Germinal centers
GD Victora, MC Nussenzweig - Annual review of immunology, 2012 - annualreviews.org
Germinal centers (GCs) were described more than 125 years ago as compartments within
secondary lymphoid organs that contained mitotic cells. Since then, it has become clear that
this structure is the site of B cell clonal expansion, somatic hypermutation, and affinity-based
selection, the combination of which results in the production of high-affinity antibodies.
Decades of anatomical and functional studies have led to an overall model of how the GC
reaction and affinity-based selection operate. More recently, the introduction of intravital …
secondary lymphoid organs that contained mitotic cells. Since then, it has become clear that
this structure is the site of B cell clonal expansion, somatic hypermutation, and affinity-based
selection, the combination of which results in the production of high-affinity antibodies.
Decades of anatomical and functional studies have led to an overall model of how the GC
reaction and affinity-based selection operate. More recently, the introduction of intravital …
