The Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily of Cytokines in the Inflammatory Myopathies: Potential Targets for Therapy

The idiopathic inflammatorymyopathies (IM) represent a heterogeneous group of autoimmune diseases, of which dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis (PM), and sporadic inclusion bodymyositis (IBM) are the most common. The crucial role played by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) in the IM has long been recognized. However, so far, 18 other members of the TNF superfamily have been characterized, and many of these have not yet received the attention they deserve. In this paper, we summarize current findings for all TNF cytokines in IM, pinpointing what we know already and where current knowledge fails. For each TNF family member, possibilities for treating inflammatory diseases in general and the IM in particular are explored.