Pathogenic Long-Lived Plasma Cells and Their Survival Niches in Autoimmunity, Malignancy, and Allergy

Long-lived plasma cells survive in a protected microenvironment for years or even a lifetime and provide humoral memory by establishing persistent Ab titers. Long-lived autoreactive, malignant, and allergen-specific plasma cells are likewise protected in their survival niche and are refractory to immunosuppression, B cell depletion, and irradiation. Their elimination remains an essential therapeutic challenge. Recent data indicate that...