B cell

Immunoglobulin genes might have evolved much earlier than previously expected, perhaps even in the common ancestor of Cnidarians and Bilateria, a study suggests.

Compared to mice who got the doses in separate limbs, animals receiving flu shots in the same paw for both a first and second dose had better-trained memory B cells that bound tighter to the vaccine antigen.

A study reveals a connection between the loss of enzymes responsible for removing methyl groups from DNA, nucleic acid knots, and cancer development in mice.

More than a dozen vaccines for tuberculosis are currently being tested in clinical trials. Some use whole bacteria as BCG does, while others deliver protein subunits or genetic material carried by viral vectors.  

This month marks the 100-year anniversary of BCG, still the only approved vaccine against the lethal pathogen. But there are new vaccines for this wily foe on the horizon.

In the armpit lymph nodes of people who had received the mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, researchers found germinal centers needed to generate long-lived antibody-making cells.

Death rates among blood cancer patients who contract COVID-19 are higher than for those with other cancers, pointing to impaired immunity that makes it hard to overcome the virus.

Half a year after infection, people who had recovered from COVID-19 had robust antibodies, along with traces of the virus in their gut, which may drive long-lasting immunity.

Outcomes in COVID-19 patients may be better in those recently infected with endemic coronaviruses. 

An absence of germinal centers—which arise during infections to produce long-lived antibody-generating cells—might explain rapidly waning antibody levels in the disease.

A B-cell receptor critical for the production of a subset of intestinal antibodies has been pinpointed, but the function of those antibodies remains unclear.

Scientists are examining the role of T cells, which are likely crucial for long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2.

Studies are underway to test whether giving a shot of BCG vaccine could protect doctors and nurses against COVID-19.