BAFF, inhibitors thereof and their use in the modulation of B-cell response and treatment of autoimmune disorders
View Patent ↗The invention provides methods for treating or preventing disorders associated with expression of BAFF comprising BAFF and fragments thereof, antibodies, agonists and antagonists.
1. A method of treating a mammal, the method comprising administering to a mammal having Sjögren's syndrome a composition comprising a BAFF blocking agent selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a soluble BAFF receptor selected from a BAFF-R:Fc fusion, a BCMA:Fc fusion, and a TACI:Fc fusion; and
(b) an antibody against a BAFF receptor selected from BAFF-R, BCMA, and TACI,
thereby reducing immunoglobulin production or B cell growth in the mammal.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mammal is a human.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mammal is a mouse.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the mouse is a BAFF Tg mouse.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the salivary gland of the mammal is infiltrated by MZ like B cells.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BAFF receptor is BAFF-R.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BAFF receptor is TACI.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BAFF receptor is BCMA.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the BAFF-R is human.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soluble BAFF receptor comprises a portion of SEQ ID NO:27 that binds to BAFF.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the BAFF-R is murine.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soluble BAFF receptor comprises a portion of SEQ ID NO:28 that binds to BAFF.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the level of B cell growth in the mammal.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the level of immunoglobulin production in the mammal.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the levels of B cell growth and immunoglobulin production in the mammal.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting circulating levels of a rheumatoid factor in the mammal.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting circulating levels of anti-DNA autoantibody in the mammal.