Regulatory B cells and tolerance in transplantation: from animal models to human

Mélanie Chesneau1, Laure Michel2, Nicolas Degauque3

  • 1Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1064, Institut de Transplantation Urologie Néphrologie , Nantes , France ; Université de Nantes , Nantes , France.

Frontiers in Immunology
|January 16, 2014
PubMed

Until recently, the role of B cells in transplantation was thought to be restricted to producing antibodies that have been clearly shown to be deleterious in the long-term, but, in fact, B cells are also able to produce cytokine and to present antigen. Their role as regulatory cells in various pathological situations has also been highlighted, and their role in transplantation is beginning to emerge in animal, and also in human, models. This review summarizes the different studies in animals and humans that suggest a B-cell regulatory role in the transplant tolerance mechanisms.