INFO - How do Orencia (abatacept) and other costimulation modulators work?

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MayoClinic.com

Arthritis

April 20, 2006

" Abatacept: A new drug for rheumatoid arthritis treatment " :

Excerpt:

How do abatacept and other costimulation modulators work?

Abatacept and other costimulation modulators work by interfering with your T

cells - a type of white blood cell. T cells play an important role in your

immune system by attacking viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing

agents. Doctors believe your T cells also play a central role in rheumatoid

arthritis, though it isn't clear exactly how they're involved in the

disease. What is known is that if you have rheumatoid arthritis, your T

cells set off a chain of events that are believed to cause your signs and

symptoms.

Abatacept and other costimulation modulators render T cells inactive by

interfering with the process that turns T cells on. If they don't turn on,

your T cells can't activate the cells that cause the inflammation and joint

damage of rheumatoid arthritis.

Your T cells have two switches that must be turned on in order to activate

the cells. Costimulation modulators interfere with one of these switches, so

that the chemicals that would normally activate the switches can't make the

connection. Abatacept sticks to one of the T cell switches, blocking the

switch so that it can't be turned on. Since this allows only one switch to

turn on in the T cells, they can't be activated and therefore can't start

the chain reaction that leads to the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid

arthritis.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/abatacept/AR00053

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Mayo Clinic in Rochester

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s Hopkins Medicine

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