Restoration of tolerance in lupus by targeted inhibitory receptor expression

Lupus, a multigenic autoimmune condition in which a breakdown of tolerance results in the development of autoantibodies, leads to a variety of pathologic outcomes. Despite the heterogeneity of factors influencing disease susceptibility, we demonstrate that the partial restoration of inhibitory Fc receptor (FcgRIIB) levels on B cells in lupus-prone mouse strains is sufficient to restore tolerance and prevent autoimmunity. FcgRIIB regulates a common B cell checkpoint in genetically diverse lupus-prone mouse strains, and modest changes in its expression can result in either tolerance or autoimmunity. Therefore, increasing FcgammaRIIB levels on B cells may be an effective way to treat autoimmune diseases.