%0 Journal Article
%T The Antigen Presenting Cells Instruct Plasma Cell Differentiation
%A Wei Xu
%J Frontiers in Immunology
%D 2014
%I Frontiers Media
%R 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00504
%X The professional antigen presenting cells (APCs), including many subsets of dendritic cells and macrophages, not only mediate prompt but non-specific response against microbes, but also bridge the antigen-specific adaptive immune response through antigen presentation. In the latter, typically activated B cells acquire cognate signals from T helper cells in the germinal center of lymphoid follicles to differentiate into plasma cells (PCs), which generate protective antibodies. Recent advances have revealed that many APC subsets provide not only ˇ°signal 1ˇ± (the antigen), but also ˇ°signal 2ˇ± to directly instruct the differentiation process of PCs in a T-cell-independent manner. Herein, the different signals provided by these APC subsets to direct B cell proliferation, survival, class switching, and terminal differentiation are discussed. We furthermore propose that the next generation of vaccines for boosting antibody response could be designed by targeting APCs.
%K plasma cells
%K antigen presenting cells
%K macrophages
%K dendritic cells
%K B cells
%U http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2013.00504/abstract