Immune Memory

Our immune system remembers threats that it’s previously encountered, so it can react more quickly when it meets them again. White blood cells called Tfh cells are involved in this by helping another kind called B cells that produce antibodies, which tag previously known threats for destruction. But we don’t know their exact role. Researchers tracked Tfh cells in action, labelling them with a fluorescent protein that changes colour after exposure to UV light. They found that when reacting to a threat they recognise, Tfh cells (shown in red) leave the part of the lymph node where they’re normally stored – the germinal centre – (GC; green), and move to the surrounding mantle (purple) to help other cells. However, when meeting a threat for the first time, they stay put in the GC. Being able to follow these helpful cells is helping understand how they protect us from disease.

Written by Esther Redhouse White

Esther Redhouse White

Writer

A recent Biochemistry graduate from York, Esther has worked on bacterial killing proteins and genetic switches in worms. In her spare time she likes visiting museums full of skeletons.

• Image from work by Dan Suan and colleagues
• Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Australia
• Copyright Elsevier 2015
• Research published in Immunity, April 2015