Powerful interferon (IFN)-I-producing capacity distinguishes plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) from related innate cells. Adams et al. find that, during pDC development, the locus encoding IFN-I genes acquires a unique intranuclear localization and c…
Type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are key antigen-presenting cells and have been implicated in the induction of peripheral tolerance, yet how cDC1s actively enforce immune tolerance remains unclear. In a recent issue of Nature, Zhang et al. p…
Defining the antigen specificity of T cell receptors (TCRs) remains a significant barrier to understanding adaptive immunity in various pathologies. In this issue of Immunity, Gaglione et al. report the development of TCRAFT, a novel platform that enab…
Immunotherapeutic approaches to brain aging remain largely preclinical and in early translational stages, and they have focused mostly on modulating innate immunity. In this issue of Immunity, Negredo et al. identify T cells bearing exhaustion-like sig…
Tissue inflammation introduces unique, and often harsh, environments for immune cells. During allergic airway inflammation, pathogenic ILC2s proliferate robustly and drive pathology, but how do they overcome the nutrient-depleted environment? In this i…
Microglia display remarkable plasticity, with their cellular states evolving in response to developmental stage, regional context, and environmental or pathological stimuli. In this issue of Immunity, Hamagami et al. demonstrate that adaptive reconfigu…
The function of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk gene INPP5D in microglia remains unclear. Xie et al. identify INPP5D as a direct regulator of RIPK1 kinase, known to be implicated in mediating neuroinflammation. They show that INPP5D deficiency in agi…
Adaptive programming in lymphocytes during infection depends on when—not just whether—they sense antigen and proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-12. Grassmann et al. reveal that AP-1/STAT4 cooperation links signal timing to lymphocyte fate, tuning CD8…
Meningeal B cells are increasingly recognized as active players at the brain border. Chen and Xu review recent advances in understanding their heterogeneity, developmental origins, spatial organization, and diverse functions in health and disease, and …
The recent transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus H5N1 from cattle to humans underscores its pandemic risk. Daniel, Ullrich, et al. reveal that H5-naive individuals possess low but detectable H5-reactive and neutralizing IgG antibodi…
