Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

New Insight into B Cell Biology

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 7673

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Gabriella Sármay

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Immunology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: regulation of the immune response; B cells; signaling; receptor cross-talk; regulatory cells; autoimmunity; rheumatoid arthritis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

B cells play a critical role in the development of an immune response. After encountering antigens, B cells differentiate into plasma cells, secreting high-affinity antibodies or memory B cells, providing long-lasting memory. B cells also present antigens to T cells, initiating the T cell response to cognate antigens, produce cytokines, and regulate the immune responses. During their development, B cells are educated to differentiate self from non-self, and thus, they go through several checkpoints controlled by B cell receptors and influenced by innate immune sensors such as toll-like receptors. These processes lead to efficient immune response and protection against invading pathogens while maintaining tolerance against self. In the last decade, deep immune phenotyping of developing B cells has led to the discovery of novel B cell subsets, some of them having a role in B cell pathologies, such as autoimmune and infectious diseases or cancer. Targeting these B cells might be a challenge for developing novel therapies.

B cell development is under the control of different metabolic programs, from the precursor states in the bone marrow to the terminal plasma cell and memory cell differentiation. Revealing metabolic programs of B cells may lead to a better understanding of B cell development and the diverse functions of various subsets, as well as B cell disfunctions causing malignancies and autoimmune diseases.

Regulatory B cells suppress inappropriate immune responses and support immune tolerance through direct cell-to-cell contact and/or through the production of cytokines such as IL-10, TGFβ or IL-35. Dysfunction of Bregs might contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases, uncontrolled inflammation, or tumors. However, little is known about the intracellular pathways, leading to their differentiation and the incidence of metabolic programs. Recent observations highlight the glucose metabolism as an essential factor for the expansion of Breg cells.

Accumulating evidence has revealed that B cells play a dual role in tumor immunity; however, detailed characterization of the relationship between B cells and tumors is urgently needed, as a prerequisite for the development of B-cell-based immunotherapies.

The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight the latest progress achieved in these exciting areas of B cell research in health and disease. Up-to-date review articles and experimental papers are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Gabriella Sármay
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

B cells
B cell targeting
novel subsets
metabolism
immune regulation
tumour immunity

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 2479 KiB

Open AccessArticle

B Cells Induce Early-Onset Maternal Inflammation to Protect against LPS-Induced Fetal Rejection

by Gina Marie Uehre, Svetlana Tchaikovski, Atanas Ignatov, Ana Claudia Zenclussen and Mandy Busse

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(22), 16091; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242216091 - 08 Nov 2023

Viewed by 914

Abstract

The maternal balance between B regulatory (Breg) cells and inflammatory B cells is of central importance for protection against preterm birth (PTB). However, the impact of B cell signaling in early maternal and fetal immune responses on inflammatory insults remains underinvestigated. To understand which role B cells and B-cell-specific signaling play in the pathogenesis of PTB, the later was induced by an injection of LPS in B cell-sufficient WT mice, CD19^−/−, BMyD88^−/− and µMT murine dams at gestational day 16 (gd 16). WT dams developed a strong inflammatory response in their peritoneal cavity (PC), with an increased infiltration of granulocytes and enhanced IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17 and MCP-1 levels. However, they demonstrated a reduced NOS2 expression of PC macrophages 4 h after the LPS injection. Simultaneously, LPS-challenged WT dams upregulated pregnancy-protective factors like IL-10 and TARC. The concentrations of inflammatory mediators in the placental supernatants, amniotic fluids, fetal serums and gestational tissues were lower in LPS-challenged WT dams compared to CD19^−/−, BMyD88^−/− and µMT dams, thereby protecting WT fetuses from being born preterm. B cell deficiency, or the loss of B-cell-specific CD19 or MyD88 expression, resulted in an early shift from immune regulation towards inflammation at the fetomaternal interface and fetuses, resulting in PTB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into B Cell Biology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 6194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Optimized Flow Cytometric Method to Demonstrate the Differentiation Stage-Dependent Ca²⁺ Flux Responses of Peripheral Human B Cells

by Anna Bajnok, Timea Serény-Litvai, Viktória Temesfői, Jasper Nörenberg, Róbert Herczeg, Ambrus Kaposi, Timea Berki and Emese Mezosi

