![Extending Plasma Cells' Lifespan]()
Following infection or vaccination, long-lived antibody secreting cells (LLASCs) are chiefly responsible for producing the antibodies that combat infections. However, protein-based vaccines poorly induce LLASCs, and multiple boosters are often needed to generate sufficient numbers of antibodies. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has awarded David Fooksman, Ph.D., a five-year, $2.3 million grant to investigate how greater numbers of vaccine-induced antibodies can be produced. Dr. Fooksman recently found that, after vaccination, expression of the cell-surface receptor CD138 promotes potent antibody responses by giving antibody-producing LLASCs a survival advantage over new ASCs. He will explore ways to increase CD138 expression to enhance the survival of LLASs after vaccination. Dr. Fooksman is an assistant professor of pathology and of microbiology & immunology at Einstein. (3R01HL141491-01S1)
Posted on: Friday, February 01, 2019