Researchers have identified the protein APRIL as a key regulator of plasmacyte maintenance and immunoglobulin production in humans. They showed in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency and a mutation in the gene encoding APRIL that a lack of APRIL reduces levels of plasmacytes and immunoglobulins. These findings help us understand how APRIL regulates the immune system and suggest the novel treatment by recombinant APRIL for immunodeficient conditions.
