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SUMMARY:“Memory output from the Germinal Centre. A second level of selec
 tion?” - Prof Kai-Michael Toellner\, Babraham Institute\, Cambridge
DTSTART:20241121T160000Z
DTEND:20241121T170000Z
UID:TALK220999@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ruth Paton
DESCRIPTION:This Cambridge Immunology and Medicine Seminar will take place
  on Thursday 21 November 2024\, starting at 4:00pm\, in the Ground Floor L
 ecture Theatre\, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre (JCBC)\n\nSpeaker: Prof K
 ai-Michael Toellner\, Babraham Institute\, Cambridge\n\nTitle: “Memory o
 utput from the Germinal Centre. A second level of selection?”\n\nAbstrac
 t: Germinal centres are areas in lymphoid tissues where B cells affinity m
 ature the genes coding for B cell receptors and antibody. This happens thr
 ough a process of several iterations of B cell immunoglobulin gene hypermu
 tation and selection that basically represents Darwinian evolution on a ce
 llular level and\, over several weeks\, leads to a slow increase of antibo
 dy affinity. Higher affinity variants of B cells are selected for continue
 d affinity maturation or to differentiate into antibody producing plasma c
 ells. Germinal centres also produce memory B cells\, and these are less st
 ringently selected for affinity to antigen.\n\nWe followed the migration o
 f memory B cells leaving germinal centre in lymph nodes and found that the
 y interact with macrophages in the subcapsular sinus (SCS) of lymph nodes.
  The SCS is also the site of antigen entry into lymph nodes. I will show d
 ata that indicate that here memory B cells may undergo a further selection
  step. This can lead to recycling of memory B cells back into the germinal
  centre. The process may be important to sense variants of antigens arrivi
 ng in the lymph node and trigger affinity maturation to antigenic variatio
 n.\n\n\nHost: Georg Petkau\, Babraham Institute\, Cambridge\n\nRefreshment
 s will be available following the Seminar.\n\n
LOCATION: Lecture Theatre\, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre\, Cambridge Bi
 omedical Campus
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