Cellular and Molecular Events During Antigen Dependent B cell Differentiation

免疫系统对保护我们免受外部病毒和细菌的入侵以及内部癌细胞的入侵至关重要。在构成这个系统的白细胞中，有一些负责产生抗体。为了确保所有可能的感染和肿瘤都能被识别出来，身体需要持续制造大量的这些细胞。这个项目的目的是通过一个新的实验系统来研究控制它们的产生和功能的机制。通过确定正常宿主体内抗体产生的不同阶段，我们应该能够更好地在未来制造出更持久的疫苗，并了解这些白细胞在疾病中出了什么问题。尤其值得一提的是，研究结果将有助于研究慢性白血病骨髓瘤，以及一些自身免疫性疾病，如风湿性疾病，这些疾病是由抗体攻击人体自身组织引起的。

The immune system is essential for protecting us against invasion from without by viruses and bacteria and invasion from within by cancer cells. Among the white blood cells making up this system are those responsible for producing antibodies. To ensure that all possible infections and tumours can be recognised, the body needs to manufacture a very large number of these cells on a continuous basis. The aim of this project is to work out the mechanism responsible for controlling their production and function using a novel experimental system. By pinpointing the different stages involved in antibody production in the normal host we should be in a better position to make longer lasting vaccines in the future and to understand what goes wrong with these white cells in disease. In particular, the results should shed light on the chronic form of leukaemia called myeloma and some of the autoimmune disorders like the rheumatic diseases which occur when the antibodies being produced attack our own tissues.