Research

The germinal center response

Protection from harmful microbes depends on the generation of pathogen-specific antibodies that can bind effectively pathogens and neutralize their activity. High-affinity antibodies originate from germinal centers, microanatomical sites that form within lymphoid organs in response to microbe invasion and vaccination. Naive B cells that carry an antibody on their surface circulate through the blood circulation and lymph nodes until they encounter a cognate antigen which triggers their activation and proliferation.

Antibody-mediated Immune Response in Cancer Patients

The function of lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and their potential for reactivation for tumor cell eradication by immune checkpoint blockades have been intensively studied. Positive correlations between tertiary lymphocyte structures (TLS), the presence of B cells, and germinal centers (GCs) in tumors underscore their significance in patient survival and effective immunotherapy responses across various cancer types. Furthermore, while adaptive immune responses initiate in lymphoid organs, the contribution of tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) and the role of GCs in anti-tumor immunity remain less explored.

Antibody-mediated Immune Response In Mucosal Surfaces

We study how antibody-forming cells entry respond to antigen delivered through the gut and air-way mucosa. As opposed to conventional vaccinations such as intra-dermal or intra-muscular, very little is known about the selection of B cells for germinal entry and affinity maturation in the intestinal and respiratory tract.