Targeting plasma cells in autoimmune diseases.

Antibodies specific for self-antigens mediate life-threatening pathology in several autoimmune diseases. Clearly the ability to target the plasma cells (PCs) producing the autoantibodies would be of great clinical benefit. Current immunosuppressive therapies are based on the premise that autoreactive PCs are short-lived and replenished from ongoing immune responses. However, recent results question this assumption and suggest that optimizing the treatment of severe autoimmune conditions will require a significant investment in elucidating the details of PC biology.