Clonal redemption of B cells in cancer

Front Immunol. 2023 Oct 26:14:1277597. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1277597. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Potentially self-reactive B cells constitute a large portion of the peripheral B cell repertoire in both mice and humans. Maintenance of autoreactive B cell populations could conceivably be detrimental to the host but their conservation throughout evolution suggests performance of a critical and beneficial immune function. We discuss herein how the process of clonal redemption may provide insight to preservation of an autoreactive B cell pool in the context of infection and autoimmunity. Clonal redemption refers to additional recombination or hypermutation events decreasing affinity for self-antigen, while increasing affinity for foreign antigens. We then review findings in murine models and human patients to consider whether clonal redemption may be able to provide tumor antigen-specific B cells and how this may or may not predispose patients to autoimmunity.

Keywords: anergic B cells; atypical memory B cell; autoimmunity; cancer; clonal redemption; polyreactive antibodies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autoantibodies*
  • Autoantigens
  • Autoimmunity
  • B-Lymphocytes
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Neoplasms*

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Autoantigens

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA Training Program, the UCLA Molecular Biology Institute, and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.