Emory University researchers identify 'immune archive' in bone marrow

Researchers from Emory University have identified a set of long-lived antibody-producing cells in bone marrow. They function as a "catalog" of how an adult's immune system responded to measles or mumps viruses in childhood. The study involved 11 older adults who had not been vaccinated for either disease. The results could provide a target for vaccine developers trying to cause long-lasting antibody protection. "If you're developing a vaccine, you want to fill up this compartment with cells that respond to your target antigen," said co-senior author Dr. F. Eun-Hyung Lee. Release