Modelling the affinity maturation of B lymphocytes in the germinal centre

This study involved the successful development of a computer model to simulate the affinity maturation of B lymphocytes in the germinal centre in 3-D because certain behavioural aspects cannot currently be examined experimentally. The software tool recreates the structure of the germinal centre that enables the B cells to move and interact with other cells inside the germinal centre. This allows the modelling of the affinity maturation of the B cells to produce high affinity antibodies. The model was validated against the available published population dynamics data that shows population sizes on different days post-immunisation. The modelling results show a reasonable correspondence with published data. They also suggest that the high affinity plasma cells that are produced from the germinal centre reaction displace the antibodies on the immune complexes on the follicular dendritic cell. This feed-back drives the selection of high affinity centrocytes to be selected and become high affinity plasma blasts and memory B cells. This conclusion has been partially confirmed by recent experimental results (Toellner, unpublished).