B Cells have been discovered to have additional functions!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226141144.htm

While studying intestinal worms in mice they discovered B cells one of the many cell of the immune system that are designed to fight off invaders have additional functions not previously known. Everyone knows B Cell tag invaders with antibodies which then attract macrophages to the antigen for destruction. Researchers have learn B Cell release cytokines which is a chemical signal that alerts the other immune cells of the presence of invaders. Researchers also learned B Cells present the protein of invaders to T helper cells to aide them in becoming more efficient at dealing with the invaders.

This discovery could help Researchers when dealing with autoimmune diseases such as allergies and diabetes. The more knowledge researchers have on these immune cells the better prepared they will be in fixing many disease that affect the immune system and caused by the immune system.