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PMID: 19521398 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review

Cracking the BAFF code.

Nature reviews. Immunology ·Vol. 9 ·No. 7 ·2009-07-00 ·Pages 491-502

Mackay F, Schneider P

Abstract

The tumour necrosis factor (TNF) family members B cell activating factor (BAFF) and APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) are crucial survival factors for peripheral B cells. An excess of BAFF leads to the development of autoimmune disorders in animal models, and high levels of BAFF have been detected in the serum of patients with various autoimmune conditions. In this Review, we consider the possibility that in mice autoimmunity induced by BAFF is linked to T cell-independent B cell activation rather than to a severe breakdown of B cell tolerance. We also outline the mechanisms of BAFF signalling, the impact of ligand oligomerization on receptor activation and the progress of BAFF-depleting agents in the clinical setting.

MeSH Terms
Animals Autoimmunity/immunology B-Cell Activating Factor/immunology,metabolism B-Cell Maturation Antigen/immunology,metabolism B-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology,metabolism Humans Immune Tolerance/immunology Ligands Lymphocyte Activation/immunology Signal Transduction/immunology Toll-Like Receptors/immunology,metabolism Transmembrane Activator and CAML Interactor Protein/immunology,metabolism Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13/immunology,metabolism Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Peptides and Proteins/immunology,metabolism
Chemicals
B-Cell Activating Factor B-Cell Maturation Antigen Ligands Toll-Like Receptors Transmembrane Activator and CAML Interactor Protein Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13 Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Peptides and Proteins
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Mackay Fabienne
Department of Immunology, Monash University, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. [email protected]
Schneider Pascal
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Article Info
Journal
Nature reviews. Immunology
Abbr.
Nat Rev Immunol
ISSN
1474-1741
DOI
10.1038/nri2572
Email
[email protected]
Published
2009-07-00
Pages
491-502
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
101124169
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1038/nri2572 View journal details
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