title: Implications of Intravital Imaging of Murine Germinal Centers on the Control of B Cell Selection and Division.
abstract: Intravital imaging of antibody optimization in germinal center (GC) reactions has set a new dimension in the understanding of the humoral immune response during the last decade. The inclusion of spatio-temporal cellular dynamics in the research on GCs required analysis using the agent-based mathematical models. In this study, we integrate the available intravital imaging data from various research groups and incorporate these into a quantitative mathematical model of GC reactions and antibody affinity maturation. Interestingly, the integration of data concerning the spatial organization of GCs and B cell motility allows to draw conclusions on the strength of the selection pressure and the control of B cell division by T follicular helper cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Immunology, Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research , Braunschweig , Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Immunology, Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meyer-Hermann
keywords: B cell motility; T follicular helper cells; affinity maturation; antibody optimization; chemotaxis; dark and light zone; germinal center