Plasmablast-Based Assays for Mucosal Antibody Response

Harry Greenberg of Stanford University School of Medicine and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in the U.S. will develop a new assay that evaluates the function and phenotype of plasmablasts in peripheral blood after infection or vaccination. By determining how many of these cells have mucosal-homing receptors, Greenberg believes this new test could provide an accurate measurement of mucosal immune response.