Initial specificity is thought to be required for somatic hypermutation (SHM)-driven antibody evolution. Zuo, Gautam, et al. demonstrate that non-cognate B cells can enter germinal centers, undergo SHM, and acquire new antigen specificities, highlighti…
Butyrophilin (BTN) receptor complexes sense phosphoantigens (pAgs) and activate Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Zhu et al. demonstrate that pAgs induce inside-out stabilization of BTN receptor complexes, promoting Vγ9Vδ2 T…
Single-cell sequencing technologies have revealed the transcriptional diversity of microglia, the brain-resident macrophage population. In this issue, Stevens and colleagues discuss how microglia adapt to different brain contexts and how this shapes th…
The immune and sensory nervous systems work in concert to defend against threats and maintain homeostasis. In this issue of Immunity, Ugolini and colleagues review how immune signals activate specialized sensory neuron subtypes, triggering the release …
Immunotherapy for gliomas holds great promise, but overcoming current barriers to therapeutic success requires deeper understanding of the unique immunological niche of the CNS and the extensive crosstalk between brain, immune, and malignant cells. In …
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) share immune-related mechanisms such as microglial activation, amyloid beta deposits, and complement dysregulation, yet also involve distinct tissue-specific responses. Butovsky and Ro…
In this review, Prinz and Frosch describe how the central nervous system is partitioned into distinct immune niches, each hosting unique myeloid cell populations that shape disease outcomes. They highlight novel cellular and molecular strategies to mod…
Specialized immune cells called border-associated macrophages (BAMs) guard the brain’s outer tissues, where they help maintain homeostasis and protect against disease. In this review, Vara-Pérez and Movahedi explore how BAMs develop, how they can be cl…
Microglia play a crucial role in regulating proper brain formation, with their activity being both spatially and temporally controlled. Matteoli and colleagues summarize the known interactions between microglia and various brain cell types during late …
Recent discoveries of glymphatics and meningeal lymphatics have redefined our understanding of CNS immunosurveillance. Kim and Kipnis illustrate how the clearance of brain-derived antigens creates an “immune code” that, when presented by meningeal anti…
