Regulation of humoral immune memory in acute versus chronic viral infection

Effective immune memory provides long-lasting protection against repeated pathogen exposure and is a hallmark of successful vaccines. Yet, viral pathogens that are unable to be cleared from the body disrupt the immune system such that the host is unable to form effective immune memory cell populations, including memory B cells. This thesis identified various novel mechanisms by which chronic viral infection disrupts the formation and function of memory B cells. The results of this study may guide the development of effective vaccines and novel therapeutics for chronic viral infections.