uw: EBV commonly infects B cells, stimulating them to enter the cell cycle and proliferate continuously ("transformation or "immortalization"). this is accomplished when EBV-encoded activate proliferative and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways w/i the infected B cell. ... the immortalized B cells maintain the ability to secrete Ig and B-cell activation products (eg. CD23), with very few of them releasing virus particles at any one time.