The quantitative regulation of antibody forming cell differentiation

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B lymphocytes are the antibody-producing cells of the immune system. After they are made in the bone marrow, they are exported to the body to circulate, searching for signs of infection. When they encounter an invader, they change, with the help of other immune cells, into antibody-producing cells. A small proportion of the cells are set aside as memory cells that can rapidly become antibody-producing cells should the same infection occur again in the future. This is the basis of vaccination. The secretion into serum of antibodies that can bind to and eliminate an invader anywhere in the body is the main function of B lymphocytes. This project studies how a B cell changes into an antibody-producing cell. We will learn very basic and detailed quantitative aspects of the process, such as: -How long does it take to become an antibody-producer once a B cell detects an invader? -Do they-must they divide while they are changing? -How do hormones from other cells regulate the process? Do they increase division, survival, change the properties of the B cells, or improve their output? We will study all these responses in detail, so that we can make a model that can accurately predict the outcome of a particular set of circumstances. We will study the genes that are known to be required for antibody-producing cells to form, or to do their work. We will also study animals whose immune systems are under- or over-active, to find out what part of the antibody-producing process is faulty. We may be able to predict where the problem lies, by comparing these animals cells to our model, and therefore to suggest a remedy. Using this information, we hope eventually to be able to study diseases of antibody producing cells in humans (as occur in allergy, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and leukaemia), to be able to identify the precise cause of the problem, and to suggest a therapy. This information may also be used to improve the outcome of vaccination.