Centros Germinativos brilham na Science

Gabriel Victora, ex-colaborador aqui no SBlogI e pesquisador no Whitehead Institute/MIT, acaba de publicar um artigo científico na Science.

As imagens são lindas - uma verdadeira obra de arte. Segue abaixo o resumo.

T Follicular Helper Cell Dynamics in Germinal Centers
 
T follicular helper cells (TFH) are a specialized subset of effector T cells that provide help to and thereby select high-affinity B cells in germinal centers (GCs). To examine the dynamic behavior of TFH cells in GCs in mice, we combined two-photon microscopy and optical highlighting using a photoactivatable fluorescent reporter. Unlike GC B cells, which are clonally restricted, TFH distributed among all GCs in lymph nodes and continually emigrated into the follicle and neighboring GCs. Moreover, newly activated TFH cells invaded pre-existing GCs, where they contributed to B cell selection and plasmablast differentiation. Our data suggest that dynamic exchange of TFH between GCs ensures maximal diversification of T cell help, and their ability to enter ongoing GCs accommodates antigenic variation during the immune response.