Personalized Healthcare in Autoimmune Diseases - Genomic Biomarkers for Pharmaceutical Development - page 54

FIGURE 3.2 Median target neutralization of the type I IFN signature as calculated based on the expression of
13 genes pre dose and post dose up to day 98 for dose cohorts of 0.3 mg / kg (N = 7), 1.0 mg / kg (blue; N = 8), 3.0 mg /
kg (N = 16), 10 mg / kg (N = 8), and placebo (N = 12) in (A) blood and (C) muscle specimens, as well as median
combined dose cohorts (blue) versus placebo treatment cohorts (red) in (B) blood and (D) muscle specimens from
dermatomyosistis (DM) or polymyositis (PM) patients. The y axis represents the percentage of IFNGS remaining
following treatment; each line is the median of the respective dose cohort. Courtesy of Ann Rheum Dis [34] .
neutraliation could be achieved, needs to be carefully evaluated in larger Phase IIb trials.
Such trials will also provide more evidence of whether type I IFN, and what subtypes of type
I IFN, might be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases such as SLE and myositis.
3.4 BIOMARKER FOR ANTI-CD20 mAb THERAPY IN PATIENTS
WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA)
3.4.1 Rituximab Depletes Circulating B Cells and Shows Clinical Efficacy in
Patients with RA
B cells manifest from the bone marrow and once activated can differentiate into either plasma
or memory forms - either through direct processes or additional intermediate stages [39] . The B