Your immune cells don't just pick the stickiest antibodies—they actually "tug" on them to see which ones are the strongest.
bioRxiv · March 13, 2026 · 10.64898/2026.03.11.710783
Why it matters
For decades, the central dogma of immunology was that the immune system matures by selecting antibodies with the highest 'affinity' (binding tightness). This study reveals that selection is actually driven by the mechanical stability of the bond under physical force, fundamentally changing how we understand how our bodies 'learn' to fight infections.
From the abstract
Antibody maturation in germinal centers (GCs) is traditionally viewed as a process that enhances antigen-binding affinity of B cell receptors (BCR). However, recent studies challenge this paradigm, revealing no systematic antibody affinity improvement during GC selection. Here, we investigate whether mechanical resistance of antibody-antigen bonds, rather than affinity, is the selective parameter driving GC maturation. Using biolayer interferometry measurements for assessing affinity and laminar