Functions of double-negative B cells in autoimmune diseases, infections, and cancers
- PMID: 37272217
- PMCID: PMC10493577
- DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202217341
Functions of double-negative B cells in autoimmune diseases, infections, and cancers
Abstract
Most mature B cells can be divided into four subtypes based on the expression of the surface markers IgD and CD27: IgD+ CD27- naïve B cells, IgD+ CD27+ unswitched memory B cells, IgD- CD27+ switched memory B cells, and IgD- CD27- double-negative (DN) B cells. Despite their small population size in normal peripheral blood, DN B cells play integral roles in various diseases. For example, they generate autoimmunity in autoimmune conditions, while these cells may generate both autoimmune and antipathogenic responses in COVID-19, or act in a purely antipathogenic capacity in malaria. Recently, DN B cells have been identified in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and non-small-cell lung cancers, where they may play an immunosuppressive role. The distinct functions that DN B cells play in different diseases suggest that they are a heterogeneous B-cell population. Therefore, further study of the mechanisms underlying the involvement of DN B cells in these diseases is essential for understanding their pathogenesis and the development of therapeutic strategies. Further research is thus warranted to characterize the DN B-cell population in detail.
Keywords: COVID-19; autoimmune disease; cancer immunosuppression; double-negative B cells; tumor microenvironment.
© 2023 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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