Role of B Cells in Immune Tolerance

B cells are well known for their roles in antibody production, antigen presentation, modeling of the spleen architecture, and Th1/Th2 polarization of T cells. There is increasing evidence that some specific strains of B cells can also act as negative regulators and affect the development of graft tolerance. In certain experimental and clinical models, B-cell depletion has produced a time-dependent negative effect on the course of graft tolerance. In this article, we have discussed the implications of recent research on B-cell depletion therapy in transplantation.