Plasma cells are terminally differentiated B lymphocytes specialised for the high-rate secretion of antibody. They arise when antigen-activated B cells, typically after germinal-centre selection and class-switch recombination, exit the cell cycle and acquire an expanded endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus dedi…
Plasma cells are terminally differentiated B lymphocytes specialised for the high-rate secretion of antibody. They arise when antigen-activated B cells, typically after germinal-centre selection and class-switch recombination, exit the cell cycle and acquire an expanded endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus dedicated to immunoglobulin synthesis and export. Long-lived plasma cells home to the bone marrow, where survival niches sustain durable serological memory, while short-lived populations supply rapid responses at mucosal and lymphoid sites. Each clone secretes a single immunoglobulin isotype and light-chain type, the basis for the monoclonal (M) protein detected in plasma-cell dyscrasias. Dysregulated proliferation underlies a clinically important spectrum that runs from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance through multiple myeloma and extramedullary plasmacytoma, and overlaps with related B-cell and lymphoplasmacytic disorders such as Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Plasma-cell infiltrates are also a histopathological hallmark of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune lesions. Research published in this area by the journal examines plasma-cell and immunoglobulin biology across these settings, including extraosseous plasmacytoma arising in autoimmune thyroiditis, monoclonal gammopathy, post-transplant plasma-cell pleocytosis, convalescent-plasma neutralising-antibody responses, and the immunoglobulin trajectories that accompany ageing and antigen exposure, spanning diagnostic, mechanistic, and therapeutic perspectives.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 15 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
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