Do plasma cells contribute to the determination of their lifespan?

Longevity of plasma cells is dependent on their ability to access and reside in so-called survival niches that are predominantly located in the bone marrow. It is proposed that by some process a small fraction of the plasma cells generated in response to new antigen challenges can enter into the long-lived repertoire by displacing existing plasma cells. Several lines of research show that this process is not stochastic as not all resident, long-lived plasma cells appear equally likely to be displaced. The basis of these differences might reside in the niches, the plasma cells or a combination of both factors that intersect to create a distribution of susceptibility to replacement and lifespans. In this review, I consider factors that might vary in plasma cells and thus influence their access to niches and the ability of newly generated plasma cells to survive over the long term.