Tissue self-aggregation properties for building novel 3D in vitro models to study human T-cell–dependent B-cell immune responses
Elena Morlacchi
Tissue self-aggregation properties for building novel 3D in vitro models to study human T-cell–dependent B-cell immune responses.
Rel. Clara Mattu, Stefano Casola, Sabrina Giampaolo, Gabriele Varano. Politecnico di Torino, Corso di laurea magistrale in Ingegneria Biomedica, 2025
Abstract
The germinal center (GC) is a microanatomical structure that nucleates from B-cell follicles in secondary lymphoid organs upon encounter of a foreign antigen. Within the GC, antigen-specific B cells undergo iterative cycles of somatic hypermutation, clonal expansion, and antigen-driven selection, favoring the output of long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells expressing high-affinity antibodies. These processes rely on spatially-confined interactions between GC B cells and immune and stromal cells, including follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) and T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, delivering survival and differentiation signals to ensure the positive selection of GC B cells expressing the highest-affinity B cell receptors (BCRs).
While murine models have provided fundamental insights into the understanding of the basic principles underlying GC biology, species-specific differences and the use of model antigens limit their translational relevance for humans
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