Is BAFF Finally Providing New Hope for Sufferers of the Autoimmune Diseases Like Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis

If you haven't yet heard about BAFF don't feel left out. This is my first brush with it too. Even worse, how about BlyS, TALL-1, THANK, or zTNF4. Perhaps this all sounds like a bunch of gobble-de-gook but it really isn't. These are all names for the same protein offered by various researchers who are looking into the mysteries of such devastating autoimmune diseases as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Sjögren syndrome (SS). There may be a great deal of good news here. As Dr. Vaux commented in his article called "The buzz about BAFF", which he published in the January 2002 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, when he wrote, "Here, at last, is an example of a molecule that appears to be involved in common human autoimmune diseases, rather than just the ever-so-rare eponymous syndromes", maybe we are finally on the right track.

Suppose we examine this exciting new possibility and try to sort it out a bit. There is a gland, about which most of you have probably heard, called the thymus. It's located in the chest cavity just above the heart. Although it's quite small compared to most other organs, and so was pretty much ignored in the earlier days of medical knowledge, it is now known to play a significant role in regulating body defenses against invading organisms. This is where the lymphocytes come from that your doctor checks for when he sends your blood to the laboratory. The T-cell is a class of lymphocytes, so called because they are derived from the thymus and have been through thymic processing. The main function of T-cells is to control our immunity by acting on those immune reactions, which are mediated through cells, as opposed to B-cells, which are also lymphocytes but do their protective work through humoral activity. However, there is a definite linkage between the two, since T-cells are also involved in the control of B-cell development. They act to coordinate the immune system by secreting hormones called lymphokines.

Cytokines are small proteins or biological factors that are released by cells and have specific effects on cell-cell interaction, communication, and behavior of other cells. There are various forms of cytokines among which is a family of proteins called tumor necrosis factor or TNF because they tend to kill tumor cells both in the body and in the laboratory outside the body. Finally we get to BAFF which is an acronym for a TNF cytokine whose full name is not important to try to remember so I won't burden you with it. BAFF is made in two forms. It can be soluble or it can be bound to membranes. Myeloid cells and dendritic cells in the body make it, but certain T cells also produce some. Studies of BAFF have come up with a very exciting possibility. It may be necessary for persistence of autoimmune disease. Although these conclusions were reached through experiments with mice where it was found that increased levels seem to be able to cause autoimmunity, it is now known that elevated levels are also associated with autoimmune disease in humans as well, specifically SLE, SS, and RA. It's suspected that more autoimmune disease will fall into place as research progresses. The best news of all is that we already have substances that are capable of blocking BAFF, and furthermore, these agents are able to reduce disease incidence and severity. Dr. Vaux concludes, "BAFF-blocking reagents hold great promise in the treatment of autoimmunity in humans."

Unfortunately, whenever new agents come on the scene, such as BAFF, it can take many years before they can actually be available for human consumption. Highly expensive research by well-endowed institutions and pharmaceutical companies must first prove that the new product is both safe and effective. Even after a new product arrives on the market, serious side effects may be discovered, sometimes many years later. Therefore, the question asked by the title of this article, "Is BAFF Finally Providing New Hope for Sufferers of the Autoimmune Diseases Like Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis?" will probably not be answered in the near future.