A multi-institutional study led by researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and UC San Diego has uncovered new genetic rules that determine how powerful immune cells—known as CD8+ killer T ce…
A team led by UCL researchers with Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and Moorfields Eye Hospital, found B cells—alongside T cells—play a key role in arthritis-related eye disease (JIA uveitis), a condition that can cause long-term vision loss in chil…
A UCLA research team has identified the best design for a promising new type of immunotherapy that could be mass-produced to treat multiple solid tumors. The study focused on engineered invariant natural killer T cells, or NKT cells—powerful immune cel…
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have discovered that a gene long known for shaping the skin’s physical barrier also plays a crucial role in building and maintaining the skin’s immune defense. The findings, published in Cell Repo…
An international research team with strong participation from DTU has developed a new biotechnological platform that makes it possible to test and understand advanced cancer treatments much faster and cheaper than before. The new technology can reduce …
An international research consortium, led by scientists at VIB and UGent, has developed a new platform that could change how antibody medicines are tested and brought to patients. The work, published in Science Immunology, highlights problems during co…
Conventional wisdom has held for some time that children who grow up in environments rich with biodiversity—farms, homes with pets, rural settings in general—are less likely to have allergies. The thing nobody has ever completely understood is why? Yal…
Antibodies are the immune system’s precision tools for recognizing and neutralizing viruses, bacteria and other foreign substances that can make us ill. These proteins circulate in the bloodstream and are built from chains of amino acids. Yet pinning d…
The class of anti-inflammatory drugs known as TNF-inhibitors has brought relief to many sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis, but they don’t work for up to 4 of every 10 patients.
A new drug developed by Australian researchers has shown promising results in reducing sepsis in a Phase II clinical trial involving 180 patients. The carbohydrate-based treatment works by calming a dangerous immune reaction that can cause organ failur…
Two decades after a breast cancer vaccine trial, every participant is still alive—an astonishing result for metastatic disease. Scientists found their immune systems retained long-lasting memory cells primed to recognize cancer. By enhancing a key immu…
The immune system must maintain a delicate balance to defend against harmful threats while avoiding excessive inflammation. When this balance is disrupted, immune responses can contribute to autoimmune diseases and cancer. A research team jointly led b…
Cancer Immunol Res. 2026 Feb 4. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-25-0693. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Some patients undergoing immune checkpoint blockade treatment develop immune-related adverse events (irAEs) affecting multiple organs, but whether pituitary and thyroid dysfunction are prone to co-occur is unclear. A total of 1,014 patients treated at Nagoya University Hospital were prospectively assessed for pituitary … Read more
J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Feb 4:qiag019. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag019. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Natural killer (NK) cell antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) contributes to effective antiviral immunity, yet the relative contribution of NK cell-intrinsic factors and antibodies in mediating these responses remain poorly understood. Here, we combined functional ADCC assays with single-cell transcriptomics of peripheral NK … Read more
Background
Immunotherapy has had limited success in pancreatic cancer, largely due to a low mutational burden and immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here we hypothesized that systemic delivery of viral antigens can redirect pre-existing antiviral imm…
by Kött, J., Matthes, N., Bauer, A. T., Zimmermann, N., Zell, T., Smit, D. J., Schneider, S. W., Gebhardt, C.
Background
The rapidly advancing field of cancer therapy has sparked growing interest in the potential synergy between anticoagulation and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Recent research highlights that anticoagulants, traditionally used fo…
Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (chemo-IO) has fundamentally reshaped the treatment paradigm for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), challenging long-held surgical boundaries and redefining what constitutes “resectable” disease. Trials such …
Background
The CDKN2A gene encodes two canonical tumor suppressors, p16INK4A and p14ARF, which safeguard cells from malignant transformation by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to aberrant growth signals. Paradoxically, many cancer…
Background
Acquired resistance to KRAS G12C inhibitor sotorasib remains a critical challenge in non-small cell lung cancer treatment. A deeper, rational understanding of resistance mechanisms can enable the development of therapeutic strategies to ove…
by Silginer, M., Weller, M., Becher, B., Mastall, M., Weiss, T., Nunez, N. G., Kienzler, J. C., Roth, P.
