Tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 13B (BAFF) (BAFF)

B-cell activating factor (BAFF), also known as B-cell lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS), is a vital cytokine belonging to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand superfamily (UniProt Q9Y275). It plays a critical role in the humoral immune response by promoting the survival, maturation, and differentiation of B-lineage cells (NCBI Gene ID: 10673). BAFF exerts its effects by binding to three distinct receptors: BAFF receptor (BAFF-R), transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI), and B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) (PubMed: 11728338). Overexpression of BAFF is strongly associated with the development of autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome, where it drives the persistence of autoreactive B cells and the production of autoantibodies (StatPearls: Belimumab). Consequently, BAFF has become a significant therapeutic target. Drugs like belimumab, a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes soluble BAFF, are used to treat SLE by reducing B-cell mediated inflammation and autoantibody levels (PubChem CID: 135314811).

Other names

B-cell activating factorB-cell lymphocyte stimulatorBLySTALL-1THANKZTNF4TNFSF13B

Neutralization of soluble BAFF to prevent binding to BAFF-R, TACI, and BCMA receptors, thereby inhibiting B-cell survival and autoantibody production (PubMed: 21435340).