№ 18Immunology14 min read
Biological treatment
1. Big picture
Biological treatment means using engineered proteins, usually monoclonal antibodies or receptor-fusion proteins, to target a specific immune pathway. Unlike corticosteroids or classic immunosuppressants, biologics are selective: they block one cytokine, receptor, immune cell, complement component, or co-stimulatory signal.
Exam core idea:
Conventional DMARDs = broad immune modulation
Steroids = fast anti-inflammatory rescue
Biologics = targeted immune pathway blockade
Biologics are used when disease is moderate–severe, organ-threatening, refractory to conventional treatment, or steroid-dependent.
Unlock the rest of this topic
Subscribe to Internal Medicine for $10/month and unlock all 229 topics — full exam-structured notes, the State Exam questions integrated into every topic, and the downloadable Anki deck. Cancel anytime.
- ✓All 229 Internal Medicine topics, exam-structured
- ✓State Exam questions in every topic
- ✓Downloadable Anki deck (.apkg)
- ✓Cancel anytime
Already subscribed? Sign in