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Why Your Immune System Never Fully Recovers
In this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan uncovers a critical and often overlooked consequence of anti-CD20 therapies such as Rituximab, Ocrelizumab, and Ofatumumab: long-term immune memory loss.
While these medications are life-saving for conditions like kidney disease, autoimmune disorders, and cancer, they work by eliminating B cells—the immune cells responsible for remembering past infections and vaccines. Emerging research now shows that for many patients, these cells do not fully recover, even years after treatment ends.
Dr. Bismah reviews compelling long-term studies revealing persistent depletion of memory B cells, loss of vaccine protection, low recovery rates, and serious clinical consequences such as recurrent infections and increased mortality. She explains why “young” B cells may return while switched memory B cells fail to regenerate, and how bone marrow damage, chronic inflammation, and overlapping immunosuppressive therapies may contribute.
Most concerning, Dr. Bismah highlights a major blind spot in modern medical care: the majority of patients receiving anti-CD20 therapy never have their immunoglobulin levels or B-cell subsets monitored, leaving them vulnerable without knowing it.
This episode empowers patients and clinicians with practical steps—testing, monitoring, and informed advocacy—to protect immune health while navigating necessary treatment.
Dr. Bismah Irfan explains how anti-CD20 therapies can cause long-term immune memory loss, vaccine failure, infection risk, and why immune monitoring is essential.
I’m Dr. Bismah Irfan, MD, a board-certified nephrologist and functional medicine physician. I help patients with kidney disease and complex immune conditions navigate personalized, evidence-based strategies to protect long-term health and avoid preventable complications.
Bismah Irfan, MD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidneyHealthMD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidney.healthmd/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbismah/
Website: https://www.drbismah.com/about/
Produced by DrTalks
https://drtalks.com/podcast/
View all episodes
By Bismah Irfan, MDIn this episode of Wellness Focused, Dr. Bismah Irfan uncovers a critical and often overlooked consequence of anti-CD20 therapies such as Rituximab, Ocrelizumab, and Ofatumumab: long-term immune memory loss.
While these medications are life-saving for conditions like kidney disease, autoimmune disorders, and cancer, they work by eliminating B cells—the immune cells responsible for remembering past infections and vaccines. Emerging research now shows that for many patients, these cells do not fully recover, even years after treatment ends.
Dr. Bismah reviews compelling long-term studies revealing persistent depletion of memory B cells, loss of vaccine protection, low recovery rates, and serious clinical consequences such as recurrent infections and increased mortality. She explains why “young” B cells may return while switched memory B cells fail to regenerate, and how bone marrow damage, chronic inflammation, and overlapping immunosuppressive therapies may contribute.
Most concerning, Dr. Bismah highlights a major blind spot in modern medical care: the majority of patients receiving anti-CD20 therapy never have their immunoglobulin levels or B-cell subsets monitored, leaving them vulnerable without knowing it.
This episode empowers patients and clinicians with practical steps—testing, monitoring, and informed advocacy—to protect immune health while navigating necessary treatment.
Dr. Bismah Irfan explains how anti-CD20 therapies can cause long-term immune memory loss, vaccine failure, infection risk, and why immune monitoring is essential.
I’m Dr. Bismah Irfan, MD, a board-certified nephrologist and functional medicine physician. I help patients with kidney disease and complex immune conditions navigate personalized, evidence-based strategies to protect long-term health and avoid preventable complications.
Bismah Irfan, MD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidneyHealthMD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidney.healthmd/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbismah/
Website: https://www.drbismah.com/about/
Produced by DrTalks
https://drtalks.com/podcast/