Delineation of human plasma cell subsets and their bone marrow niche

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An important part of humoral memory is provided by plasma cells with apparently distinct half-life times but residing in the bone marrow. Together with other groups we could identify a diversity of plasma cells and plasmablasts in the peripheral blood, including antigen-specific ones. More recently, distinct subsets of plasma cells were identified in the bone marrow of humans. Here we want to explore if these plasma cell subsets require certain soluble and insoluble survival factors with a main focus on a potential unique interaction with human bone marrow cells. In particular, the project will describe in detail their distinct phenotypes, molecular and functional characteristics and ultimately studying the specificities of anatomic sites of certain plasma cell subsets. Better understanding of the hypothetical bone marrow niches will permit innovative therapeutic approaches influencing immune memory formation and its maintenance which may have a wide range of clinical application, such immune prophylaxis and therapy.