Trends in Immunology
ReviewB regulatory cells in cancer
Section snippets
Regulatory B cells
B lymphocytes play important roles in adaptive immunity, fighting invading pathogens. Historically, the ability of B cells to differentiate into antibody secreting cells (ASCs) has been well investigated, less so their capacity to produce cytokines and the effect of these cytokines on other immune cells. In recent years, however, a distinct subset of B cells has been described that exerts significant immunoregulatory functions through the production of the immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin
B cells in cancer
Whether Bregs exist as a separate subpopulation or whether they are a transient state of a larger proportion of B cells, maybe a byproduct of B cell activation, their production of IL-10 and the ensuing immune regulation remains a well-defined characteristic. Until recently, however, Bregs have only been investigated in their role in autoimmune diseases or chronic inflammatory conditions. Nonetheless, a new wave of research is beginning to shed light on the possible roles of Bregs in cancer. A
Bregs in cancer
Despite the mounting evidence of B cells promoting tumor growth, possibly through inhibition of T cell activity, it was not until recently that Bregs were implicated in tumorigenesis. Schioppa and coworkers have described how Bregs play a role in skin carcinoma development [26]. In a model of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced skin carcinogenesis, papilloma development was reduced in Rag2−/− mice but partially rescued by adoptive transfer of B
Concluding remarks
Despite the increasing literature describing subsets of B cells that exhibit regulatory properties, their precise phenotype and characteristic markers are still the subject of debate. However, regardless of the markers used to define Bregs, their ability to secrete IL-10 is now well established [3]. In several models of inflammation, numerous publications have highlighted the impact of Breg-derived IL-10 in disease regulation and modulation of T cell and myeloid responses 6, 8, 31, as well as
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