CD137 costimulatory T cell receptor engagement reverses acute disease in lupus-prone NZB × NZW F1 mice

Abstract

spontaneous fashion. Soon thereafter the mice develop lupus nephritis and renal pathology (3). SLE disease is B cell-and CD4 + Th cell-dependent (4, 5) and can be treated by immune intervention such as immunosuppressive drugs, T cell costimulatory blockade (6-8), or anti-CD4 mAb-mediated therapy (9). However, the regimens employed are recognized as being prophylactic rather than therapeutic and are burdened with significant undesirable side effects. In this report we show that minimal treatment of SLE-diseased NZB NZW F 1 female mice with anti-CD137 mAb's reversed disease progression and prolonged survival of the mice to more than 2 years.