Age-associated B cells (ABCs) develop from a CNS-localized progenitor pool into a pro-inflammatory phenotype after stroke
Open accessAbstract
Aging and age-related diseases like ischemic stroke induce chronic lymphocyte recruitment into the central nervous system (CNS). Conflicting effects on post-stroke functional recovery, however, are secondary to the differences in responding lymphocyte populations that shift immunophenotype with both ischemic injury and age. To better define CNS-localized B cell subsets, we used flow cytometry, single-cell RNA sequencing, and B cell receptor sequencing on B cells isolated from uninjured and post-stroke brains of aged male and female mice. We identified a novel B1b cell progenitor pool distinct from canonical pleural and peritoneal B1 niches. Trajectory analysis showed B1b progenitors transition into age-associated B cell (ABC) subsets, and clonal expansion of IgM+ ABCs (ABC/B1b) and plasma cells following ischemic stroke. We also confirmed analogous ABCs and developing B cell populations in post-mortem human parenchymal tissue isolated from aged brain donors. These studies reveal unique B cell populations that proliferate within the aging CNS and are associated with impaired post-stroke functional recovery in mice. Identification of inflammatory, CNS-resident ABC/B1b cells that are conserved across species is critical as they have the potential to be sequestered from peripheral immunotherapies and/or contribute to age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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ABC-like cells expressing CD11b and CD11c have been detected in AD postmortem brain tissue.
“In addition, ABCslike cells expressing CD11b and CD11c have been detected in AD postmortem brain tissue [79].”
From Is there a role for B cells in Alzheimer's disease? (2026) · cites this paper as [79]
The Results section, “Identification of ABC populations in human post-mortem brains” (page unavailable), reports both CD11b+ and CD11c+ ABCs in postmortem brain samples. It separately reports CD11c+ ABC enrichment in an Alzheimer’s disease dataset, but does not establish that both marker-defined populations were detected specifically in AD postmortem brains. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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Is there a role for B cells in Alzheimer's disease?
Charavner, E.-L., Fillatreau, S., & El Behi, M. (2026) · Cellular Immunology · doi:10.1016/j.cellimm.2026.105154
- Authors
- McAtee, A. M., Kenwood, M., Ujas, T., Colson, M. K., Watkins, J., Winford, E. D., Cotter, K. M., Britsch, D., Betz, D., Turchan-Cholewo, J., Lutshumba, J., Stuart, C., Shah, G., Runice, L., Ebbert, M., Cherra, S., Nelson, P. T., Sturgill, J. L., Monson, N. L., Goldberg, M. P., & Stowe, A. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Kentucky (US)
- Department of Neurology, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MSC 7883, San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
- The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center (US)
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Stowe, Ann M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Neuroinflammation
- Publisher
- openRxiv
- Published
- 2026-03-04
- ISSN
- 1742-2094 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC12991099
- OpenAlex
- W7212298204
- Cited by
- 1
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1
- FWCI
- 2.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroinflammation (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS088555, RF1NS088555, F30NS141486, T32NS077889, R01NS129668, 3RF1NS088555-07A1S1)
- National Institutes of Health (T32AG057461, P30 AG072946)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
- Keywords
- age-associated B cells, ischemic stroke, B cell progenitors, neuroinflammation, post-stroke functional recovery, plasma cells, clonal expansion, IgM+ B cells, B cell receptor repertoire, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, sex differences
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