B cells as drivers towards clinical SLE manifestation 

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterised by the production of autoantibodies, particularly against nuclear antigens that form immune complexes and lead to widespread organ damage. These autoantibodies are produced by plasma cells (PCs), which are terminally differentiated B cells specialised in antibody secretion. 

Autoantibody producing PCs are oftentimes resistant to conventional immunosuppressive therapies, highlighting the need to identify novel therapeutic targets.

PCs can survive for extended periods within specialised microenvironments called survival niches and provide essential survival signals. While long-lived PCs are known to reside in bone marrow niches, under inflammatory conditions other organs such as the spleen and kidney can support PC survival. 

In a first part of the project, we aim to investigate the composition and characteristics of PC survival niches within the spleen of lupus-prone mice.