Toll-like receptors in systemic lupus erythematosus; prospects for therapeutic intervention

Recent experimental and clinical studies have placed new emphasis on the role of the innate immune system in SLE. Nucleic acid-containing immune complexes activate the innate response by engaging specific Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and promote the generation of autoantibodies. Pharmacologic modulation of TLR-directed pathways may offer new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of SLE.