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Differentiation of memory B cells into plasma cells is far faster than differentiation by naïve B cells, which allows memory B cells to produce a more efficient secondary immune response. [4] The efficiency and accumulation of the memory B cell response is the foundation for vaccines and booster shots.
Unlike the naive B cells involved in the primary immune response the memory B cell response is slightly different. The memory B cell has already undergone clonal expansion, differentiation and affinity maturation, so it is able to divide multiple times faster and produce antibodies with much higher affinity (especially IgG). [1]
B cell activation: from immature B cell to plasma cell or memory B cell Basic B cell function: bind to an antigen, receive help from a cognate helper T cell, and differentiate into a plasma cell that secretes large numbers of antibodies. B cell activation occurs in the secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs), such as the spleen and lymph nodes. [1]
When B cells and T cells are activated and begin to replicate, some of their offspring become long-lived memory cells. Throughout the lifetime of an animal, these memory cells remember each specific pathogen encountered and can mount a strong response if the pathogen is detected again.
These daughter cells either become plasma cells or memory cells. The memory B cells remain inactive here; later, when these memory B cells encounter the same antigen due to reinfection, they divide and form plasma cells. On the other hand, the plasma cells produce a large number of antibodies which are released freely into the circulatory system.
The GC B cells that differentiate into memory B cells are distinct from plasma cell precursors, as they show lower affinity for the antigen [3] [6] and do not need much help from T follicular helper cells. Because of this, many scientists believe that memory B cell precursors are B cells from the light zone that were "non-positively selected."
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Developed cells eventually die, but may not be replaced by new subtypes. [1] Exposure to diseases triggers further development of the immune repertoire, and thus fine-tunes the immune response. Memory B cells and memory T cells ensure the persistence of the immune repertoire after a disease has passed.