Decoding B cell receptors in autoimmune diseases

Numerous autoimmune diseases are characterised by the presence of autoantibodies, some of which help in diagnosis, others of which contribute to pathogenesis. In many of these diseases, B cell targeted therapies are of benefit. This has led to intensive exploration of B cell subset and mechanisms of B cell activation, yet studies of B cell repertoire in health and disease are still in their infancy. In this issue of the journal, Ota et al report on B cell receptor (BCR) heavy chain sequences from 595 donors, from individuals with autoimmune diseases and healthy donors.1 The BCR sequences were mapped from bulk RNA-sequencing data of isolated B cell subsets. The mechanisms that lead to the generation of a productive heavy chain and light chain in each B cell allow a limited amount of DNA to yield an estimated 1018 different antibodies.2 3 This inherent...
Source: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases - Category: Rheumatology Authors: Tags: ARD Editorials Source Type: research