Autoimmunity in 2009

The number of 2009 publications in indexed journals dealing with ‘autoimmunity’ has maintained its increasing trend compared to the previous five years. Numerous developments have been proposed in our understanding of systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases (particularly multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis) and of basic autoimmunity mechanisms (particularly Th17, T regulatory cells, and autoantibodies). Both these lines of evidence share a significant potential to be translated into new therapeutic options to impact clinical practice. This article will discuss selected publications from prominent scientific journals dedicated to immunology and autoimmunity and ultimately include some expectations in branches of autoimmunity that appear promising for future developments.