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Transitional B Cells: How Well Are the Checkpoints for Specificity Understood?

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Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis Aims and scope

Abstract

It is crucial for the immune system to minimise the number of circulating mature self-reactive B cells, in order to reduce the potential for the development of autoantibody-related autoimmune diseases. Studies of animal models have identified two major checkpoints that ensure that such cells do not contribute to the naïve B cell repertoire. The first is in the bone marrow as B cells develop and the second is in the spleen; B cells that are released from the bone marrow as transitional B cells go through more stringent selection in the spleen before they develop into mature naïve B cells. Transitional B cells and their maturation have mostly been studied in mice. However, recent studies characterised human transitional B cells and found considerable differences to current models. In this review, we will consider these differences alongside known differences in mouse and human splenic function and ask whether human transitional B cells might develop along a different pathway.

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Acknowledgments

A. Vossenkämper is funded by the Medical Research Council, UK.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Immunology and Infectious Disease, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, London, E1 2AT, UK

    Anna Vossenkämper

  2. Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital Campus, St Thomas’ St, London, SE1 9RT, UK

    Jo Spencer

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  1. Anna Vossenkämper
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  2. Jo Spencer
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Correspondence to Anna Vossenkämper.

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Vossenkämper, A., Spencer, J. Transitional B Cells: How Well Are the Checkpoints for Specificity Understood?. Arch. Immunol. Ther. Exp. 59, 379 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00005-011-0135-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00005-011-0135-0

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