Other terms
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Baseline
- Benign Tumor
- Bias
- Biologic
- Biologic License Application
- Biologic Response Modifiers (BRMs)
- Biomarker
- Biomarker-Driven Randomization to Target Subjects
- Biomarker-Driven Therapies
- Biosimilars
- Birthmark
B-lymphocytes
What are B-Lymphocytes? B-lymphocytes, or B-cells, are white blood cells that regulate the humoral response of the adaptive immune system.
How do B-Lymphocytes Function?
Naïve B-cells released from the bone marrow undergo further development while traveling to the spleen and lymph nodes. Once at these secondary lymph organs, the B-lymphocytes are activated through binding the binding of their cell surface antibodies to antigens. The activation may occur with the assistance of T-helper cells (T-cell dependent), during which B-cells present the antigen to the T cell, or may be T-cell independent activation.
In response, the B-cells can differentiate into:
- Plasma cells that produce specific antibodies against the target antigen
- Memory-B cells that are stored by the body for a quicker response in case it ever encounters the same antigen in the future.
Applications of B-lymphocyte Function in Immunotherapy
There is an increasing interest in the potential to use B-lymphocytes in cancer immunotherapy because of its following characteristics:
- Antibody production
- Antigen presentation
- Ability to infiltrate tumors
- Secretion of cytokines and granzyme B
Source: Stoycheva, D., Simsek, H., Weber, W., Hauser, A. E., & Klotzsch, E. (2021, October). External cues to drive B cell function towards immunotherapy. Acta Biomaterialia, 133, 222–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2021.02.026
