Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have found that a medication originally developed for glycemic control can reverse serious heart damage—not by controlling blood sugar as originally intended, but by retraining the immune system to prote…
For patients with advanced melanoma without BRAF mutation who no longer respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors, treatment options remain frustratingly limited. A new study from Vanderbilt researchers led by Professor Emerita of Pharmacology Ann Richmo…
A team from the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute has identified a tick-derived evasin that can bind to two major classes of chemokines, a discovery that is important for the development of therapeutics targeting inflammatory and autoim…
A new study from researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem provides fresh insight into how pancreatic cancer may begin taking shape years before it is clinically detected. The research shows that early precancerous pancreatic cells organize int…
Immunotherapy has been generally ineffective for prostate cancer because the tumors are considered immunologically “cold,” meaning they do not attract enough immune cells to mount a strong attack. Hormone therapy commonly used for prostate cancer, call…
New research co-led by Burnet Institute and WEHI has uncovered how the human immune system fights Plasmodium vivax, paving the way for the first effective vaccine against the most widespread form of malaria. Published in Immunity, the study provides cr…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Dupixent (dupilumab) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 6 years and older with allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) and a history of sino-nasal surgery.
An autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland, called autoimmune hypothyroidism (AIHT), is the most common autoimmune disease, yet it remains largely understudied. New research from scientists at Broad Institute, University of Helsinki, and oth…
CAR T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of many blood cancers, but has shown little success against solid tumors, which account for over 85% of all cancers. Columbia researchers have now found that a new type of cell therapy—HIT cells, a co…
Researchers at the University of Liège have identified a key genetic regulator that enables macrophages to reach full maturity and preserve the health of our organs. The MafB factor, a veritable “molecular switch,” activates or deactivates certain gene…
An Australian teenager who died after eating beef sausages on a camping trip has been confirmed as the nation’s first death from a tick-induced meat allergy. New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes Jeremy Webb died in 2022 from an anaphylact…
A research team led by Professor Ki-Young Lee at the College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, has uncovered a previously unrecognized tumor-intrinsic role of the immune checkpoint molecule PD-L1, providing new mechanistic insight into lung cancer …
J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Feb 27:qiag025. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag025. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Besides their largely specific and abundant toxic granule proteins, their Charcot-Leyden crystals, DNA traps, and the release of leukotrienes, human eosinophils are often seen as affecting the immune response and tissue remodeling due to the release of numerous types of cytokines and … Read more
Trends Immunol. 2026 Feb 26:S1471-4906(26)00010-4. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2026.01.007. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Lactation is increasingly recognized as an immune-regulated process. Immune cells shape mammary gland development, coordinate tissue remodeling, and aid in milk production with lasting consequences for maternal health. Here, we summarize recent advances on the roles and dynamics of T cells in the … Read more
J Immunol. 2026 Feb 9;215(2):vkaf346. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf346. ABSTRACT MR1 is an major histocompatibility complex class I-like molecule that presents small molecule metabolites to MR1-restricted T cells that include a major population of highly conserved T cells known as mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. MAIT cells recognize bacterial riboflavin pathway-derived neoantigens and are being attributed an … Read more
J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Feb 27:qiag028. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag028. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK), an upstream regulator of the noncanonical NF-κB signaling pathway, is implicated in the development of Hypereosinophilic-like syndrome (HES) in mice. HES in human patients is defined by 1.5×109 cells/L circulating in the blood with end-organ infiltration and resultant … Read more
Cancer Immunol Res. 2026 Feb 27. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-25-0611. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Providing cytokine signaling is a key strategy to boost the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. However, the individual roles of key downstream mediators, STAT3 and STAT5, remain incompletely understood. In this study, we engineered CAR T cells to … Read more
Cancer Immunol Res. 2026 Feb 27. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-25-1229. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Natural killer (NK) cells represent key effectors of antitumor immunity, yet emerging evidence highlights populations with distinct roles in cancer. Despite such expanded diversity within the NK cell repertoire, we lack an understanding of how this heterogeneity impacts immune responses and downstream … Read more
Nature Reviews Immunology, Published online: 27 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41577-026-01286-2Zhu et al. report in Immunity that ketogenesis resulting from intermittent fasting causes the downregulation of CXCR4 expression on plasma cel…
