Molecular dissection of cytokine-mediated regulation of human B-cell differentiation.

白细胞介素21是激活B细胞的分子。该途径的缺陷导致个体不能产生抗体的免疫缺陷，而在自身免疫的小鼠模型中已经报道了持续激活。检查这些途径将揭示人类免疫疾病的原因，并可能揭示可用于治疗免疫缺陷和自身免疫的分子。正常免疫反应的增强可能导致改进疫苗的开发。

Interleukin 21 is a molecule which activates B cells. Defects in this pathway cause immunodeficiency where individuals cannot make antibodies, while constant activation has been reported in mouse models of autoimmunity. Examining these pathways will shed light on the causes of human immune disease, and may reveal molecules that could be targeted for the treatment of immunodeficiency and autoimmunity. Amplification of normal immune responses could lead to the development of improved vaccines.