About this Research Topic
The adaptive immune system plays an important role in both viral clearance and disease pathogenesis. One of the fundamental components of the adaptive immune system is B cells, the cell type responsible for mediating the production of antigen-specific immunoglobulins directed against the virus. Neutralizing antibodies help facilitate pathogen clearance by binding to viruses and blocking their ability to bind to receptors on the host cells. Antibodies also protect against subsequent infections by marking the virus for destruction, making it easier for phagocytic cells of the innate immune system to ingest them.
Early control of virus infection and initiation of viral clearance coincide with the rapid generation of antibodies by B-cell clones during the extrafollicular response. B-cell responses in the germinal center (GC) result in the generation of plasma cells producing a diverse repertoire of high affinity antibodies to the primary virus. Memory B cells are also formed following primary infection and are important in generating an accelerated and more robust immune response in case of re-infection. Several subpopulations of memory B cells with phenotypic, transcriptional and functional differences can be identified. The generation of memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells is crucial to the long-term effectiveness of vaccines. Memory B cells and plasma cells cooperate to provide overlapping layers of protection against reinfection by the virus or related variants. Thus, understanding how these populations are induced and how to modulate their effects is essential to the design of better vaccines.
The goal of this Research Topic is to broadly understand adaptive B-cell responses to viruses and vaccines, address unanswered questions and highlight recent advances in the field with regards to mechanisms governing the antibody response and its longevity. We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini-review, and Perspective articles focusing on, but not limited to:
- Generation, function and longevity of plasma cells and memory B cells in response to infection and vaccination
- Role of plasma cells and memory B cells as correlates of protection during infection and vaccination
- Role of the GC response in establishing durable and broad immunity against viruses and vaccines
- Examining the differences in B-cell phenotype, transcriptional profile and function between viral infection and vaccination
- Characterizing the B-cell receptor repertoire during infection and vaccination
- Describing more recent assay methods and data analysis techniques to measure the B-cell immune responses elicited by infection or vaccination
- Understanding the relationship between the adaptive B-cell response in the blood and tissues
- Understanding how age, gender, race and ethnicity affect/effect the adaptive B-cell response to viruses and vaccines
Early control of virus infection and initiation of viral clearance coincide with the rapid generation of antibodies by B-cell clones during the extrafollicular response. B-cell responses in the germinal center (GC) result in the generation of plasma cells producing a diverse repertoire of high affinity antibodies to the primary virus. Memory B cells are also formed following primary infection and are important in generating an accelerated and more robust immune response in case of re-infection. Several subpopulations of memory B cells with phenotypic, transcriptional and functional differences can be identified. The generation of memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells is crucial to the long-term effectiveness of vaccines. Memory B cells and plasma cells cooperate to provide overlapping layers of protection against reinfection by the virus or related variants. Thus, understanding how these populations are induced and how to modulate their effects is essential to the design of better vaccines.
The goal of this Research Topic is to broadly understand adaptive B-cell responses to viruses and vaccines, address unanswered questions and highlight recent advances in the field with regards to mechanisms governing the antibody response and its longevity. We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini-review, and Perspective articles focusing on, but not limited to:
- Generation, function and longevity of plasma cells and memory B cells in response to infection and vaccination
- Role of plasma cells and memory B cells as correlates of protection during infection and vaccination
- Role of the GC response in establishing durable and broad immunity against viruses and vaccines
- Examining the differences in B-cell phenotype, transcriptional profile and function between viral infection and vaccination
- Characterizing the B-cell receptor repertoire during infection and vaccination
- Describing more recent assay methods and data analysis techniques to measure the B-cell immune responses elicited by infection or vaccination
- Understanding the relationship between the adaptive B-cell response in the blood and tissues
- Understanding how age, gender, race and ethnicity affect/effect the adaptive B-cell response to viruses and vaccines
Keywords: plasma cells, viral immunity, vaccination, germinal centers, B cells, memory B-cell response
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