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 9107; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24109107 - 22 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2746

Abstract

Calcium (Ca²⁺) flux acts as a central signaling pathway in B cells, and its alterations are associated with autoimmune dysregulation and B-cell malignancies. We standardized a flow-cytometry-based method using various stimuli to investigate the Ca²⁺ flux characteristics of circulating human B lymphocytes from healthy individuals. We found that different activating agents trigger distinct Ca²⁺ flux responses and that B-cell subsets show specific developmental-stage dependent Ca²⁺ flux response patterns. Naive B cells responded with a more substantial Ca²⁺ flux to B cell receptor (BCR) stimulation than memory B cells. Non-switched memory cells responded to anti-IgD stimulation with a naive-like Ca²⁺ flux pattern, whereas their anti-IgM response was memory-like. Peripheral antibody-secreting cells retained their IgG responsivity but showed reduced Ca²⁺ responses upon activation, indicating their loss of dependence on Ca²⁺ signaling. Ca²⁺ flux is a relevant functional test for B cells, and its alterations could provide insight into pathological B-cell activation development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into B Cell Biology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 5401 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ArtinM Cytotoxicity in B Cells Derived from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Depends on Syk and Src Family Kinases

by Bruno Rafael Barboza, Sandra Maria de Oliveira Thomaz, Airton de Carvalho Junior, Enilza Maria Espreafico, Jackson Gabriel Miyamoto, Alexandre Keiji Tashima, Maurício Frota Camacho, André Zelanis, Maria Cristina Roque-Barreira and Thiago Aparecido da Silva

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021075 - 05 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2022

Abstract

Receptors on the immune cell surface have a variety of glycans that may account for the immunomodulation induced by lectins, which have a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) that binds to monosaccharides or oligosaccharides in a specific manner. ArtinM, a D-mannose-binding lectin obtained from Artocarpus heterophyllus, has affinity for the N-glycans core. Immunomodulation by ArtinM toward the Th1 phenotype occurs via its interaction with TLR2/CD14 N-glycans on antigen-presenting cells, as well as recognition of CD3γ N-glycans on murine CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. ArtinM exerts a cytotoxic effect on Jurkat human leukemic T-cell line and human myeloid leukemia cell line (NB4). The current study evaluated the effects of ArtinM on murine and human B cells derived from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We found that murine B cells are recognized by ArtinM via the CRD, and the ArtinM stimulus did not augment the proliferation rate or production of IL-2. However, murine B cell incubation with ArtinM augmented the rate of apoptosis, and this cytotoxic effect of ArtinM was also seen in human B cell-lines sourced from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Raji cell line. This cytotoxic effect was inhibited by the phosphatase activity of CD45 on Lck, and the protein kinases of the Src family contribute to cell death triggered by ArtinM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into B Cell Biology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1552 KiB

Open AccessReview

Breg-Mediated Immunoregulation in the Skin

by Elina A. Zheremyan, Alina S. Ustiugova, Nina M. Karamushka, Aksinya N. Uvarova, Ekaterina M. Stasevich, Apollinariya V. Bogolyubova, Dmitry V. Kuprash and Kirill V. Korneev

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010583 - 02 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1254

Abstract

Wound healing is a complex process involving a coordinated series of events aimed at restoring tissue integrity and function. Regulatory B cells (Bregs) are a subset of B lymphocytes that play an essential role in fine-tuning immune responses and maintaining immune homeostasis. Recent studies have suggested that Bregs are important players in cutaneous immunity. This review summarizes the current understanding of the role of Bregs in skin immunity in health and pathology, such as diabetes, psoriasis, systemic sclerosis, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, cutaneous hypersensitivity, pemphigus, and dermatomyositis. We discuss the mechanisms by which Bregs maintain tissue homeostasis in the wound microenvironment through the promotion of angiogenesis, suppression of effector cells, and induction of regulatory immune cells. We also mention the potential clinical applications of Bregs in promoting wound healing, such as the use of adoptive Breg transfer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into B Cell Biology)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

New Insight into B Cell Biology

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI