Next-generation immune cell engagers for B cell depletion in autoimmune diseases.

Next-generation immune cell engagers can effectively deplete pathogenic B cells, with early clinical success in autoimmune diseases demonstrating sustained improvements.

• Why it matters: Deep B cell depletion is crucial for treating autoimmune diseases, but current therapies face challenges like heterogeneity, toxicity, and incomplete targeting, necessitating improved approaches.
• What they did: Researchers reviewed the development of immune cell engagers, focusing on target selection, engager design, and strategies such as CD8-biased T cell engagement and natural killer cell recruitment, involving multiple effector cell types.
• The result: These advanced ICEs show promise for off-the-shelf, durable immune reprogramming, potentially overcoming current limitations and offering new treatment options for refractory autoimmune conditions.