Background
Glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain tumors, has been largely resistant to conventional immunotherapies, underscoring the need for novel treatment approaches. A promising strategy involves simultaneously inhibiting immunosuppressi…
J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Feb 3:qiag020. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag020. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Despite advances in engineered adaptive immune cell therapies, current options for innate immune cell therapies are sparse. In this work, we demonstrate the utility of a neutrophil progenitor-based cell therapy. Murine conditionally-immortalized neutrophil progenitors (NPs) overcome some of the hurdles of alternative … Read more
BackgroundPrognostic determinants in anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody-associated epilepsy remain unclear, and no validated predictive model exists. We aimed to identify prognostic factors and develop a predictive model.MethodsThis multic…
BackgroundImmune system adaptation plays a crucial role in pregnancy success. Cellular senescence, linked to immune dysfunction and chronic inflammation, may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes but remains poorly characterized during early gestati…
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are increasingly recognized as an outcome of multiple inflammatory processes. Despite a large recent research focus, the majority of attempts to therapeutically target chemokines, have not been successful. Thus, a better u…
This review provides a systematic and critical examination of the multifaceted roles of the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 axis in liver diseases. We emphasize its context-dependent duality—exhibiting both pro- and anti-inflammatory, pro- and anti-fibrotic, and pro- an…
Trillions of microorganisms in the human gut are important regulators of health, and the gut and liver have a symbiotic relationship with them. The study found that there is bidirectional communication of substances and signals between the gut and live…
IntroductionTFE3 rearranged renal cell carcinoma (TFE3 rRCC) is a distinct and aggressive subtype of RCC characterized by poor prognosis. While TFE3 fusion proteins are central to its pathogenesis, their specific roles in tumor progression, particularl…
Endothelial cell senescence, once considered a passive manifestation of vascular aging, is now recognized as an active driver of atherosclerosis. Senescent endothelial cells (sECs) exhibit distinct morphological and molecular hallmarks, including irrev…
BackgroundThe pathogenesis of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) may involve lymphocyte-mediated immune mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and disease onset, severity, and the need for me…
IntroductionInfectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) is a significant pathogen in salmonid aquaculture, with virulence determined mainly by amino acid residues in the VP2 capsid protein.MethodsThis study investigates the modifications of rainbow tro…
Radiotherapy (RT) and immunotherapy, which are cornerstone modalities in the realm of oncology, involve distinct mechanistic pathways and possess unique therapeutic potential. RT achieves localized tumor control by inducing DNA damage and disrupting th…
Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a cornerstone of supportive care in oncology, widely used to prevent chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and maintain dose intensity and treatment schedule. While G-CSF has been shown to be safe and effecti…
BackgroundProgressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) is a major cause of poor prognosis in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). This study aims to analyze and evaluate the incidence of PPF and related influencing factors …
ObjectiveTo develop a mechanistic physiologically-based model describing CD4+ T-lymphocyte homeostasis across the human lifespan, incorporating maturation, differentiation, migration aspects and the impact of age on distinct cell subpopulations.Methods…
Frozen shoulder (FS) is a condition primarily marked by chronic inflammation and progressive fibrosis of the glenohumeral capsule. Clinically, it presents with persistent shoulder pain and limited joint mobility, often leading to impaired upper limb fu…
BackgroundThe role of neutrophils in exertional heat stroke (EHS), a life-threatening condition characterized by systemic inflammation, remains poorly defined. This study aimed to characterize the longitudinal profiles of neutrophil recruitment and act…
BackgroundPseudorabies virus (PRV) is a major swine pathogen that causes substantial economic losses. The dynamic remodeling of host cell chromatin plays a pivotal role during viral infections. However, the epigenetic mechanisms underlying PRV-host int…
BackgroundInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with increasing worldwide incidence and prevalence. While current treatment options alleviate part of the socioeconomic burden of this disease, new biomarkers and safer thera…
Halo nevus has historically been observed as a localized skin phenomenon surrounding a melanocytic nevus. However, emerging studies indicate that halo nevus serves as a model for immune-mediated, primarily CD8+ T cells–targeted destruction of melanocyt…
IntroductionImmunogenicity of allogeneic human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived transplants limits their applicability in regenerative medicine. Selecting human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-homozygous hiPSC lines could be a mitigation strategy …
BackgroundPyroptosis, an inflammatory form of programmed cell death, contributes to intestinal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the key cell types and regulatory genes remain unclear.MethodsWe analyzed single-cell RNA-seq data from…
IntroductionPost-allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) can be complicated by poor graft function (PGF), a life-threatening condition characterized by complete donor chimerism alongside persistent multilineage cytopenias. PGF significantly incr…
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma (ATC) represents one of the most aggressive and lethal human malignancies, characterized by rapid progression, profound therapy resistance, and a dismal prognosis. Recent advances have underscored metabolic reprogramming as…
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical public health concern with high morbidity and mortality. The chemotherapy agent cisplatin is widely used for various solid tumors; however, cisplatin-associated AKI (CIS-AKI) is a frequent complication in the cli…
IntroductionAberrant complement activation can cause damage to newly formed fetal-derived structures and excessive inflammatory response at the feto-maternal interface, contributing to pregnancy-related complications, including preeclampsia (PE), which…
Kidney transplantation remains the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, long-term graft survival is still limited by chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD), which is primarily characterized by renal interstitial fibrosis (…
B cells play a crucial role in immunity against various infectious diseases. However, their role in tuberculosis (TB) has been largely understudied. Emerging evidence suggests that B cells actively shape immune responses in TB. Beyond their classical f…
BackgroundLiver transplantation is the only effective way for end-stage liver disease. Rejection remains the leading cause of graft failure. The dynamic changes of intrahepatic immune cells involved in rejection are not completely understood.MethodsWe …
BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains among the most lethal solid tumors, largely due to its intricate and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). While single-cell sequencing technologies have begun to unravel the cellular …
BackgroundMepolizumab blocks IL-5, targeting eosinophilic type-2 inflammation. Due to existing phenotype driven patient selection, evidence of its effectiveness in primary diffuse CRS and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) and in real-world populations …
BackgroundPediatric myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart with heterogeneous clinical presentations and poorly understood immune mechanisms. T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire profiling provides insights into disease-associated adaptive imm…
IntroductionIonizing radiation causes severe gastrointestinal injury. B-1a cells, predominantly located in the peritoneal cavity (PerC), play a critical role in maintaining tissue homeostasis through the secretion of cytokines and natural antibodies. W…
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent synovial inflammation and progressive joint destruction. Recent advances reveal that immune cell metabolism plays a pivotal role in shaping RA pathogenesis. Aberrant …
by Shen, C., Liu, C., Hu, D., Ge, H., Li, C., Qin, R., Zhao, X., Wang, Y., Niu, H.
