Danger Dust

B-cells are immune cells that make antibodies, the proteins that grab onto foreign invaders and mark them for destruction. B-cells are born in the bone marrow and then spread throughout the body, gaining experience against viruses, bacteria and other bad actors as they go. When a piece of an invader is presented to a B-cell, the B-cell copies it and then manufactures antibodies to combat it.

But sometimes B-cells get confused, and begin making antibodies against friendly cells in the body instead. This can cause autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis or lupus. B-cells can also be involved in cancers such as lymphoma.

Certain treatments for lymphoma, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and other B-cell diseases try to deplete the body of the B-cells doing the damage. For some people, these treatments can be very effective. But not for all people; sometimes the treatments worsen the disease. And sometimes the treatments work for a little while, but when stopped, symptoms flare up again.

The researchers are now looking to find partners who study multiple sclerosis animal models, or other autoimmune disease models in animals, to test whether blocking Ubxn3b would truly be therapeutic. They also plan on developing a detailed molecular mechanism explaining how the gene regulates B-cell survival.

UBXN3B is crucial for B lymphopoiesis

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(24)00284-6/fulltext