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Treatment

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The Inflammatory Myopathies

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Abstract

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) comprises a group of rare autoimmune diseases in which the immune system targets skeletal muscle; the consequence is damage to the muscles and weakness in the patient. As in other autoimmune conditions, the general approach to therapy is to use immunosuppressive agents. While many options exist for the treatment of IIM, therapeutic approaches are largely based on empirical evidence and small studies, many of which were uncontrolled. New medications have been designed that target specific components of the immune response; these agents offer hope for more effective and safer therapy of IIM.

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  1. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    Stephen J. DiMartino

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  1. Stephen J. DiMartino
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    © 2009 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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    DiMartino, S.J. (2009). Treatment. In: Kagen, L. (eds) The Inflammatory Myopathies. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-827-0_18

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-827-0_18

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    • Print ISBN: 978-1-60327-828-7

    • Online ISBN: 978-1-60327-827-0

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