Shelby Bradford in The Scientist:
When a pathogen or other antigen activates a B cell, the cell begins proliferating and producing antibodies. Once the immune response resolves, most of the B cells die off, but some migrate to the bone marrow to persist as long-lived antibody secreting plasma cells. While researchers knew that this process occurred, studying the cellular and molecular interactions in human bone marrow is difficult because of the inability to easily see the niche within the bone. Although animal and two-dimensional cell culture models have provided some insights, scientists sought to explore a more realistic human bone marrow niche.1,2
To do this, researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and Vanderbilt University developed a human bone marrow-on-a-chip (BMOC) platform that recreated the cellular niches of this site.3 In a study published in Science Advances, the team used this system to explore the migration and localization of plasma cells in the human bone marrow.4 They showed that, while these cells remain in the bone marrow after migration, they continue to move within the niche. Additionally, the team identified important signals for the proper localization and retention of antibody secreting cells to the bone marrow, revealing the details of how these long-lived cells are maintained. This platform could help scientists better understand long-term immunity and the factors that influence certain diseases related to the bone marrow.
More here.
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