IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-A Tonsil Organoid Model for Epstein-Barr Virus-Host Immune Interactions in Germinal Centers

A Tonsil Organoid Model for Epstein-Barr Virus-Host Immune Interactions in Germinal Centers

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Yizhe Sun presented a tonsil organoid model to study how Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) establishes latency in B cells while escaping NK and T cell immunity. Unlike blood B cells, EBV infection in tonsil organoids induced germinal center-like B cells marked by CD10 and BCL6. Single-cell RNA-seq showed these cells resembled true germinal center B cells and included a rare EBV latency program with reduced EBNA2 expression. Sun showed that naive B cells could become these germinal center-like cells only when non-B cells were present, implicating the microenvironment. EBV-infected B cells also activated TFH cells and increased IL-21 production. Blocking IL-21 reduced both latency 2A cells and germinal center-like B cells, and viruses lacking EBNA2 produced more of these cells. The model suggests EBV manipulates TFH/IL-21 signals to drive a germinal center program that may seed latent memory B cells and immune escape.

Meta Tag

Date April 16, 2026 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM

Room 104AB

Session CD8+ T Cell and NK Cell Mediated Antiviral Immunity

Speaker Yizhe Sun

Track Viral Immunology (VIR)

Year 2026

Keywords

Epstein-Barr virus

tonsil organoid

germinal center B cells

IL-21 signaling

EBV latency

April 16, 2026 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM

104AB

CD8+ T Cell and NK Cell Mediated Antiviral Immunity

Yizhe Sun

Viral Immunology (VIR)

2026