Dynamic organization of the bone marrow plasma cell niche. (12th February 2022) - Aaron, Tonya S.
Abstract : Prophylactic, serological memory relies on maintaining stable reservoirs of plasma cells, capable of constitutively‐secreting high‐affinity, anti‐pathogen antibody for a lifetime. Although antibody titers generated by some vaccines (e.g. measles) can last a lifetime, other vaccinations (e.g. tetanus) need repeated boosting because long‐lived plasma cells are not produced or maintained. Moreover, in old age, the ability to generate long‐lived humoral responses diminishes. Despite their importance to health, it is unknown how long‐lived plasma cells survive over years, whereas most antibody secreting cells die off within weeks after vaccination. In this review, we focus on how known factors regulate the longevity of plasma cell fitness and survival, and how that landscape is shaped by environmental influences, such as inflammation, infection and aging. In addition, we highlight newly discovered cellular dynamics in the bone marrow that may reframe the mechanisms supporting long‐lived plasma cell survival and function. Abstract : Bone marrow plasma cells are more dynamic than had previously been assumed; they have been found to migrate and cluster, in addition to their ability to re‐circulate. In this review, we discuss the factors that control these behaviors, as well as their implications for long lived humoral immunity.