Does anyone know about the B Cells theory?

[2011Rio]

Hi Everyone,

I had a friend send me a link to an article about scientists discovering how B Cells are involved in autoimmune diseases, specifically RA. The article talked about how these scientists believe that by eliminating these B Cells and resetting their production, so to speak, has stopped the disease. Have any of you heard about this and what do you know?

Be blessed
Tricia

Diagnosed w/RA 2011
Diagnosed w/Lyme, Ehrlichia, babesia, bartonella, ebv Feb 2016
metronidazole 500mg 1tab,3x a day M-F:
doxicycline 100mg 1tab 2x a day; Alliultra 360mg 2x a day;
Larrea; burbur; GSF 400mg 1tab 2x a day ; multi vit; b12 lozenge;
vit c 2000mg daily; Actemra 10/2015-present (may come off since
lyme diagnoses) Plaquenil 200mg 2x a day; Prednisone 4.5mg
(weaning off); Baclofen 10mg bedtime; Bentyl 10mg as needed;
fexodinadine 180mg daily; armour thyroid 45mg daily; omeprazole 40mg d

[Suzanne]

Rituxan

http://www.rituxan.com/ra/patient/considering-treatment/anti-tnfs/index.html

“Unlike anti-TNFs, B-cell therapy targets a type of white blood cell called a B-cell, which is believed to play a role in the pain, symptoms, and joint damage of RA. Currently, Rituxan

Mom of teen daughter with Poly JIA since age 2. Current med: azithromycin 250 mg MWF.

[2011Rio]

Suzzane,

Thank you for the information. I’ll check out that article also. Is this something that you have tried?

Tricia

Diagnosed w/RA 2011
Diagnosed w/Lyme, Ehrlichia, babesia, bartonella, ebv Feb 2016
metronidazole 500mg 1tab,3x a day M-F:
doxicycline 100mg 1tab 2x a day; Alliultra 360mg 2x a day;
Larrea; burbur; GSF 400mg 1tab 2x a day ; multi vit; b12 lozenge;
vit c 2000mg daily; Actemra 10/2015-present (may come off since
lyme diagnoses) Plaquenil 200mg 2x a day; Prednisone 4.5mg
(weaning off); Baclofen 10mg bedtime; Bentyl 10mg as needed;
fexodinadine 180mg daily; armour thyroid 45mg daily; omeprazole 40mg d

[Maz]

@2011Rio wrote:

The article talked about how these scientists believe that by eliminating these B Cells and resetting their production, so to speak, has stopped the disease. Have any of you heard about this and what do you know?

Hi Tricia,

Don’t think the following article is relating to shutting off B-Cell production but growing specific B-Cells, dubbed B-10 cells, outside the body and re-introducing them to essentially only go after specific pathogenic responses in various autoimmune diseases – a type of targeted therapy custom made for particular autoimmune diseases.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121014162908.htm

So, unlike Rituxan therapy, the goal is not to shut down immune response by destroying B-cells, but to actually re-introduce a type of B-cell for a specific autoimmune disease to block the specific pathway causing the errant immune response, as per the following statement in the article:

“Autoimmune diseases are very complicated, so creating a single therapy that allows us to go after multiple disease targets without causing immunosuppression has proven to be difficult.” Tedder said. “Here, we’re hoping to take what Mother Nature has already created, improve on it by expanding the cells outside of the body, and then put them back in to let Mother Nature go back to work.”

If this works, it could be quite helpful and less harmful than drugs like Rituxan, the purpose of which is to wipe out B-cells indiscriminately. I guess we shall see, eh? It can takes a decade or longer for new treatments to go from research bench to clinical practice and we just don’t know how messing with mother nature may affect overall health down the road. The implication from the article is that this type of treatment would shut down the autoimmune disease process, but makes no mention if this would be a permanent state or if regular infusions to replenish B-10 cells would be needed to sustain a remissive state.

Interesting, but my guess is that if the pathogenic cause (infections) are not treated, then it likely wouldn’t be a permanent one-time treatment as the primary cause wouldn’t be eliminated, thus the cause of B-10 cell inadequacy….unless this treatment somehow upregulates the ability of the immune system to recognize and target chronic infections?

“B cells are the component of the immune system that creates antibodies, which fight pathogens like bacteria and viruses. However, a small subset of B cells, called regulatory B cells, works to suppress immune responses. These B cells are characterized by a cell-signaling protein called interleukin-10 (IL-10), giving these regulatory B cells the name B10 cells.”

“B10 cells will only shut off what they are programmed to shut off. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you would want cells that would only go after your rheumatoid arthritis,” continued Tedder. “This research shows that we may have the potential to unharness regulatory cells, make millions of copies, and introduce them back into someone with autoimmune disease to shut down the disease. This may also treat transplanted organ rejection.”

Additional research is needed to learn how to expand human B10 cells and determine how B10 cells behave in humans, building on the study’s insights into the mechanisms behind their function and autoimmunity.”

[2011Rio]

Hi Maz,

Hope all is well with you. This article I found actually talks about destroying the B Cells and then letting the body make new ones. Here is the web address, http://rense.com/general5/cure.htm Its obviously a different approach. Thank you for the information and gonna check it out.

Tricia

Diagnosed w/RA 2011
Diagnosed w/Lyme, Ehrlichia, babesia, bartonella, ebv Feb 2016
metronidazole 500mg 1tab,3x a day M-F:
doxicycline 100mg 1tab 2x a day; Alliultra 360mg 2x a day;
Larrea; burbur; GSF 400mg 1tab 2x a day ; multi vit; b12 lozenge;
vit c 2000mg daily; Actemra 10/2015-present (may come off since
lyme diagnoses) Plaquenil 200mg 2x a day; Prednisone 4.5mg
(weaning off); Baclofen 10mg bedtime; Bentyl 10mg as needed;
fexodinadine 180mg daily; armour thyroid 45mg daily; omeprazole 40mg d

[Suzanne]

@2011Rio wrote:

Hi Maz,

Hope all is well with you. This article I found actually talks about destroying the B Cells and then letting the body make new ones. Here is the web address, http://rense.com/general5/cure.htm Its obviously a different approach. Thank you for the information and gonna check it out.

Tricia

Hi Tricia,

Your link didn’t have any dates, drug names, or links to pubmed, etc., so I googled a bit and found this:
http://arthritis.about.com/cs/bcell/a/remissionra.htm

It looks like his research was done around 2000, and the author of the article has added this update:
“Editor note: On 3/01/2006, Rituxan (rituximab) was FDA approved to be used in combination with methotrexate to treat rheumatoid arthritis by reducing the signs and symptoms in adult patients who have moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis and have failed one or more anti-TNF drugs e.g. Enbrel (etanercept), Remicade (infliximab), or Humira (adalimumab). See: Facts About Rituxan”

Also found this:
http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/abs/10.2217/17460816.1.4.493

“B-cell depletion in rheumatoid arthritis: the prospect of long-term benefit

Maria J Leandro

Mom of teen daughter with Poly JIA since age 2. Current med: azithromycin 250 mg MWF.

[Author]

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