Bi-specific autoantigen-T cell engagers as targeted immunotherapy for autoreactive B cell depletion in autoimmune diseases.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

In autoimmune diseases, autoreactive B cells comprise only the 0.1-0.5% of total circulating B cells. However, current first-line treatments rely on non-specific and general suppression of the immune system, exposing patients to severe side effects. For this reason, identification of targeted therapies for autoimmune diseases is an unmet clinical need.

Methods

Here, we designed a novel class of immunotherapeutic molecules, Bi-specific AutoAntigen-T cell Engagers (BiAATEs), as a potential approach for targeting the small subset of autoreactive B cells. To test this approach, we focused on a prototype autoimmune disease of the kidney, membranous nephropathy (MN), in which phospholipase A₂ receptor (PLA₂R) serves as primary nephritogenic antig

SUBMITTER: Perico L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10926275 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature