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1: Arthritis Res Ther. 2003;5 Suppl 4:S7-11. Epub 2003 Oct 2.
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Targeting B cells for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Oligino TJ, Dalrymple SA.

Roche Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto, California, USA. tom.oligino@roche.com

The role of B cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been debated for decades. However, recent clinical trial data indicating that depletion of B cells in RA patients is of therapeutic benefit has validated the importance of this cell type in the pathogenesis of the disease. Elucidation of the molecular basis of B cell development and activation has allowed the identification of a number of possible therapeutic targets that are appealing for drug development. This review discusses briefly a number of these molecules and the rationale for targeting them for the treatment of RA.

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PMID: 15180891 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]