title: Impact of the BAFF/BR3 axis on B cell survival, germinal center maintenance and antibody production.
abstract: The development of the B cell lineage has been extensively studied along with the soluble and cellular components involved in the maturation and selection process. It was not always clear, however, what factors were involved in supporting mature B cell survival. Identification of the B cell survival factor, BAFF, was a key discovery in understanding the survival mechanism for mature B cells in the periphery. More recent investigations have illuminated roles for BAFF in B cell biology outside of a survival mechanism. These include germinal center maintenance, isotype switching, and regulation of specific B cell surface markers. More importantly, a role for BAFF in B cell biology has been validated in vivo in humans.
authors.affiliation: Biogen Idec, Inc, 12 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Susan.kalled@biogenidec.com
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kalled
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D053265:B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002470:Cell Survival; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D011323:Primates / Q000276:immunology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D053265:B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor; C435926:TNFRSF13C protein, human; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; C486662:Tnfrsf13c protein, mouse; C505720:Tnfsf13b protein, mouse