The Journal of Immunology

J Immunol. 2026 May 14;215(5):vkag097. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag097. ABSTRACT While the majority of self-reactive CD4+ T cells are deleted or become Foxp3+ regulatory T cells during thymic development, some self-reactive conventional Foxp3- T cells escape to the secondary lymphoid organs early in life. The induction of anergy in such potentially autoreactive T cells has been proposed … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 May 14;215(5):vkag042. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag042. ABSTRACT Nucleolar protein 16 (NOP16) has been increasingly implicated in promoting tumorigenesis and was recently identified as a novel epigenetic regulator. However, its physiological role in nonmalignant cells remains poorly understood. Although NOP16 is ubiquitously expressed across various tissues and cell types, we found it to be preferentially … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 May 14;215(5):vkag068. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag068. ABSTRACT Lung tissue-resident CD8+ T cells facilitate viral clearance and protective immunity to influenza viruses in animal models. Their role during acute human infection is not clear. Here we use bronchoalveolar lavage samples collected from human subjects naturally infected with influenza B virus to show that influenza-specific CD8+ … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 May 14;215(5):vkag100. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag100. ABSTRACT Lupus nephritis (LN), a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, is characterized by progressive renal inflammation and tissue injury. To define molecular mechanisms underlying LN progression, we analyzed temporal and spatial transcriptomic profiles in kidneys of lupus-prone New Zealand Black/White F1 mice at 10, 20, and 30 … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 May 14;215(5):vkag090. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag090. ABSTRACT Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are key mediators of lung function and are potential targets for therapies during respiratory infections. TGFβ is an important regulator of AM differentiation and maintenance, but how TGFβ directly modulates the innate immune responses of AMs remains unclear. This shortcoming prevents effective targeting of … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 May 14;215(5):vkag065. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag065. ABSTRACT As the most abundantly farmed freshwater fish species, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) faces a serious threat from Aeromonas hydrophila infection, underscoring the critical need to understand the genetic basis of disease resistance for selective breeding. This study deciphered the functional association and mechanism between polymorphisms in the … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 May 14;215(5):vkag070. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag070. ABSTRACT During the response to infections and pathogenic challenges, T cells must expand profoundly and be resilient to repetitive restimulation to clear the ongoing assault and protect the host. This process of prolific expansion is tightly regulated to quickly provide a robust pool of pathogen-fighting T cells, yet … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 May 14;215(5):vkag096. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag096. ABSTRACT Following acute viral infection, naïve CD4+ T cells differentiate into T helper 1 (Th1) and T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. The transcription factor Ets1 represses Tfh cell formation and function following protein immunization; however, whether Ets1 regulates Tfh differentiation in viral infection is unclear. Here, we demonstrate … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Apr 15;215(4):vkag087. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag087. ABSTRACT Monotherapies for lupus nephritis (LN) often fail to fully control the disease’s hallmark, renal inflammation and immune complex deposition. This study investigates a novel combination therapeutic strategy using urolithin A (UA), a multifaceted anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, with cyclosporine A (CsA), an established immunosuppressant. The combination therapy’s … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Apr 15;215(4):vkag093. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag093. ABSTRACT Major histocompatibility complex class II molecules present exogenous antigen-derived peptide to CD4+ T cells leading to T cell activation as well as signaling into the antigen-presenting cell. Class II is an αβ heterodimer that forms 2 distinct conformers via differential pairing of transmembrane domain GxxxG motifs (i.e. … Read more