skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8838

B cell reductive therapy with rituximab in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Review

(2613) Views  (647) Full article downloads

Authors: Joseph M Tuscano, Jacob Sands

Published Date May 2009 Volume 2009:3 Pages 225 - 232
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/BTT.S3168

Joseph M Tuscano1,2, Jacob Sands1,2

1Hematology and Oncology, Veterans Affairs, Northern California Health Care System, California, USA; 2Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA

Abstract: The approach to treating autoimmune disorders is currently undergoing a significant change in focus. As therapies are developed that are more precise in targeting the pathogenesis for these diseases, patients experience significantly fewer side effects. At the same time, as more precise therapies are discovered, the etiologies of these diseases become further elucidated. It is now widely accepted that B-lymphocytes play a significant role in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases, the extent of which continues to be the focus of ongoing research. Rheumatoid arthritis is one such disease process that has been the focus of various B-lymphocyte-directed therapeutic trials. In this paper we review the current research available on rituximab as treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. This review details results from four main studies, as well as others, which used rituximab in at least one of the arms in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The results are promising and will likely lead to longer term studies as well as a potential focus on B cell subsets.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, rituximab, treatment efficacy, autoimmune, B-cells








Readers of this article also read:

Therapeutic vaccines for malignant brain tumors
Role of aliskiren in cardio-renal protection and use in hypertensives with multiple risk factors
Lutropin alpha, recombinant human luteinizing hormone, for the stimulation of follicular development in profoundly LH-deficient hypogonadotropic hypogonadal women: a review
Finding a new drug and vaccine for emerging swine flu: What is the concept?
Update on the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs): role of imatinib
Safety and immunogenicity of Salmonella typhimurium expressing C-terminal truncated human IL-2 in a murine model
Hepatitis B virus and Homo sapiens proteomewide analysis: A profusion of viral peptide overlaps in neuron-specific human proteins
Potential role of ustekinumab in the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis
New and emerging treatment approaches to lupus
Effects of rituximab treatment on the serum concentrations of vitamin D and interleukins 2, 6, 7, and 10 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
  • Testimonials

    "... I was impressed at the rapidity of publication from submission to final acceptance." Dr Edwin Thrower, PhD, Yale University

  • Journal Indexing

    See where all the Dove Press journals are indexed