Translational Mini-Review Series on B Cell-Directed Therapies: B cell-directed therapy for autoimmune diseases.
B cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of both systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Autoreactive B cells not only produce autoantibodies, but are also specialized to present specific autoantigens efficiently to T cells. Furthermore, these B cells can secrete proinflammatory cytokines and can amplify the vicious cycle of self-destruction. Thus, B cell-directed therapies are potentially an important approach for treating autoimmune diseases. On the other hand, like T cells, there are subsets of B cells that produce anti-inflammatory cytokines and are immunosuppressive. These regulatory B cell subsets can protect against and ameliorate autoimmune diseases. Thus targeting B cells therapeutically will require this balance to be considered. Here we summarize the roles of pathogenic and regulatory B cells and current applications of B cell-directed therapy in autoimmune diseases. Considerations for future development of B cell-directed therapy for autoimmune diseases have also been discussed.
Hu
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Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Wong
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Wen
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D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion
D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents