Generating humoral immune memory following infection or vaccination

The production of long-lived, high-affinity antibodies forms the basis of many successful vaccination strategies. Although much is known of the proteins and pathways of the immune system that lead to the production of these antibodies, there are also many processes that remain unexplained or poorly explained. Some vaccines and infections lead to life-long protection while others elicit poor immune responses. Understanding the processes that lead to effective antibody production will allow us to recognize what aspects of the function of the immune system are subverted or compromised in the situation of ineffective vaccines and chronic persisting infection. This article will discuss the latest research into the mechanisms, pathways and proteins important for the production of long-lived humoral immunity, with a particular emphasis on the role of the germinal center, and how this research may be harnessed in the search for more effective vaccines and vaccination strategies.