The ageing human B cell repertoire: a failure of selection?

TY - JOUR

T1 - The ageing human B cell repertoire: a failure of selection?

AU - Dunn-Walters, Deborah Kay

PY - 2015/10/6

Y1 - 2015/10/6

N2 - B cells undergo a number of different developmental stages, from initial formation of their B cell receptor (BCR) genes to differentiation into antibody-secreting plasma cells. Because the BCR is vital in these differentiation steps, autoreactive and exogenous antigen binding to the BCR exert critical selection pressures to shape the B cell repertoire. Older people are more prone to infectious disease, less able to respond well to vaccination and more likely to have autoreactive antibodies. Here we review evidence of changes in B cell repertoires in older people, which may be a reflection of age-related changes in B cell selection processes.

AB - B cells undergo a number of different developmental stages, from initial formation of their B cell receptor (BCR) genes to differentiation into antibody-secreting plasma cells. Because the BCR is vital in these differentiation steps, autoreactive and exogenous antigen binding to the BCR exert critical selection pressures to shape the B cell repertoire. Older people are more prone to infectious disease, less able to respond well to vaccination and more likely to have autoreactive antibodies. Here we review evidence of changes in B cell repertoires in older people, which may be a reflection of age-related changes in B cell selection processes.

U2 - 10.1111/cei.12700

DO - 10.1111/cei.12700

M3 - Literature review

SN - 0009-9104

VL - 183

SP - 50

EP - 56

JO - Clinical and Experimental Immunology

JF - Clinical and Experimental Immunology

IS - 1

ER -