Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (PSS) is a common autoimmune disease, typically characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and tissue destruction of the salivary and lachrymal glands, leading to dry mouth and dry eye symptoms. Upon disease progression, SS can be further complicated by systemic inflammations, including interstitial lung diseases, kidney injuries, and B-cell malignancies, which are among the riskiest of systemic autoimmune diseases.

With the support of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), a multinational initiative has developed disease indices, the ESSDAI (European SS Disease Activity Index), for systemic inflammation and organ involvement. Notably, ESSDAI includes 12 domains (constitutional, glandular, cutaneous, respiratory, renal, articular, muscular, peripheral and central nervous systems, hematological, lymphoid, and biological) to assess the disease activities fully. Animal models are a powerful tool in investigating human disease pathogenesis and drug screening. Various mouse models of SS, including inducible and genetic models, have been established to recapitulate human disease. Stable readouts are crucial for basic and pre-clinical studies, mainly drug screening/evaluation.

This Methods Collection aims to establish good experimental practice (GEP) in assessing/interpreting SS patient data and disease pathology in mouse models, as well as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment. Methods to assess the 12 domains of ESSDAI and other complications in humans and mice, such as cellular/proteomics/transcriptome/metabolome/genome-wide association analyses and methods to establish novel genetic or cellular therapy, are examples of GEP.