The present invention relates to antibodies and related molecules that
immunospecifically bind to Tumor Necrosis Factor Delta (TNF-delta;
APRIL). The present invention also relates to methods and compositions
for detecting, diagnosing, prognosing, treating, preventing, or
ameliorating a disease or disorder associated with aberrant APRIL or
APRIL receptor expression or aberrant function of APRIL or APRIL
receptor, comprising antibodies or fragments or variants thereof, or
related molecules, that immunospecifically bind to APRIL. In particular,
the present invention further relates to methods and compositions for
detecting, diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, treating or ameliorating
autoimmune diseases or disorder, such as systemic lupus erythematosus
Rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's syndrome, or cancers of the immune
system, particularly B cell cancers such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and
multiple myeloma, comprising administering to an animal, preferably a
human, an effective amount of one or more antibodies or fragments or
variants thereof, or related molecules, that immunospecifically bind to
APRIL.