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RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Methotrexate BAFFles anti-drug antibodies

Combining TNF inhibition with methotrexate treatment is an effective therapeutic approach for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and reduces the likelihood of the patient developing ‘resistance’ to the TNF inhibitor. But how does methotrexate suppress the production of anti-drug antibodies and how can we tell which patients will develop resistance?

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Fig. 1: Involvement of BAFF in methotrexate-induced adenosine production by B cells.

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Acknowledgements

The work of B.N.C. was supported by grants from the Arthritis Foundation, the NYU School of Medicine Applied Research Support Fund and the National Institutes of Health (R01 AR056672 and R01 AR068593) and by the NYU-HHC Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UL1 TR000038-05, UL1 TR000038-05S1).

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Correspondence to Bruce N. Cronstein.

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B.C. received a grant from AstraZeneca to carry out an open label trial of ticagrelor in addition to methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have an inadequate response to methotrexate therapy.

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Cronstein, B.N. Methotrexate BAFFles anti-drug antibodies. Nat Rev Rheumatol 14, 505–506 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-018-0064-y

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