B cell memory: building two walls of protection against pathogens

• Published in: Nature reviews. Immunology Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 229 - 238
• Main Authors: Akkaya, Munir, Kwak, Kihyuck, Pierce, Susan K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.04.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/250/1619/40; 631/250/2152/1566/1571; 631/250/2152/2153/1291; Analysis; Antigens - immunology; B cells; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Communicable diseases; Communicable Diseases - immunology; Global health; Health aspects; Humans; Immunity; Immunologic Memory - immunology; Immunological memory; Immunology; Lymphocytes B; Malaria; Memory cells; Pathogens; Plasma; Plasma cells; Plasma Cells - immunology; Prevention; Product development; Public health; Review; Review Article; Vaccine development; Vaccines; Vaccines - immunology; Vector-borne diseases; United States
• ISSN: 1474-1733; 1474-1741; 1474-1741
• DOI: 10.1038/s41577-019-0244-2

Surviving a single infection often results in lifelong immunity to the infecting pathogen. Such protection is mediated, in large part, by two main B cell memory ‘walls’ — namely, long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells. The cellular and molecular processes that drive the production of long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells are subjects of intensive research and have important implications for global health. Indeed, although nearly all vaccines in use today depend on their ability to induce B cell memory, we have not yet succeeded in developing vaccines for some of the world’s most deadly diseases, including AIDS and malaria. Here, we describe the two-phase process by which antigen drives the generation of long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells and highlight the challenges for successful vaccine development in each phase. The authors discuss the formation of two main ‘walls’ of B cell memory to protect against pathogen reinfection. The first wall comprises high-affinity antibodies produced by long-lived plasma cells, while the second wall is formed by memory B cells.