Final Report Summary - MEMO-B (The B cell memory program: cell fate determinants and functional diversity of B cell subsets)
Encapsulated bacteria, like Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseiria meningitidis, represent a threat for children health, notably in underdeveloped countries, and for the elderly. We have comforted the proposition of a specialized B subset involved in the response to such antigens in humans with distinct activation and repertoire characteristics, a first step towards a better design of conditions allowing its specific mobilization. Lastly, unanticipated processes of plasma cell persistence accounting for the somewhat disappointing outcome of B-cell depletion therapies in antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases have been described, an observation which suggests new therapeutic antibody combinations for a better elimination of pathogenic antibody-secreting cells, and may have wide relevance for such diseases, notably for lupus.