New possibilities of pharmacotherapy for systemic lupus erythematosus: A place of belimumab

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial disease caused by complex interactions between the genetic and environmental factors underlying various innate and adaptive immunity disorders, including cytokine hyperproduction, abnormal B cell activation, impaired intracellular T-cell signaling, and defective apoptotic and necrotic cell clearance. A broad spectrum of genetic disorders associated with susceptibility to the disease and/or its definite variants has been identified. Our knowledge concerning the mechanisms of polyclonal B cell activation in SLE has advanced substantially. Various defects in the T cells regulating a B cell immune response have been detected. The development of genetic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic technologies could identify a group of pathogenetically relevant cytokines, including BLyS (the B-lymphocyte stimulator is the most important component of cytokine-mediated regulation of B cell function, proliferation, and differentiation), interleukin (IL) 6, 17, 18, type 1 interferon, and tumor necrosis factor-α, which are involved in the development of visceral inflammation and damage.

Large-scale clinical trials of different medications, primarily biological agents (BA), were conducted in patients with SLE. Rituximab (RTM) is the first BA to be used to treat this disease. Despite its official registration for the therapy of SLE, RTM is included in the EULAR, ACR, and Russia's Association of Rheumatologists guidelines for its treatment. Belimumab, a fully human recombinant IgG1λmonoclonal antibody, specially designed to treat SLE, prevents the interaction of pBLyS with the receptors of autoreactive transitional and naive B cells, giving rise to the suppression of B cell hyperresponsiveness, autoantibody synthesis in particular. In addition, BLyS block may cause decreased survival of B cells in the germinal centers of lymphoid organs, differentiation of memory B cells into autoantibody-producing cells, and synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-21, IL-17, and others) that play an important role in the immunopathogenesis of SLE. Despite its moderate efficacy, belimumab will be able to improve pharmacotherapy for this disease.

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