# Characterization of virus-specific human B cell subsets in lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $444,936

## Abstract

Project 2: Characterization of Virus-Specific Human B Cell Subsets in Lymphoid and Non-Lymphoid
Tissues
Project Summary
Antibodies against influenza virus protect against infection and reduce morbidity and mortality. As a result,
vaccines against influenza are designed to elicit antibodies against circulating strains of virus. Given that
antibodies are made by B cells, it makes sense to characterize influenza-specific B cells in order to determine
how they are selected, how they function and where they are maintained. However, most studies of influenza-
specific B cells in humans are limited to B cells from peripheral blood, rather than those in lymphoid organs or
the lung. Moreover, most studies characterize influenza-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASCs), which
circulate for a short period after infection or vaccination. Consequently, we have minimal understanding of
influenza-specific memory B cells or ASCs in human tissues. Thus, there is an urgent need to characterize the
phenotypes and functions of influenza-specific B cells in human lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. Given this
gap in knowledge, we are proposing experiments that will use “B cell tetramers” to identify influenza-specific B
cells responding to hemagglutinin (HA), nucleoprotein (NP) and non-structural-1 (NS1) proteins of influenza
virus in blood, lymphoid tissues, lung and visceral adipose tissues of normal human donors. We will then
determine how the phenotypes, transcriptional programs, functional properties, reactivities and affinities of
those B cells differ between tissues and between B cells of different specificities. Importantly, we will use an
automated, single-cell cloning and antibody-expression system to rapidly and efficiently generate recombinant,
influenza-specific antibodies from sorted memory B cells in order to determine their affinity and cross-reactivity.
Therefore, we believe that this project is highly innovative and will significantly advance our understanding of
influenza-specific B cell biology in various human tissues.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10142922
- **Project number:** 3U19AI142737-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Frances E. Lund
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $444,936
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10142922

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10142922, Characterization of virus-specific human B cell subsets in lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues (3U19AI142737-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10142922. Licensed CC0.

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