Impact of rituximab on relapse rate and disability in neuromyelitis optica
- 1 October 2011
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Multiple Sclerosis Journal
- Vol. 17 (10), 1225-1230
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1352458511404586
Abstract
Background: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe demyelinating disease often leading to serious disability. Accumulating evidence now implicates humoral mechanisms in its pathogenesis. In the absence of an approved therapy, anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressant drugs have been used empirically for more than three decades. Recent evidence for a role of antibody to aquaporin-4 in the pathogenesis of NMO has led to the use of rituximab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the CD20 epitope on the entire B cell lineage.Keywords
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