Phenotype and function of IgE+ B cells in human bone marrow
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating phenotype and function of human bone marrow IgE+ B cells in allergic diseases
IRAS ID
130093
Contact name
Hannah Gould
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Research summary
Allergic diseases, such as asthma and food allergies, affect a large proportion of the populations and cause significant social-economic burdens on healthcare as well as sufferers. B cells that produce IgE antibodies are often involved in allergic diseases. IgE-producing B cells are present in the healthy individual at an extremely low frequency but can be seen at a higher level in the peripheral blood and local respiratory tissues in allergic patients. Although IgE+ B cells can be produced locally in the respiratory tissues in respond to allergens, they often disappear some time after allergic reactions. It remains unclear whether these IgE+ B cells cannot survive in these tissues or they migrate to the bone marrow where other types of B (IgA+, IgG+, IgM+) cells are sustained. Although it has also been reported that IgE+ B cells can be found in the murine bone marrow, to our knowledge no investigations have been carried out in humans due to difficult access of human bone marrow. In order to better understand whether IgE+ B cells use the bone marrow as a site for survival and their roles in allergy, we wish to phenotypically characterise B cells in the bone marrow and look for B cells that can, or have the potential to, produce IgE antibodies. We will compare these IgE+ B cells between allergic and non-allergic individuals at the genetic (e.g. B cell specific gene expression) and cellular (e.g. cell surface marker expression and allergen-binding)levels.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1132
Date of REC Opinion
3 Oct 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion