Kidney Week

Educational Symposium

Optimizing B Cell-Targeted Therapies for Lupus Nephritis: Strategies for Success and Pitfalls to Avoid

November 07, 2025 | 12:45 PM - 01:45 PM

Location: Room TBD2, Hilton Americas-Houston

Session Description

While prognosis for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus has improved in recent decades, those who develop nephritis have a high risk of progression to kidney failure and an overall worse prognosis compared with those without nephritis. B cells play a central role in driving autoimmunity, including loss of self-tolerance and autoantibody production. Targeting these cells has been a treatment focus in the development and progression of lupus nephritis. While rituximab continues to be used in patients with refractory disease, data from the randomized LUNAR trial do not show benefit over standard care. Additional B cell agents, in contrast, have shown promise in randomized controlled trials. This symposium reviews the pathophysiology of B cells and highlights similarities and differences of lupus compared with other autoimmune kidney diseases that are treated with B cell therapies. Experts discuss the treatment of lupus nephritis and the role of various B cell therapies.

Support is provided by an educational grant from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

Learning Objective(s)

• Discuss the pathophysiology of B cells and its relevance to lupus nephritis as compared to other autoimmune kidney diseases
• Describe the mechanism of action of various B cell therapies
• Explain where B cell-targeting therapies can be deployed in patients with lupus nephritis

Learning Pathway(s)

• Glomerular Diseases
• Pharmacology

Moderator

• Laura Ferreira Provenzano, MD

Presentations

• Introduction
  12:45 PM - 12:55 PM
  
  • Laura Ferreira Provenzano, MD

Introduction

November 07, 2025 | 12:45 PM - 12:55 PM

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• Review of B Cell Pathobiology in Lupus: Similarities and Differences Compared with Other Autoimmune Kidney Diseases
  12:55 PM - 01:15 PM
  
  • Augusto Vaglio, MD, PhD

Review of B Cell Pathobiology in Lupus: Similarities and Differences Compared with Other Autoimmune Kidney Diseases

November 07, 2025 | 12:55 PM - 01:15 PM

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• B Cell-Targeted Therapies in Lupus Nephritis
  01:15 PM - 01:35 PM
  
  • Michael J. Choi, MD

B Cell-Targeted Therapies in Lupus Nephritis

November 07, 2025 | 01:15 PM - 01:35 PM

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• Q&A
  01:35 PM - 01:45 PM
  

Q&A

November 07, 2025 | 01:35 PM - 01:45 PM

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