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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Development and Assessment of Intracellular Infection Models for Staphylococcus aureus
Published on: January 17, 2025
Confounding B-cell defences: lessons from a staphylococcal superantigen
Gregg J Silverman1, Carl S Goodyear
1Rheumatic Disease Core Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0663, USA. gsilverman@ucsd.edu
Abstract:
Studies of microbial superantigens that target large clonal sets of B cells through conserved antigen-receptor-variable-region sites are providing new insights into the mechanisms of B-cell activation-induced cell death. These investigations have shown differences between the clonal regulation of follicular B cells (B2 cells) and the innate-like marginal-zone B cells and B1 cells, and have also shown how B-cell superantigens can affect specialized host defences against infection. Agents designed to emulate the properties of B-cell superantigens might also provide new approaches for the treatment of B-cell-mediated autoimmune and neoplastic diseases.
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