The B-side of the immune response

B lymphocytes have long been, and still are, known to play a crucial role in orchestrating the humoral immune responses. This concept arises from their ability to take advantage of interactions with the other immune cells to become antibody-producing plasma cells or memory B cells. This chapter focuses on the mechanisms by which B cells encounter, manage, and present antigens to T cells, to finally integrate both humoral and cellular immune responses. The intrinsic ability of B cells to actively interact with the other immune cells makes them the leading units of the immune system. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.