Researchers have discovered that
a subset of human antibodies have catalytic activity against a particular antigen, breaking it down into smaller and less harmful fragments instead of trapping it for removal or destruction by other immune cells.
Coleen McNamara, MD, a Professor
of Internal Medicine at the University
of Virginia, recently discovered a B cell
subset that produces natural
antibodies to protect from diet - induced atherosclerosis in mice, and she hopes to gain insights into the equivalent mechanisms in
humans.
Early Rise
of Blood T Follicular Helper Cell
Subsets and Baseline Immunity as Predictors
of Persisting Late Functional
Antibody Responses to Vaccination in
Humans Spensieri F., Siena E., Borgogni E., Zedda L., Cantisani R., Chiappini N., Schiavetti F., Rosa D., Castellino F., Montomoli E., Bodinham C.L., Lewis D.J., Medini D., Bertholet S., Del Giudice G. Plos ONE, 2016 11 (6): e0157066.