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Updated: Aug 3, 2026

Detection and Enrichment of Rare Antigen-specific B Cells for Analysis of Phenotype and Function
Published on: February 16, 2017
Triple check for antigen specificity of B cells during germinal centre reactions
E Lindhout1, G Koopman, S T Pals
1Dept of Cell Biology and Histology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. C.degroot@amc.uva.nl
Abstract:
Somatic hypermutation of the immunoglobulin variable genes during germinal reactions might permit the expansion of B-cell clones with unwanted (e.g. autoreactive) specificity. Here, Ernst Lindhout and colleagues propose three antigen-specific checkpoints that ensure the appropriate antigen specificity of activated B cells is maintained by regulating the activation, selection and further differentiation of B cells.
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