JAK inhibitor therapy shows renewed promise for dermatomyositis

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Although the role of type I interferon has been well-established for systemic lupus erythematosus, a type I interferon signature can be also seen in dermatomyositis, which emphasizes the importance of interferon in skin disease and opens new possibilities for therapeutic applications, according to a presentation here.

“It is interesting that some of the [recent data] show that JAK inhibitors may be particularly good for someone with skin rashes that we see in patients with autoimmune diseases associated with interferon,” R. John Looney, MD, professor of medicine at the Stephen I. Rosenfeld Professor of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of Rochester, told attendees at the Seventh Annual Basic and Clinical Immunology for the Busy Clinician symposium.