Free Republic

A study conducted by researchers has uncovered a pivotal role of asparagine metabolism in regulating B cell homeostasis and immune response. Germinal center (GC) B cells are responsible for producing antibodies. The cells have some of the highest proliferation rates of all mammalian cells, yet their metabolism is unusual and incompletely understood, so a team from the Kennedy Institute and collaborators set out to understand more. The findings identify the non-essential amino acid asparagine as a critical regulator of germinal center (GC) B cell function, structures critical for refining antibodies to target infections effectively. "When asparagine is scarce, B cells...