Biotechnological drugs are a wide group of therapeutic agents obtained by means of genetic engineering methodologies. They act through the inhibition of specific cytokines/cells involved in the cascade of different pathological processes, leading to the modification of host immune response. The main targets of these drugs are TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1, and B and T cells. In the latest years, according to the improved knowledge in the pathogenesis of several diseases, the use of these drugs is steadily increasing, and new agents have been marketed or are under development.

Autoimmune rheumatic diseases are the prototypical example of pathological conditions that may benefit from these therapies. Biotechnological drugs deeply improved the prognosis and quality of life of patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; moreover positive effects have been described also in connective tissue diseases and gout. Despite the large number of papers published and the large clinical experience obtained for some of these drugs, there are still many questions on this topic that should be clarified.

This issue will focus on original manuscripts evaluating the unmet needs of marketed biotechnological drugs in autoimmune rheumatic conditions. Reviews will be limited to peculiar diseases/clinical aspects that may really help clinicians in the daily practice. Papers focusing on drugs under development or experimentation are encouraged. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies
• Gout

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/bmri/immunology/bd/ according to the following timetable: