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Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Generation of Lymph Node-fat Pad Chimeras for the Study of Lymph Node Stromal Cell Origin
Published on: December 16, 2013
Inflammation-induced formation of fat-associated lymphoid clusters
Cécile Bénézech1, Nguyet-Thin Luu1, Jennifer A Walker2
1School of Immunity and Infection, IBR-MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
None:
Fat-associated lymphoid clusters (FALCs) are a type of lymphoid tissue associated with visceral fat. Here we found that the distribution of FALCs was heterogeneous, with the pericardium containing large numbers of these clusters. FALCs contributed to the retention of B-1 cells in the peritoneal cavity through high expression of the chemokine CXCL13, and they supported B cell proliferation and germinal center differentiation during peritoneal immunological challenges. FALC formation was induced by inflammation, which triggered the recruitment of myeloid cells that expressed tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) necessary for signaling via the TNF receptors in stromal cells. Natural killer T cells (NKT cells) restricted by the antigen-presenting molecule CD1d were likewise required for the inducible formation of FALCs. Thus, FALCs supported and coordinated the activation of innate B cells and T cells during serosal immune responses.
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