Researchers reveal dominant player in human T helper cell maturation

A powerful arm of the immune system is production of antibodies that circulate through the blood and neutralize invading pathogens. Although B cells actually manufacture antibody proteins, the process is aided by neighboring T cells, which shower B cells with cytokines to make them churn out high-quality antibody proteins — and remember how to do so. Given the essential function of ‘helper’ T cells, researchers have long sought to define biological signals that encourage their development.