B-cell development: a comparison between mouse and man

Abstract A common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) patient, who carries mutations on both alleles of the gene encoding the surrogate light chain component λ5/14.1, shows a similar phenotype of B-cell deficiency as the λ-5-deficient mutant mouse. As discussed here by Paolo Ghia and colleagues, this points to a remarkably similar developmental pathway of B cells in humans and mice.