B cells

The Enigmatic IgD: A "Lockdown" Mechanism May Prevent Autoimmune Responses

The Enigmatic IgD: A “Lockdown” Mechanism May Prevent Autoimmune Responses

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IgD, one of the five antibody classes, is considered an enigmatic player in the immune response—we do not understand well what it does. IgD is present on the cell surface of “mature naive” B cells as a major component of the B cell receptor, or BCR, and is secreted in very limited amounts in the […]

Rogue B Cells: Newly Discovered Triggers of Autoimmune Diseases

Rogue B Cells: Newly Discovered Triggers of Autoimmune Diseases

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During an immune response to infectious pathogens, we generate antibodies. Antibodies first bind the pathogens, and then shuttle these pathogens to cells that can destroy them. Sometimes we develop antibodies that do not bind infectious pathogens — instead, they bind self-antigens. Self-antigens are molecules present in our own cells — the interactions of antibodies with […]