Therapeutic implications of advances in our understanding of transitional B-cell development in humans.
B-cell development is characterized by the progressive maturation of hematopoietic stem cells through several stages to ultimately give rise to the mature B-cell pool that has been selected for reactivity against non-self antigens. Thus, the mature pool of naive B cells is capable of elicting high-affinity responses following natural infection with pathogens or vaccination and provides the host with protective long-lived humoral immunity. However, perturbations during the processes of B-cell development and differentiation can give rise to a diverse array of immunological diseases including autoimmunity, immunodeficiency and malignancy. While we have a very rich understanding of the processes underlying B-cell development in mice, our knowledge of the corresponding events occurring in human B cells is substantially less robust. Here, we overview the latest findings relating to human B cells in health and disease with a particular emphasis on the transitional stage of B-cell development.
Suryani
Santi
S
Immunology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst 2010, NSW, Australia.
Tangye
Stuart G
SG
D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics