter and multidisciplinary submissions involving rheumatology, dermatology, immunology, imaging and computational sciences.