A roadmap for defining "extrafollicular" B cell responses

Abstract

In the twenty years since extrafollicular B cell responses were originally described, much has been learned about B cell biology. With this progress, the term "extrafollicular" has expanded beyond its initial use to describe a variety of B cell processes, resulting in ambiguity over the term. Extrafollicular responses are often not identified by location, convoluting the criteria being used to define the pathway. Here, we discuss the current understanding of B cell responses as relevant to the current uses of the term "extrafollicular." In this context, we propose a framework to classify evolving concepts in B cell biology. The use of this framework moving forward is expected to help harmonize and clarify the discussion in the field.