Age-Associated B Cells

作者：Michael P. Cancro · 发表于：Annual Review of Immunology · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1146/annurev-immunol-092419-031130 · 被引用次数：469 · 研究领域：T-cell and B-cell Immunology、Immune Cell Function and Interaction、Immunotherapy and Immune Responses

The age-associated B cell subset has been the focus of increasing interest over the last decade. These cells have a unique cell surface phenotype and transcriptional signature, and they rely on TLR7 or TLR9 signals in the context of Th1 cytokines for their formation and activation. Most are antigen-experienced memory B cells that arise during responses to microbial infections and are key to pathogen clearance and control. Their increasing prevalence with age contributes to several well-established features of immunosenescence, including reduced B cell genesis and damped immune responses. In addition, they are elevated in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, and in these settings they are enriched for characteristic autoantibody specificities. Together, these features identify age-associated B cells as a subset with pivotal roles in immunological health, disease, and aging. Accordingly, a detailed understanding of their origins, functions, and physiology should make them tractable translational targets in each of these settings.