Clinical application of belimumab in lupus nephritis

As a human monoclonal antibody specific for B lymphocyte stimulator（BLyS），belimumab has recently become the first drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration（FDA）for managing adult active lupus nephritis（LN）. LN affects up to 60% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus（SLE）and conventional treatment relies largely on hormones and immunosuppressants. However，the proportion of patients with a renal response has remained low. Some LN patients have a 30% risk of developing end-stage renal disease，especially those with type IV LN. Clinical application of belimumab is gaining popularity in LN. This review summarized the latest research advances of belimumab in LN.