The Physiology of B Cells as Studied with Tumor Models

B-cell tumors have been extraordinary sources of information about antibodies, their genes, and the cells that express them. An important principle that has emerged from the study of lymphoid tumors is that the long-held view that malignant lymphoid cells are "frozen" at a fixed point in d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of immunology 1986-01, Vol.4 (1), p.621-649
Main Authors: Hanley-Hyde, J M, Lynch, R G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antigens, Surface
Applied sciences
B-Lymphocytes - cytology
B-Lymphocytes - immunology
Cell Differentiation
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
Exact sciences and technology
Gene Expression Regulation
Humans
Immunoglobulin Idiotypes
Immunoglobulins - biosynthesis
Immunoglobulins - genetics
Leukemia, Experimental - immunology
Lymphoma - immunology
Mice
Neoplasms, Experimental - genetics
Neoplasms, Experimental - immunology
Neoplasms, Experimental - pathology
Other techniques and industries
Plasmacytoma - immunology
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Summary:B-cell tumors have been extraordinary sources of information about antibodies, their genes, and the cells that express them. An important principle that has emerged from the study of lymphoid tumors is that the long-held view that malignant lymphoid cells are "frozen" at a fixed point in differentiation is not generally valid. Presentation of immunoregulatory signals to transformed B cells can profoundly influence their proliferation, morphology, differentiation, gene expression, and immunoglobulin synthesis. In addition to their responsiveness to immunoregulatory signals, some tumors of B lineage elaborate immunoregulatory signals. Until quite recently B-cell tumors were used primarily as monoclonal sources of molecules of immunological interest. While they continue to be important sources of receptors, growth and differentiation factors, differentiation antigens, and immunoregulatory factors, they are being used with increasing frequency to define the molecular events that occur in B cells subsequent to receipt of an immunoregulatory signal. While the use of tumor cells as models of normal cells is often viewed with some skepticism, it is difficult to find examples wherein tumors have been misleading. Quite to the contrary, B-cell tumors have regularly provided powerful tools for dissecting the molecular events that underlie B-cell development, function, and regulation.
ISSN:0732-0582
1545-3278
DOI:10.1146/annurev.iy.04.040186.003201