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B-cells that are active only in the gut, turning into monocyte-like cells there. |
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Science Blog: “What intrigued us was that this theme — B cells behaving like monocytes — had been seen before in fish and in vitro. But now we have a living example in a mammalian system, where this kind of bipotentiality is realized,” said Prof. Gommerman. This B-cell plasticity provides a potential explanation how cells dedicated to controlling pathogens can respond to a large burden of harmful bacteria without damaging beneficial bacteria and other cells essential for proper function of the intestine.
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