Figure 1.

Mechanism of action of MLTA3698A. Lymphotoxin α (LTα) is a cytokine that is transiently expressed (as a secreted homotrimer or expressed together with LTβ on the cell surface) by subsets of activated T cells (Th1, Th17) and activated B cells (B) that are implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis autoimmunity. Pateclizumabbinding to LTα expressed on the cell surface results in both the specific depletion of the activated cells and inhibition of immune cell trafficking and/or recruitment to inflammatory sites while leaving non-LTα-expressing cells such as Th2 unaffected. TNFR = tumor necrosis factor receptor; LTβR = lymphotoxin β receptor.