Background
Crosstalk between inflammation and the immune system plays an important role in tumor malignant progression, immune evasion, and immunotherapy efficacy. This study aims to explore the significance of inflammation-associated gene ribosomal-b…
J Clin Immunol. 2026 Feb 3. doi: 10.1007/s10875-025-01978-9. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is successful in pediatric patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI), but its use in adults is complicated by pre-existing organ damage and increased risk of treatment-related mortality. Ex vivo graft engineering using αβTCR/CD19 depletion … Read more
Mechanism of action of the intestinal microbiota on CNS autoimmune diseases. Environmental factors shape gut microbiota composition; dysbiosis alters microbial metabolites and antigenic signals. These modulate innate and adaptive immunity, affect barrier integrity, and influence CNS-resident cells such as microglia and astrocytes, contributing to immune-mediated CNS pathology. Multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), … Read more
Phagocytosis of yeast activates recruitment of proteases and trafficking factors from the secretory and endosomal pathways to the IRAP compartment and subsequently phagosomes, promoting cross-presentation. In the absence of Sec22b, IRAP endosome and phagosome maturation to late endosomes is accelerated. ABSTRACT MHC class I (MHC-I) cross-presentation involves final proteolytic peptide processing by the endosomal insulin-regulated … Read more
We identified RANK (TNFRSF11a) expression in human thymic FOXP3+ Tregs, revealing a previously unknown role for the RANK-RANKL axis in human tTreg development. We show that IL-2 and IL-15 can drive RANK expression in CD4+ tTregs, which in turn may modulate their maturation and proliferation within the thymic environment. Created in BioRender. Biorender, I. (2026) … Read more
Our cover features images related to flow cytometry techniques widely used for analysis of function and phenotypes of major human and murine immune cell subsets, superimposed on a multidimensional immune cell population scatter plot. These images are taken from the third edition of EJI’s Flow Cytometry Guidelines by Cossarizza et al., a comprehensive resource prepared … Read more
Specific pro-inflammatory cytokines destabilize CD8+ Tregs, altering their phenotype and reducing FOXP3 expression. Enforced FOXP3 expression, or the upregulation of its molecular regulators, partially protects CD8+ Tregs from inflammatory disruption, restoring their phenotype and maintaining suppressive function under inflammatory conditions. ABSTRACT Cell therapy using regulatory T cells (Tregs) holds therapeutic promise in immune-mediated diseases, but … Read more
Fibrosis is a major cause of biomedical device failure. Recent advances identify SPP1+ macrophages as pivotal regulators of this process. These cells derive from CCR2+ monocytes, adopt a lipid-associated macrophage-like phenotype, and terminally differ…
Bradykinin (BK) is a biologically active nanopeptide that plays a crucial role within the kallikrein–kinin system (KKS), a complex network involved in the regulation of vascular tone, epithelial cell ion transport, vascular permeability, mucosal secret…
Recovery from a variety of surgical treatments, including arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and anterior cruciate ligament restoration, depends heavily on tendon-bone healing. There is mounting evidence that the polarisation of macrophages, namely M2 po…
BackgroundAlthough the existence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) has been extensively documented as a risk factor for thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and recurrent miscarriage, their contribution to renal damage in the context of the systemic …
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), has an important pathogenesis that lies in the self-amplifying inflammatory circuit formed by bidirectional interactions between dendritic cells (DCs) and …
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes extensive global morbidity and rising rates of invasive disease, for which clinical outcomes remain poor despite antibiotic treatment of susceptible strains. This limitation of current therapy underscores the need for…
Excessive cytokine production is a major complication in severe COVID-19. Treatment with antiviral drugs often elicits a bitter taste through activation of bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs). Since ectopically expressed TAS2Rs can alter cytokine secretion…
Among all malignant tumors, liver cancer is highly common, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stands as its most frequently seen pathological form. The majority of HCC patients are difficult to be detected or treated at an early stage. Concurrently, th…
BackgroundExposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases asthma severity and reduces glucocorticoid responsiveness in children, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying PM2.5 sensitivity remain unclear. We previously identified a PM2.5-sensitive …
