Deciphering alternative functions of B lymphocytes

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B lymphocytes/cells are very important in the immune response and their main role is to produce antibodies. While the mechanisms regulating B lymphocyte activation leading to antibody production are well understood, those involved in key alternative B cell functions are poorly defined, particularly cytokine production and antigenic presentation. Also, B cells sometimes infiltrate tissues and form alternative lymphoid structures (ALS; normally found in specialized lymphoid organs) in response to various environmental stimuli (stress, inflammation, etc.), and the roles of ALS in normal tissues are unclear. ALS formation is a biological phenomenon, important for increasing the efficiency of microbe sampling by naive lymphocytes. To date, B lymphocytes have been studied mostly in animal models and need to be characterized in humans. Addressing this challenge represents the objective in the current NSERC proposal.