Technical Articles

CD40 is a TNF receptor family costimulatory molecule on B cells and dendritic cells. This article explains its trimerization-driven signaling, CD40L engagement and why the Fc chimera format is the standard reagent for binding studies.

B cells, as the main force of humoral immunity, work synergistically with T cells, which are responsible for cellular immunity, to form adaptive immunity. When antigens enter the body, they induce the activation, proliferation, and eventual differentiation of antigen-specific B cells into plasma cells, which produce specific antibodies that enter the humoral system to exert immune effects. Additionally, abnormalities in the morphology and function of B cells are associated with various diseases, including B-cell tumors, autoimmune diseases, and neuroimmune disorders.

APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand, TNFSF13) is an important member of the tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily and functions as a type II transmembrane protein.