Therapeutic approaches and targets for treatment of autoimmune bullous diseases.

Autoimmune bullous diseases are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by the development of cutaneous and mucosal vesicles, blisters, and finally erosions. The common pathogenetic mechanism is the presence of autoantibodies targeting structural proteins of the skin and mucous membranes (demosomes and hemidesmosomes): in the case of pemphigus, the antigens are intraepidermal, whereas in the case of pemphigoid, dermatitis herpetiformis, and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita they are subepidermal. Mucosal involvement typically affects the oral and ocular mucosa, but in some cases, the upper airways or the upper digestive tract are affected.