A recent Arthritis & Rheumatology review article explores the immune system’s mechanism for creating B cells that respond to diverse pathogens while preserving immune tolerance & highlights key insights for rheumatologists.
Experts discussed how aspects of the immune system other than B cells play a role in lupus, including mitochondria in red blood cells, proteins present in urine and more.
New evidence from a clinical trial of rituximab has identified the pathogenetic role of B cells in the earliest, pre-arthritis stage of autoantibody-positive RA…
NETs or LL37-DNA complexes may serve as future targets for SLE therapy. In a recent study, researchers identified a link between neutrophils and NETs, and the activation of self-reactive B cells. Their study describes a neutrophil-B cell interaction unique to lupus…
A study in mice provides insight into the maturation of the self-reactive B cell response, contextualizing the epitope spreading observed in autoimmune disease. Researchers found that clonal expansion of wild type B cells in autoreactive germinal centers appeared to be at the heart of epitope spreading and the consequent autoimmune response…
New research has linked a TNFSF13B variant and B cell activating factor (BAFF), a common therapeutic target, with multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. The variant is a disease-risk allele associated with increased levels of soluble BAFF…