Germinal Centre-like B Cells in Inflamed Tissues (23*)

• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 215346292

In inflammatory diseases, B cells are frequently found in inflamed non-lymphoid tissues where they substantially contribute to tissue destruction by production of antibodies and pro-inflammatory chemokines. Project 23 has developed, in preliminary work, a murine airway inflammation model which allows to track and analyze antigen-specific B and T cells simultaneously in lung-draining lymph node and inflamed lung tissue. In the inflamed lung, two novel B cell populations of either Bcl-6+ germinal centre-like or T-bet+ CXCR3+ inflammatory B cells located outside ectopic lymphoid tissue were identified. In this project, the phenotype and function of tissue-infiltrating B cells in comparison to classical germinal centre B cells in secondary lymphoid organs will be further characterised.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 130: B Cells: Immunity and Autoimmunity
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Andreas Hutloff