How self-reactive immune cells are allowed to develop
(PHYSorg.com Medicine & Health)

Directly after birth, the immune system completes production of a subtype of antibody-producing immune cells, B-1, that are to last for a lifetime. No more B1 cells are formed after that point. However, these cells are self-reactive-they produce not only antibodies against foreign substances, but also against the body`s own substances, and it is unclear why the immune system allows for the development of these particular cells. Now, a research team at Lund University in Sweden has found the mechanism that controls the growth of B1 cells in mice. The findings, which may lead to a deeper understanding of certain forms of cancer and autoimmune diseases, was recently published in the journal Science Immunology.