Inducing granulocyte production or B cell production in peripheral blood by TGF-.beta.

Patent Number: 5529982

TGF-beta is a cytokine with numerous anti-inflammatory functions. The importance of TGF-beta at controlling inflammation is seen not only in its ability to prevent autoimmunity in several animal models, but also by the fact that tumor cells secrete large quantities of it in order to escape immune-mediated killing.

This patent teaches that TGF-beta can be administered in order to stimulate production of B cells. It is interesting that in cancer patients, at least in some subsets, B cells are associated with secretion of tumor-enhancing antibodies that actually stop the T cells from killing the tumor.

It is interesting to study what immunological abnormalities or skewing is found in B cells generated by administration of TGF-beta.

View this patent on the USPTO website.