# Blocks to B Cell Memory

> **NIH NIH P01** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2020 · $491,462

## Abstract

Project 1 Summary
Blocks to B cell memory: Dr. Charlotte Cunningham-Rundles:
Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is a primary antibody deficiency disease in which B cell
development, including isotype switch, somatic hypermutation, differentiation into plasma cells and secretion of
immunoglobulins is impaired. Due to prevalence, complications, and need for lifelong immunoglobulin therapy,
CVID is one of the most clinically important primary immune defects. While the genetic causes of B cell
dysfunction in CVID are unknown for most subjects, a growing number of autosomal recessive and more
recently, dominant genes have been identified. About 8-10% of CVID subjects have mutations in the B cell
receptor transmembrane activator and calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI). In addition to
hypogammaglobulinemia, these subjects have striking lymphoid hyperplasia, splenomegaly and autoimmunity.
TACI is highly expressed on marginal zone and CD27+ (memory) B cells, which secrete T cell independent (TI)
Ab to carbohydrate antigens, essential in defense against bacterial disease. Unlike mice, human B cells have
two TACI isoforms, a long and a short version; our data suggest that only the latter drives plasma cell
differentiation, revealing additional complexity in this receptor system. Our group showed that TACI requires
the cytoplasmic adaptor MyD88, and more recently that cytoplasmic TACI co-localizes with TLR9, MyD88, and
the TNF receptor associated (TRAF) TRAF2 and TRAF6 in the endocytic compartment, suggesting intimate
cytoplasmic cooperation between the TACI receptor and innate endosomal TLR pathways. Project 1 uses
naturally occurring mutations in TACI, MyD88 and IRAK4, newly described defects in TRAF-interacting protein
(TIFA) and members of the linear ubiquitination chain assembly complex, HOIL, HOIP, to explore how TACI
isoforms are involved in the control of B cell growth, differentiation and the production of biologically important
antibodies in humans. This project is closely linked to the study of tolerance in Project 2, marginal zone
biology, bacterial defense, and the production of IgA in mucosal immunity in Project 3, and our progress in
identifying new genetic defects leading to loss of B cell function and impaired antibody production to
carbohydrate antigens, the topic of Project 4. These projects use naturally-occurring genetic immune defects to
probe how normal human B cells are activated and controlled, knowledge essential for understanding how
humans are efficiently immunized to produce protective antibodies and how the immune system achieves
antibody memory while avoiding autoimmunity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984941
- **Project number:** 5P01AI061093-16
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** CHARLOTTE CUNNINGHAM-RUNDLES
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $491,462
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2004-07-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984941

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984941, Blocks to B Cell Memory (5P01AI061093-16). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984941. Licensed CC0.

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