A cholinergic checkpoint controls autoantibody selection via somatic hypermutation in lupus germinal... (opens in new tab)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis involves the dysregulated production of mutated, high-affinity autoantibodies, a process primarily orchestrated within germinal centers (GCs). However, the precise regulatory mechanisms governing the GC-mediated generation of autoantibodies in SLE remain elusive. In lupus-prone NZM2328 mice, we observed progressive accumulation of immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) mutations in GC B cells during disease progression, accompanied by increased clonot...