The overarching goal of our studies is to gain a better understanding of how cell metabolism and signaling are integrated in normal and malignant B cells. Naïve B cells represent a metabolically quiescent population of cells. Upon activation, B cells rapidly change their metabolic profile to meet the biosynthetic and energetic needs of proliferation. One aspect of our studies is to elucidate how different signaling pathways contribute to the regulation of B cell metabolism and to analyze how dysregulated metabolism affects the humoral immune response. In a second line of investigation, we are focusing on analyzing how changes in the metabolic microenvironment shape B cell fate and function. Our ultimate goal is to identify metabolic vulnerabilities that could be therapeutically exploited in autoimmunity or cancer.

Keywords:

Humoral immune response, B cell, metabolism, lymphoma, autoimmunity, signaling

10 selected publications:

• Immunoglobulin expression in the endoplasmic reticulum shapes the metabolic fitness of B lymphocytes.
  Jumaa H, Caganova M, McAllister EJ, Hoenig L, He X, Saltukoglu D, Brenker K, Köhler M, Leben R, Hauser AE, Niesner R, Rajewsky K, Reth M, Jellusova J.
  Life Sci Alliance. 2020 Apr 27;3(6):e202000700.
• The role of metabolic checkpoint regulators in B cell survival and transformation.
  Jellusova J.
  Immunol Rev. 2020 May;295(1):39-53.
• Metabolic control of B cell immune responses.
  Jellusova J.
  Curr Opin Immunol. 2020 Apr;63:21-28.
• Self-reactive B cells in the GALT are actively curtailed to prevent gut inflammation.
  Shukla A, Chen C, Jellusova J, Leung CR, Kao E, Bhat N, Lin WW, Apgar JR, Rickert RC.
  JCI Insight. 2019 Jul 23;5(16):e130621.
• New methods to analyze B cell immune responses to thymus-dependent antigen sheep red blood cells.
  McAllister EJ, Apgar JR, Leung CR, Rickert RC, Jellusova J.
  J Immunol. 2017 Oct 15;199(8):2998-3003.
• Gsk3 is a metabolic checkpoint regulator in B cells.
  Jellusova J, Cato MH, Apgar JR, Ramezani-Rad P, Leung CR, Chen C, Richardson AD, Conner EM, Benschop RJ, Woodgett JR, Rickert RC.
  Nat Immunol. 2017 Mar;18(3):303-312.
• Essential Role for Survivin in the Proliferative Expansion of Progenitor and Mature B Cells.
  Miletic AV, Jellusova J, Cato MH, Lee CR, Baracho GV, Conway EM, Rickert RC.
  J Immunol. 2016 Mar 1;196(5):2195-204.
• Context-specific BAFF-R signaling by the NF-κB and PI3K pathways.
  Jellusova J, Miletic AV, Cato MH, Lin WW, Hu Y, Bishop GA, Shlomchik MJ, Rickert RC.
  Cell Rep. 2013 Nov 27;5(4):1022-35.
• Context-specific BAFF-R signaling by the NF-κB and PI3K pathways.
  Jellusova J, Miletic AV, Cato MH, Lin WW, Hu Y, Bishop GA, Shlomchik MJ, Rickert RC.
  Cell Rep. 2013 Nov 27;5(4):1022-35.
• CD22 x Siglec-G double-deficient mice have massively increased B1 cell numbers and develop systemic autoimmunity.
  Jellusova J, Wellmann U, Amann K, Winkler TH, Nitschke L.
  J Immunol. 2010 Apr 1;184(7):3618-27