Germinal centres: role in B-cell physiology and malignancy.
Over the past several years, studies on normal and malignant B cells have provided new insights into the unique physiology of the germinal centre (GC). In particular, advances in technology have allowed a more precise dissection of the phenotypes of GC B cells and the specific transcriptional programmes that are responsible for this phenotype. Furthermore, substantial progress has been made in the understanding of the mechanism controlling the exit of B cells from the GC and the decision to become a memory B cell or plasma cell. This Review focuses on these recent advances and discusses their implications for the pathogenesis of B-cell lymphomas.
Klein
Ulf
U
Institute for Cancer Genetics, Departments of Pathology and Genetics & Development, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, 1130 St Nicholas Avenue, New York, New York 10032, USA.
Dalla-Favera
Riccardo
R
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology