Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presents clinical evidence of lupus nephritis in approximately 35% of patients at the diagnosis, with total of 50~60% developing nephritis during 10 years of disease. The presence of lupus nephritis significantly deteriorated the patient survival to 88% at 10 years, which is much lower survival compared with the survival of patients without lupus nephritis. The recent published guidelines suggested two phases of therapy for lupus nephritis class III/IV as induction and maintenance phases. Cyclophsophamide (CYC) or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) combined with steroid pulse followed by high-dose steroid is recommended as the first line agents for induction therapy. To the improved patients after induction, MMF or azathioprine with low-dose steroid is used as maintenance therapy. Although MMF and CYC are equally effective in short-term induction, it is needed to investigate whether MMF are also effective as CYC in longterm outcomes. Various novel biologic agents and small molecules have been studied to treat lupus nephritis. However, many trials in general have not succeeded in improve short-term end points. Short-term kidney response might be improved better with anti-inflammatory therapy than anti-autoimmune therapy to which most novel agent was categorized. The optimal approach for using novel therapeutics might be an introduction of new treatment paradigm of lupus nephritis; after initiation of anti-inflammatory therapy, novel therapy should be administered for targeting autoimmune mechanisms