Recent clinical trials have established B cell depletion by the anti-CD20 chimeric antibody Rituximab as a beneficial therapy for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). The impact of Rituximab on T cell responses remains largely unexplored. In the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS in mice that express human CD20, Rituximab administration rapidly depleted peripheral B cells and strongly reduced EAE severity. B cell depletion was also associated with diminished Delayed Type Hypersensitivity (DTH) and a reduction in T cell proliferation and IL-17 production during recall immune response experiments. While Rituximab is not considered a broad immunosuppressant, our results indicate a role for B cells as a therapeutic cellular target in regulating encephalitogenic T cell responses in specific tissues. © 2011 Monson et al.
CITATION STYLE
Monson, N. L., Cravens, P., Hussain, R., Harp, C. T., Cummings, M., Martin, M. de P., … Eagar, T. N. (2011). Rituximab therapy reduces organ-specific T cell responses and ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. PLoS ONE, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017103
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