Making Memory

Our ability to respond to infections is anchored in a variety of immune cells, including T cells (here dyed blue) and B cells (dyed red, green and white) that look out for invaders. B cells make special proteins – immunoglobulins – that can recognise and bind foreign particles on invaders such as viruses, bacteria, pollen and even food. The reaction allows B cells to ‘remember’ such visitors. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays a role in asthma and allergies, when our body mounts a response to innocuous visitors. IgE also helps fight worm infections, although little is known about how it is produced. Scientists looked at the lymph nodes of worm-infected mice, where these cells are made. Here they identify B cells making IgE (green) as those able to remember the disease-causing worm on the event of its return. Understanding immunological memory will help scientists develop better vaccines and treatments.

Written by Gwen Wathne

Gwen Wathne

Writer

As a PhD student at Edinburgh University’s Roslin Institute, Gwen is investigating the role of the immune system in a disease called scrapie. She has previously written for the Edinburgh University science magazine, EUSci.

• Lawren Wu
• Dept. of Immunology, Genentech, USA
• Reprinted by permission from Macmillan Publishers Ltd: Nature Immunology Copyright 2012
• Published in Nature Immunology