Compartments and Connections Within the Germinal Center

Protective high affinity antibody responses emerge through an orchestrated developmental process that occurs in germinal centers (GCs). While GCs have been appreciated since 1930, a wealth of recent progress provides new insights into the molecular and cellular dynamics governing humoral immunity. In this review, we highlight advances that demonstrate that fundamental GC B cell function, selection, proliferation and SHM occur within distinct cell states. The resulting new model provides new opportunities to understand the evolution of immunity in infectious, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases.

Automated summary

Recent advancements have shed new light on the coordinated development of high affinity antibody responses through germinal centers (GCs), highlighting the importance of distinct cell states in GC B cell function, selection, proliferation, and somatic hypermutation (SHM). This new model presents opportunities for understanding the evolution of immunity in infectious, autoimmune, and neoplastic diseases.