J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Feb 26:qiag026. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag026. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a critical component of the immune response to cancer, and their role in modulating cancer progression is well-recognized. Macrophages express pattern-recognition receptors, including Class A Scavenger Receptors (SR-A), which are pivotal in regulating macrophage activation and polarization into … Read more
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a diverse group of immature myeloid cells critically involved in establishing an immunosuppressive environment within tumors. They impede effective anti-tumor immune responses through multiple mechanisms, in…
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by dysregulated immune tolerance, abnormal secretion of autoantibodies, and multi-organ damage. Among them, mutations in genetic susceptibility genes, ab…
BackgroundTo establish a predictive model that combines radiomics, deep learning and clinical features for predicting the pathological complete response (pCR) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NIT).Met…
As a key functional component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), the intratumoral microbiome in colorectal cancer (CRC) has revolutionized the traditional paradigm of the “sterile tumor.” Far from being mere “bystanders,” these intratumoral microbes …
The Regnase/MCPIP ribonucleases are involved in the regulation of immune homeostasis, by degrading RNA transcripts that encode inflammatory and regulatory proteins. This review highlights their molecular architecture, catalytic mechanisms, and intricat…
IntroductionMethylglyoxal (MG), a toxic metabolic byproduct, functions as a potent antibacterial weapon deployed by macrophages. The glyoxalase system represents the primary microbial defense against MG, yet its role in Mycobacterium tuberculosis patho…
Immunotherapy employing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represents a pivotal approach for the management of recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancers (HNCs). Ipilimumab is a fully human monoclonal IgG1κ antibody against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte …
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health crisis driven by oxidative stress and immune dysregulation. Emerging evidence positions ferroptosis—an iron-dependent cell death driven by iron-catalyzed peroxidation of esterified polyuns…
BackgroundMajor wound complications after oral squamous cell carcinoma surgery remain a significant cause of morbidity, delaying adjuvant therapy and impairing recovery. Neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy may improve pathological responses, but its impact …
IntroductionB-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is characterized by the clonal expansion of immature lymphoblastic cells. Treating patients with disease relapse is challenging, especially after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (aSCT). Altho…
ObjectiveThis study presented a comprehensive characterization of the osteomyelitis immune microenvironment, identified driver genes and pathogenic cell populations underlying disease progression, and uncovered potential therapeutic targets through sin…
β-Glucans stimulate the immune system, training it to recognize and respond to antigens, which bolsters immunity, including to vaccines. The present study evaluated the capacity of β-glucans to stimulate immunity subsequent to primary vaccination for S…
BackgroundAmino acid metabolism plays a crucial role in shaping tumor–immune crosstalk in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the key cellular mediators that translate metabolic states into intercellular signals remain poorly defined.MethodsWe…
Gout is a crystal-associated autoinflammatory disease triggered by monosodium urate (MSU) crystals, clinically characterized by recurrent transitions between acute inflammatory flares dominated by innate immunity and a state of “trained immunity” durin…
Research on postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP), a common bone metabolic disease, has traditionally focused on bone loss and imbalance in bone remodeling. However, with the development of bone immunology, the complex interactions between immune cells an…
The management of advanced endometrial cancer (EC) has been transformed by immunotherapy, raising a pivotal clinical challenge: selecting patients with mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) disease for intensive dual PD-1/CTLA-4 blockade versus standard PD-…
IntroductionPatients with severe asthma may benefit from targeted biological therapies. However, personalized therapy in children and adolescents with asthma, based on individual susceptibility to molecular mechanisms addressed by different biologicals…
BackgroundImmune heterogeneity is a major determinant of clinical outcome and immunotherapy responsiveness in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the tumor-intrinsic transcriptional programs that drive immune divergence across patients remain insuffic…
Immunotherapy has demonstrated remarkable clinical success in a wide range of malignancies, owing to its high specificity and durable therapeutic effects. However, its efficacy is constrained by multiple factors arising from the complex and heterogeneo…
As an autoimmune disease, IgA nephropathy is pathologically characterized by the deposition of immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the glomerular mesangial area. Recent research has confirmed that the activation of the lectin pathway in the complement system may…
Emerging evidence suggests that the brain–gut–skin axis (BGSA) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and disfiguring skin diseases. Conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, vitiligo, and alopecia areata, once …
Rheumatic diseases are characterized by immune dysfunction, chronic inflammation and tissue damage, in which neutrophils play a pivotal role. As a heterogeneous subset of neutrophils, low-density neutrophils (LDNs) are present at extremely low levels i…
