Highlights of 2025: advances in germinal centers

The germinal center (GC) is the engine room of the humoral immune response, driving the evolution of B cells into memory and long-lived plasma cells that can protect against (re)infection. Understanding GC biology remains a key research focus for promoting lifelong health. In this annual update, we highlight several influential studies on GC biology published in 2025 (Fig. 1). Space constraints prevent us from discussing in depth all published work.