Researchers found that a process called VH-replacement helps repair antibody heavy chains that cannot properly pair with light chains. Rather than discarding these faulty-but-potentially-useful heavy chains, the immune system can edit them so they become functional and allow B cell development to continue.
This discovery helps answer a long-standing question about antibody quality control during B cell development. It may be highly significant because VH-replacement could influence the formation of up to half of all antibodies produced by the immune system.
The findings also have possible relevance to ageing. As people get older, antibody diversity tends to decline, making them more vulnerable to infection. The stage of B cell development where VH-replacement occurs is known to change with age, raising the possibility that this mechanism may contribute to the reduced antibody repertoire seen in older people.
Credit: The Babraham Institute