New Review Considers Selective Targeting of T and B Cell Populations by Alemtuzumab in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

LONDON, September 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Nikolaos C Grigoriadis, European Neurological Review, 2017;12(2):Epub ahead of print

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Recently published online in European Neurological Review the peer-reviewed journal from touchNEUROLOGY, Grigoriadis discusses how upstream targeting of both T and B cells is a rational therapeutic approach in multiple sclerosis (MS) in view of how both cell types and the interaction between them contribute to MS pathophysiology. The article considers this new way of thinking in MS: the targeting of both T and B cells, with a focus on the recently developed therapy, alemtuzumab (Lemtrada^®, Genzyme, UK). Alemtuzumab depletes T and B lymphocytes, mainly via complement-dependent cytolysis and antibody-dependent cytolysis; depletion of B cells is not an enduring effect compared with the depletion of T cells. After dosing, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and CD19 B cells decrease initially but increase over the following 11 months. During repopulation after alemtuzumab treatment, there is a shift in the relative proportions of T cell and B cell subsets whereby proportions of regulatory T cells and memory-phenotype T cells are increased and the proportion of naïve T cells is decreased. A switch from a pro- to an anti-inflammatory phenotype and cytokine profile caused by alemtuzumab may underpin the long-lasting suppression of MS activity that has been observed in clinical trials. Alemtuzumab treatment is also associated with a consistently good safety and tolerability profile. Further, alemtuzumab appears to promote neurorehabilitation by improving measures of physical functioning, disability, measures of quality of life, and brain volume loss. Alemtuzumab therefore has the potential to reduce disease burden and improve substantially the prognosis for patients with MS.

The full peer-reviewed, open-access article is available here:

http://www.touchneurology.com/articles/selective-targeting-t-and-b-cell-populations-alemtuzumab-treatment-multiple-sclerosis

Disclosure: Nikolaos C Grigoriadis has received honoraria, travel support, and consultancy and lecture fees from: Biogen Idec; Novartis; TEVA; Bayer; Merck Serono, Genesis Pharma; and Genzyme, a Sanofi Company. He has also received research grants from: Biogen Idec; Novartis; TEVA; Merck Serono; and Genesis Pharma. No funding was received in the publication of this article.

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