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Beyond transitional selection: New roles for BLyS in peripheral tolerance
Author(s) -
Oropallo Michael A.,
Kiefer Kerstin,
MarshakRothstein Ann,
Cancro Michael P.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.20487
Subject(s) - b cell activating factor , belimumab , immunology , germinal center , autoimmunity , b cell , biology , crosstalk , cytokine , systemic lupus erythematosus , medicine , immune system , antibody , disease , optics , physics
B‐cell targeted therapies have enjoyed recent success in the treatment of systemic autoimmune diseases. Among these, Belimumab, which blocks the B‐cell survival cytokine BLyS, was recently approved for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. It is therefore important to consider the roles BLyS plays in B‐cell tolerance. Herein, we review how BLyS contributes to the negative selection of autoreactive B‐cell clones from the preimmune repertoire as well as its role in regulating both germinal center and extrafollicular peripheral B‐cell responses. We further examine the complex role of Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) in humoral autoimmunity, pointing out potential crosstalk between BLyS and TLR pathways. Drug Dev Res 72:779–787, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.