BackgroundColon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a lethal malignancy with a poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is pivotal in its development, within which lactate accumulation is a common metabolic hallmark. Lactylation, a novel post-translationa…
Fibrotic interstitial lung disease (fILD), particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), represents an incurable progressive lung disorder characterized by a dismal prognosis. Fibroblasts constitute the principal cellular drivers of the fibrotic ca…
ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the specific microbial signatures and metabolomic profiles of fecal microbiota in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and assess the effects of immunosuppressants on their gut microbiota us…
We report on a 38-year-old patient who presented with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD), without any signs of muscular involvement. Antinuclear antibody testing by indirect immunofluorescence revealed a nuclear titer of 1:320 with a f…
by Georgia Stevens, Rafael Blanco-Domínguez, Sofia Mensurado and Bruno Silva-Santos
The success of cancer immunotherapy depends on the mobilization of leukocytes with the capacity to eliminate tumor cells. γδ T cells represent a lymphocyte lineage with strong cytotoxic potential and abundant production of antitumor cytokines…
ObjectiveAmid acknowledged sex-based disparities in immune system response, the effect of patients’ sex on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment remains inconsistent across cancers, and even inconclusive in esophageal squamous-c…
Breast cancer is a common malignancy among women, with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) representing a subtype with poor prognosis. Due to the lack of expression of targetable receptors, traditional hormone therapy and HER2-targeted therapy are ine…
Semin Immunol. 2026 Feb 24;81:102017. doi: 10.1016/j.smim.2026.102017. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Upon antigenic stimulation and cytokine cues, CD4⁺ T cells differentiate into specialized helper subsets, giving rise to Th1, Th2, Th9 and Th17 cell lineages. These subsets orchestrate distinct immune functions that protect the host but can also drive immunopathology when dysregulated. The classical … Read more
The CD40-CD40L pathway is often dysregulated in B-cell-driven autoimmune diseases, making the development of CD40L inhibitors a promising therapeutic approach in managing autoimmune responses. We developed an inhibitory anti-CD40L Fab fragment, Fab20, and demonstrated that Fab20 effectively suppresses B-cell proliferation, differentiation, and antibody production in vitro. Made with Biorender. ABSTRACT Dysregulation of the CD40-CD40L axis … Read more
Liver transplantation is the definitive therapy for end-stage liver disease, yet hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury (HIRI) remains a leading cause of early graft dysfunction. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) can support host defense, but dysregul…
Background and aimsAntibiotic use in early life is increasingly being scrutinized for its potential effects on health, particularly its association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The weaning period is a critical developmental window for maturat…
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) represents a family of multifunctional cytokines, primarily secreted by megakaryocytes, monocytes, T lymphocytes, bone marrow stromal cells, and other cell types. TGF-β plays an essential role in various physiologic…
BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly improved survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but may rarely trigger severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs).Case summaryA 64-year-oldpatient with m…
IntroductionC-type lectins (CTLs), a family of pattern recognition receptors, participate in insect innate immunity and could serve as potential targets for insect pest management. However, information about CTLs in the immune responses of Conogethes p…
IntroductionThis study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combination regimens in locally advanced resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and evaluate the pros and cons of different regimens and their i…
VACCIMEL is an immunotherapeutic adjuvant treatment for high-risk cutaneous melanoma. It consists of 13 intradermal injections of four irradiated melanoma cell lines co-adjuvated with BCG and GM-CSF. VACCIMEL prolongs distant metastases-free survival a…
Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) constitute the core component of the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB), whose structural and functional integrity is crucial for maintaining central nervous system homeostasis. In recent years, ferroptosis—a novel …
BackgroundAlthough immune dysregulation is implicated in both autoimmune diseases and cancer, comparative pathogenesis and immune response mechanisms between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and colorectal cancer (CRC) remain elusive. This study iden…
Locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) can be treated effectively with surgical resection following downstaging via preoperative neoadjuvant therapy. This case report details the successful management of a patient with ESCC complica…
IntroductionAnterior gradient 2 (AGR2) contributes to tumorigenesis, yet its function within the tumor microenvironment (TME) and in macrophage polarization remains unclear. This study assessed the prognostic significance of AGR2 and investigated its m…
The histone methyltransferase DOT1L, the sole enzyme catalyzing H3K79 methylation, is increasingly implicated in cancer progression, yet its role in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that DOT1L orches…
Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonists (such as resiquimod-R848) are potent immune adjuvants. However, their clinical use is limited by severe systemic toxicity. To address this challenge, prodrug strategies have emerged as a key solution. In recent …
