The body’s ability to produce protective antibodies depends on plasma cells, which usually develop from B cells that undergo a selection process to improve their ability to recognize threats. This process, which takes place in structures called germinal centers, favors B cells with high-affinity receptors – receptors that have a strong attraction or binding strength. While it was once thought that only these high-affinity cells could become plasma cells, recent studies have shown that even low-affinity B cells undergo plasma cell differentiation.
Dr. Andrew MacLean’s research offers a potential explanation: high-affinity PCs may not be selected more frequently, but instead expand more rapidly through a process of “proliferative bursting.” His current project builds on that initial finding, to discover the molecular signals that guide how newly formed plasma cells develop and multiply, helping us better understand how the body produces strong and effective antibody responses. “An understanding of the factors that regulate this developmental state may inform one of the early cellular risk stages in cancers such as multiple myeloma,” he explains. Dr. MacLean’s training has provided him with a strong background in molecular and cellular immunology. During his doctoral studies at the University of Oxford, he used live lung imaging to track memory B cells during influenza infection. His work revealed how memory cells migrate and differentiate into plasma cells at sites of re-infection. Now as a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. MacLean is investigating how B cells undergo affinity-based selection and plasma cell maturation, uncovering fundamental principles that govern antibody strength and longevity.
Sponsor
Michel Nussenzweig, MD, PhD
Research Focus
Multiple myeloma, antibody responses, B cells
Projects and Grants
Elucidating the mechanisms of post-export plasma cell affinity maturation
