Germinal-Center-like B Cells (iGCBs) Induction Set

The Germinal-Centre-like B cells (iGCB) Induction SET is a new and simple in vitro method based on a study of Dr. David Priest and Prof. James Wing (University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan) to convert human naïve B cells into induced Germinal Center B cells (iGCB). The obtained iGCB cells have a phenotype comparable to bona fide GCB cells that recapitulate the full range of GC proteins, transcriptional signatures and somatic hypermutation (SHM). The described method consists of sequential stimulation in the presence of recombinant multimeric human CD40L from AdipoGen Life Sciences, with first stimulation by IL-4 followed by addition of IL-21.

This economic starter set contains the three key cytokines to perform the induction of iGCBs. The set provides enough proteins to induce GCBs (iGCBs) in 6 x 96 well plates, considering that 50-100K naïve B cells are seeded in one well in 200µl medium.

Germinal centers (GCs) are responsible for generating high-affinity, long-lived B cell responses, which are fundamental for effective protective immune responses and vaccine efficacy. GCs are microanatomical structures formed within secondary lymphoid organs in response to immunogenic stimuli. GCs generate long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs) and memory B cells. Germinal centers are organized into a light zone (LZ) and dark zone (DZ), where B cells undergo selection and proliferation cycles. During antibody responses, germinal centers act as a key site for somatic hypermutation (SHM) and affinity maturation of B cells. Their lymphoid tissue localization has made experimental manipulation of human germinal center B (GCB) cells difficult.