Using Ex Vivo Tonsil Organoids to Study Memory B Cells

Methods Mol Biol. 2024:2826:3-13. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3950-4_1.

Abstract

Tools to study memory B cell (MBC) development and function are needed to understand their role in supporting sustained protection against recurrent infections. While human MBCs are traditionally measured using blood, there is a growing interest in elucidating their behavior within lymphoid tissues, which are the main sites where adaptive immune responses are orchestrated. In this chapter, we introduce a high-throughput organoid system that is derived from primary human lymphoid tissues. The approach can recapitulate many hallmarks of successful adaptive immune responses and capture inter-individual variation in response to a variety of stimuli. Lymphoid tissue organoids enable characterization of pre-existing antigen-specific MBCs within an entirely human system and can provide valuable insights into MBC dynamics.

Keywords: Antigen-specific B cells; Human immunology; Immune organoids; Lymphoid tissue; Vaccine response.

MeSH terms

  • B-Lymphocytes* / cytology
  • B-Lymphocytes* / immunology
  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Organoids* / cytology
  • Organoids* / immunology
  • Palatine Tonsil* / cytology
  • Palatine Tonsil* / immunology