The Treatment

A fade from black reveals a graceful, but busy, microscopic world. Here, a variety of cells are seen
elegantly flowing through a blood vessel in the body. As groups of blood cells pass by, the audience sees
a group of B cells slowly floating along the bottom of the blood vessel. Like a cat among the pigeons, a
lone bacteria cell passes through and brushes the group of B cells. One B cell, that contains an antibody
that matches this cell exactly, rises up and tags onto it. As they delicately flow together down the vein
the B cell connects itself softly but firmly to the bacteria and begins to engulf it along with the antibody
it’s attached to. As it engulfs the bacteria it slows to a stop and begins to break it down. As other cells
pass by, the B Cell begins to produce an MHC2 protein (Major Histocompatibility Complex), this
microscopic pedestal holds up a piece of the bacteria that the B cell absorbed. This is the moment when
this normal B cell becomes a professional antigen presenting cell and then fades to black.

Opening from black, the new antigen presenting cell is quietly waiting. However, a group of helper T
cells enter the vein and pass it by. One of these helper T cells has the receptors that match the bacteria
that’s presented exactly and reaches for it. The T cell then binds to the protein and the bacteria using its
receptors which, in turn, activates the B Cell and sets off a chain of events.

The now activated B cell begins to proliferate two kinds of B cells. The first are the memory B cells, these
are exact replicas of this B cell with the same antibodies. The other is the matured B cell, now the
effector/plasma B cell, these are more fluid in appearance and produce multiples of the same
antibodies. These are free-flowing and unattached, allowing them to float into and attach to other
bacteria of this type. The free floating antibodies and the new memory B cells will glide off into the
blood stream. The plasma cell after it releases the antibodies will become weak and fade, in order to
indicate that the memory cells last much longer than the plasma B cells.

At the same time, the helper T cells are also proliferating two kinds of cells. The helper T cell emits small
protein molecules called cytokines which spread off into the blood and enter other cells in the immune
system, making them more active in their reproduction of memory T cells. The cytokines act as a
chemical “alarm bell” making sure the immune system is prepared for any ‘invasion’. Here the camera
zooms out to reveal a bigger scene, showing the audience that the same process is happening around
the cells they were focused on.

The Step Outline

It opens with multiple cells elegantly flowing through the body.

One bacteria cell brushes past a group of B Cells and one, with the correct antibodies, rises up after it.

It connects itself softly but firmly to the bacteria and begins to engulf it along with the antibody it’s
attached to.

As everything carries on passing by, the B Cell breaks the bacteria down and produces an MHC2 protein
(Major Histocompatibility Complex) which acts as a pedestal, upon it is a piece of the bacteria. Here the
B cell has become a professional antigen presenting cell.
As it waits quietly, a group of helper T cells pass by and one, with the correct receptors to match the
bacteria, binds to the protein and bacteria using its receptors. This then activates the B Cell and sets off
a chain of events.

The activated B cell begins to proliferate two kinds of B cells. The first are the memory B cells, which are
more copies of that B cell’s same antibodies. The other is the effector/plasma B cells, which is the
matured form of the first B cell. This produces many of the same antibodies that are not attached to a
cell, allowing them to flow freely into any other bacteria of this type.

Meanwhile, the helper T cell also produces two kinds of cells. It first releases small protein molecules
called cytokines which act as a chemical “alarm bell”. These cytokines spread off into the blood to enter
other cells in the immune system, making them more active in their reproduction of Memory T cells,
which similarly to that of the B cell, produce more of the same kind of T cell,.

Here the camera pans out to reveal more of the same process happening around the cells the audience
was focused on.

The Premise

The chain of events that occur in order for the body to create antibodies.

The Log Line

An example of the creation of antibodies through a B cell’s interaction with unsuspecting bacteria it
matches. The helper T cells activate the B cell and they both encourage the production of many more of
the same cells in the immune system to defend the body from this antigen.