Humoral immunity

Humoral immunity refers to antibody-mediated immune responses. Antibodies are produced by plasma cells and protect the host from infection in three main ways: by binding to pathogens to inhibit their toxic effects or infectivity (neutralization), by coating pathogens and facilitating their uptake and killing by phagocytes (opsonization) and by activating the complement cascade.

Featured

News & Views | 28 July 2022

PD-1 blockade unblocks immune responses to vaccination
- Katherine Kedzierska
- & Thi H. O. Nguyen
Nature Immunology 23, 1135-1137

Latest Research and Reviews

Research
12 August 2022 | Open Access

Prediction of B cell epitopes in proteins using a novel sequence similarity-based method
- Alvaro Ras-Carmona
- , Alexander A. Lehmann
- & Pedro A. Reche
Scientific Reports 12, 13739
Research
10 August 2022 | Open Access

Omicron BA.4/BA.5 escape neutralizing immunity elicited by BA.1 infection

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 raise concerns about potential immune evasion. Here, Khan et al. show that both BA.4 and BA.5 are able to escape immune response induced by prior BA.1 infection, but that this effect is less pronounced in vaccinated individuals.
- Khadija Khan
- , Farina Karim
- & Alex Sigal
Nature Communications 13, 4686
Research
09 August 2022 | Open Access

A CRISPR-based ultrasensitive assay detects attomolar concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in clinical samples

CRISPR diagnostics are routinely used for the detecting nucleic acids, but rarely for clinically important proteins. Here, by translating a CRISPR-based DNA test into an ultrasensitive assay for antibodies, the authors achieve antibody detection from serum samples at attomolar concentrations.
- Yanan Tang
- , Turun Song
- & Feng Li
Nature Communications 13, 4667
Research
08 August 2022 | Open Access

Antibody affinity and cross-variant neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3 following third mRNA vaccination

Here the authors show that a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccination significantly boosts neutralizing antibodies against Omicron subvariants and that hybrid immunity (infection and vaccination) results in broader neutralization activity and cross-reactive antibody affinity maturation.
- Lorenza Bellusci
- , Gabrielle Grubbs
- & Surender Khurana
Nature Communications 13, 4617
Research
08 August 2022 | Open Access

Lower vaccine-acquired immunity in the elderly population following two-dose BNT162b2 vaccination is alleviated by a third vaccine dose

Responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in different populations are important to define efficacy. Here the authors show using a cohort in Singapore that two doses of mRNA vaccine is less effective in recipients over 60 years of age and that a further dose of vaccine can improve these antibody levels.
- Laurent Renia
- , Yun Shan Goh
- & Lisa F. P. Ng
Nature Communications 13, 4615
Research
05 August 2022 | Open Access

Anti-COX-2 autoantibody is a novel biomarker of immune aplastic anemia
- Tiina Kelkka
- , Mikko Tyster
- & Satu Mustjoki
Leukemia, 1-11

All Research & Reviews

News and Comment

News & Views | 28 July 2022

PD-1 blockade unblocks immune responses to vaccination

Wherry and colleagues describe how anti-PD-1 immunotherapy impacts outcomes of influenza vaccination in patients with cancer, and specifically, how it increases seroconversion and affects quantitative and qualitative aspects of antibodies and follicular T helper cell responses.
- Katherine Kedzierska
- & Thi H. O. Nguyen
Nature Immunology 23, 1135-1137
News & Views | 12 July 2022

Omicron: a shift in the biology of SARS-CoV-2

The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a phenotype that has changed fundamentally compared with preceding variants. Substantial antigenic change within the spike protein and a new endocytic entry mechanism underlie the immune evasion characteristics and a coincident decrease in the virulence of this variant.

Nature Microbiology 7, 1114-1115
Research Highlights | 11 July 2022

Pan-coronavirus epitope buried in spike

A study finds a pan-coronavirus antibody that targets a conserved epitope, which is exposed during SARS-CoV-2 fusion.
- Ursula Hofer
Nature Reviews Microbiology 20, 510
News & Views | 05 July 2022

Long-term study of the human memory B cell pool reveals high stability and recurrent plasmablasts

A single-cell sequencing study shows that the human memory B cell repertoire is dominated by large IgM, IgG2 and IgA immunoglobulin families, whereas IgG1 families, including those specific for recall antigens, are of a small size. Multi-year analysis shows that memory B cell families are highly stable and that plasmablasts of T cell–independent and T cell–dependent isotypes are produced in a recurrent manner.

Nature Immunology 23, 1002-1003
Research Highlights | 29 June 2022

Neutralization susceptibility of Omicron lineages
- Kirsty Minton
Nature Reviews Immunology 22, 463
Research Highlights | 15 June 2022

Long-term control of HIV

Two recent studies highlight the potential of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies for the long-term control of HIV in the absence of antiretroviral therapy.
- Ashley York
Nature Reviews Microbiology 20, 446

All News & Comment

Humoral immunity

Featured

PD-1 blockade unblocks immune responses to vaccination

Latest Research and Reviews

Prediction of B cell epitopes in proteins using a novel sequence similarity-based method

Omicron BA.4/BA.5 escape neutralizing immunity elicited by BA.1 infection

A CRISPR-based ultrasensitive assay detects attomolar concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in clinical samples

Antibody affinity and cross-variant neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3 following third mRNA vaccination

Lower vaccine-acquired immunity in the elderly population following two-dose BNT162b2 vaccination is alleviated by a third vaccine dose

Anti-COX-2 autoantibody is a novel biomarker of immune aplastic anemia

News and Comment

PD-1 blockade unblocks immune responses to vaccination

Omicron: a shift in the biology of SARS-CoV-2

Pan-coronavirus epitope buried in spike

Long-term study of the human memory B cell pool reveals high stability and recurrent plasmablasts

Neutralization susceptibility of Omicron lineages

Long-term control of HIV

Quick links

Discover content

Publishing policies

Author & Researcher services

Libraries & institutions

Advertising & partnerships

Career development

Regional websites

Legal & Privacy

Humoral immunity

Featured

Related Subjects

Latest Research and Reviews

News and Comment

Search

Quick links