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Publications [#89945] of Thomas B Kepler

Papers Published

  1. TB Kepler, AS Perelson, Cyclic re-entry of germinal center B cells and the efficiency of affinity maturation., Immunology today, ENGLAND, vol. 14 no. 8 (August, 1993), pp. 412-5, ISSN 0167-5699
    (last updated on 2006/02/08)

    Abstract:
    Affinity maturation of the humoral immune response by somatic hypermutation is marked by a rapid and dramatic increase in affinity for the eliciting antigen. We suggest that the optimal mutation schedule is one in which periods of rapid mutation alternate with periods of mutation-free growth. The multicompartmental structure of the germinal center, together with re-entry of positively selected B cells back into the germinal center, will naturally implement such a schedule, thereby providing an anatomical basis for the efficiency of the germinal center reaction.

    Keywords:
    B-Lymphocytes • Germ Cells • Immunoglobulin Variable Region • Mathematics • Mutation • genetics* • immunology*