title: Intrathecal anti-CD20 efficiently depletes meningeal B cells in CNS autoimmunity.
abstract: Clinical trials revealed that systemic administration of B-cell-depleting anti-CD20 antibodies can hold lesion formation in the early relapsing-remitting phase of multiple sclerosis (MS). Throughout the secondary-progressive (SP) course of MS, pathogenic B cells may, however, progressively replicate within the central nervous system (CNS) itself, which is largely inaccessible to systemic anti-CD20 treatment. Utilizing the murine MS model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, we show that intrathecal (i.t.) administration of anti-CD20 alone very efficiently depletes meningeal B cells from established CNS lesions. In SP-MS patients, adding i.t. administration of anti-CD20 to its systemic use may be a valuable strategy to target pathogenic B-cell function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Technische Universität München Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lehmann-Horn
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feldmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Technische Universität München Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Florentine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Radelfahr
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Technische Universität München Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hemmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Traffehn
authors.affiliation: Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Claude C A
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stadelmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brück
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Weber