title: B-cell targeting: a novel approach to immune intervention today and tomorrow.
abstract: B cells and their products, antibodies, play an important role in the diagnosis and, in some instances, in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. Specific B-cell directed therapies are of recent interest as their impact on B-cell activity can influence a variety of autoimmune diseases. The development and introduction of rituximab, a depleting antibody targeting CD20+ B cells, and previously CD52-directed treatment with Campath-1h for the treatment of B-cell malignancies as well as rheumatoid arthritis have pioneered this therapeutic field. Other non-depleting strategies employ CD22 or B-cell activating factor/B lymphocyte stimulator and apoptosis-inducing ligand as targets and are under clinical investigation at present. Abnormalities of B-cell subsets have been identified by a number of independent groups which often represent characteristic patterns of disturbances of the human B-cell repertoire. However, the clinical value of specific B-cell subset targeting/depletion has not been addressed extensively. As such an approach may afford the possibility to avoid unnecessary adverse events related to depletion of non-pathogenic B-cell populations, B-cell subset targeting may have the capacity to enhance the benefit/risk ratio of B-cell immune intervention.
authors.affiliation: Charite University Hospital Berlin and Deutsche Rheumaforschungszentrum, Chariteplatz 01, 10098 Berlin, Germany. thomas.doerner@charite.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dörner
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Lipsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal