Abstract
Protection against pathogen re-infection is mediated, in large part, by two humoral cellular compartments, namely, long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells. Recent data have reinforced the importance of memory B cells, particularly in response to re-infection of different viral subtypes or in response with viral escape mutants. In regard to memory B cell generation, considerable advancements have been made in recent years in elucidating its basic mechanism, which seems to well explain why the memory B cells pool can deal with variant viruses. Despite such progress, efforts to develop vaccines that induce broadly protective memory B cells to fight against rapidly mutating pathogens such as influenza virus and HIV have not yet been successful. Here, we discuss recent advances regarding the key signals and factors regulating germinal center-derived memory B cell development and activation and highlight the challenges for successful vaccine development.
Highlights
Humoral immunological memory, the basis of antibody (Ab)-based vaccination, is critical for protection against pathogen re-infection, which is largely mediated by two cellular compartments, long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells
Memory B cells emerge after the initial immunization are primarily composed of IgM-expressing B cells harboring a small number of somatic hypermutation (SHM), whereas subsequent memory B cell development occurs in the germinal center (GC), the primary site in which iterative rounds of SHM and subsequent selection of affinity-matured B cell clones take place [1,2,3]
Memory B cells have been found to be differentiated from lower affinity precursor GC B cells, in contrast to long lived plasma cells, which arise from highly selected and high affinity cells [4,5,6,7]
Summary
The basis of antibody (Ab)-based vaccination, is critical for protection against pathogen re-infection, which is largely mediated by two cellular compartments, long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells. A recent study employing poly-epitope protein antigens has reinforced these conclusions, except that in this case the memory B cells are generated throughout the immune response [7].
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