Silent antibodies

Over the past years, progress has been made in understanding B cells and antibody recognition functions, particularly in the context of autoimmune diseases. In addition to the existence of "natural antibodies", recent studies suggest the existence of immunoglobulins with no apparent specificity that may acquire polyreactivity following a mild denaturation in inflammatory sites. They are called "silent antibodies". Together with related observations on B cell development, selection and signaling, the recent insights are providing clues into our understanding of autoimmunity.