Study Notes

Short study notes on B-cell immunology. Start with the quick-revision summary, then work through the topics below.

The germinal centre and affinity maturation

• Centroblasts vs. Centrocytes: Understanding the Germinal Center Cycle
  Compare centroblasts and centrocytes, the two key B cell populations of the germinal center, and understand how their interplay drives antibody affinity maturation.
• Affinity Maturation: How B Cells Learn to Bind Tighter
  Explore the molecular process of affinity maturation in germinal centers, how iterative cycles of somatic hypermutation and selection produce antibodies with dramatically improved binding affinity.

Lymphoma, helpers and memory

• B Cell Lymphomas: When Germinal Center Biology Goes Wrong
  Learn how dysregulation of germinal center B cell biology leads to diffuse large B cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma, and how understanding centroblast biology guides treatment.
• Follicular Helper T Cells: The Architects of Germinal Center Quality
  Explore the critical role of follicular helper T cells (Tfh) in germinal center reactions, how they select high-affinity B cells, regulate the response magnitude, and influence vaccine outcomes.
• Immunological Memory: How the Body Remembers Past Infections
  Understand the cellular and molecular basis of immunological memory, how germinal centers generate memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells that protect us for years after infection or vaccination.

Centroblasts, BCL6 and Tfh cells

• Understanding Centroblasts: Key Players in Adaptive Immunity
  A comprehensive guide to centroblasts—the rapidly dividing B cells of the germinal center dark zone—and their essential role in adaptive immunity.
• BCL6: The Master Regulator of Germinal Center Reactions
  An exploration of BCL6's role as the master transcription factor controlling germinal center B cell identity, proliferation, and differentiation.
• Follicular Helper T Cells: Essential Partners of Centroblasts
  How follicular helper T cells (Tfh cells) cooperate with centroblasts to drive effective antibody responses and germinal center quality control.

Immune responses, marginal zone B cells and therapy

• Primary vs. Secondary Immune Responses: The B Cell Perspective
  A comparison of primary and secondary B cell immune responses, explaining the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind immunological memory and vaccine protection.
• Marginal Zone B Cells: Rapid Responders to Bacterial Pathogens
  Understanding marginal zone B cells—how they differ from follicular B cells, what pathogens they defend against, and why they matter for clinical medicine.
• Rituximab and Anti-CD20 Therapy: Mechanism, Uses, and Resistance
  A comprehensive guide to rituximab and the expanding class of anti-CD20 antibodies, their mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and mechanisms of resistance.