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Immune Memory
20 May 2015

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

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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