technical - B lymphocytes: how they develop and function

[Guest guest]

The increasing understanding of lymphocytes (the cell of origin) has been a

key to finding how to treat lymphomas better. ~ Karl

==

Blood. 2008 - B lymphocytes: how they develop and function

http://1.usa.gov/puZN9a

Abstract

The discovery that lymphocyte subpopulations participate in distinct

components of the immune response focused attention onto the origins and

function of lymphocytes more than 40 years ago.

Studies in the 1960s and 1970s demonstrated that B and T lymphocytes were

responsible primarily for the basic functions of antibody production and

cell-mediated immune responses, respectively.

The decades that followed have witnessed a continuum of unfolding

complexities in B-cell development, subsets, and function that could not

have been predicted.

Some of the landmark discoveries that led to our current understanding of B

lymphocytes as the source of protective innate and adaptive antibodies are

highlighted in this essay. The phenotypic and functional diversity of B

lymphocytes, their regulatory roles independent of antibody production, and

the molecular events that make this lineage unique are also considered.

Finally, perturbations in B-cell development that give rise to certain types

of congenital immunodeficiency, leukemia/lymphoma, and autoimmune disease

are discussed in the context of normal B-cell development and selection.

Despite the significant advances that have been made at the cellular and

molecular levels, there is much more to learn, and cross-disciplinary

studies in hematology and immunology will continue to pave the way for new

discoveries. "

All the best,

~ Karl

Patients Against Lymphoma

Patients Helping Patients

Non-profit | Independent | Evidence-based

www.lymphomation.org | Current News: http://bit.ly/f2A0T

How to Help: www.lymphomation.org/how-to-help.htm