Molecular mechanisms of B Lymphocyte differentiation and activation

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

The B cell is a crucial component of the normal immune system, however its dysregulation can lead to certain types of leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Further understanding of the molecular regulation of B cell differentiation (specialisation) is important for progress in vaccine design and for the development of therapies to treat autoimmunity and B cell malignancies. The importance of a regulatory network of transcription factors (proteins which bind to DNA to transfer information into RNA) controlling B cell identity and differentiation is well established. However, important mechanistic gaps in our knowledge remain. In particular, the relative role of post-transcriptional (post-RNA production) control in the regulation of B cell differentiation remains unclear. We have limited knowledge of the signalling mechanisms that drive naive B cells to become germinal centre (GC) B cells and the signals that promote differentiation of GC B cells into the alternative cell fates of memory versus plasma cells. Post-transcriptional control could impart both speed and sensitivity to these processes. This project seeks to understand how B cell differentiation is regulated and to understand the importance of post-transcriptional control in that process.

unavailable