BAFF binding to T cell-expressed BAFF-R costimulates T cell proliferation and alloresponses

✍ Scribed by Qunrui Ye; Liqing Wang; Andrew D. Wells; Ran Tao; Rongxiang Han; Anne Davidson; Martin L. Scott; Wayne W. Hancock

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 432 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-2980
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.200425198

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Binding of the TNF family member, B cell activating factor (BAFF), to its receptor (BAFF‐R, TNFRSF13C) is required for generation and maintenance of mature B cells, but there are no data as to any role for the BAFF/BAFF‐R pathway in T cell functions. We report that the binding of BAFF to BAFF‐R expressed by a subset of primarily CD4^+^ T cells costimulates T cell activation and allo‐proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and that mice with a mutation in the BAFF‐R, or with a targeted deletion of BAFF, show prolonged cardiac allograft survival as compared to wild‐type or transmembrane activator and calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI)^–/–^ controls. Taken together, these data indicate the BAFF/BAFF‐R pathway contributes to both T and B cell responses and may be an attractive target for control of acute and chronic allograft rejection.