Roles of B lymphocytes in multiple sclerosis: diversifying beyond the antibody response.

Evaluation of: Matsushita T, Yanaba K, Bouaziz JD et al.: Regulatory B cells inhibit EAE initiation in mice while other B cells promote disease progression. J. Clin. Invest. 118(10), 3420–3430 (2008). B lymphocytes have several potentially relevant roles in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and have become increasingly important targets for therapy. Beyond the production of antimyelin antibodies, these roles may include antigen presentation, cytokine production and the establishment of ectopic lymphoid tissue in the CNS compartment, which could provide a local inflammatory stimulus driving the chronic progressive stages of the disease. B cells may also have important roles as regulatory cells, especially through the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10. In the study by Matushita et al., the impact of B-cell depletion by an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody was studied in the animal model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Timing of drug administration had a dramatic im...