NL Monson, P Cravens, R Hussain, CT Harp, M Cummings, M de Pilar Martin, LH Ben, J Do, JA Lyons, A Lovette-Racke, AH Cross, MK Racke, O Stüve, M Shlomchik, TN Eagar. (2011). " Rituximab therapy reduces organ-specific T cell responses and ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. " PLoS One. 6, e17103. PMID: 21359213 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017103
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.