Journal of Leukocyte Biology

J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Jan 29:qiag012. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag012. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Novel leukolectin-proteins (LL-proteins) are present in multiple lower vertebrates. LL-proteins (∼255 AAs) possess five TECPR-domains spanning 4/5 of conserved AA-sequences, and are detected in dermal lectocytes, (primitive and tissue resident) macrophages and some leukocytes. Hatched fish embryos employ secreted LL-proteins for innate … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Jan 28:qiag014. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag014. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are part of a T cell subset that is activated upon presentation of B2 vitamin (riboflavin) metabolites by the major histocompatibility complex, class I related (MR1) protein. Though there is a clear relationship between microbial production … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Jan 28:qiag015. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag015. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT γδ T cells are enriched at barrier sites such as skin, gut and lung, where they protect against cancer and infections, and promote healing. They detect diverse ligands in T cell receptor-dependent or independent manners, producing large quantities of pro-inflammatory cytokines. γδ … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2025 Dec 26;118(1):qiaf186. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiaf186. ABSTRACT Neutrophils have recently been demonstrated to play a variable role in cancer progression, likely due to adaptability to environmental signals that influence neutrophil phenotype and function. In the tumor microenvironment, tumor-derived prostaglandin E2 is well established as a major suppressor of immune cell function and facilitates … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2025 Dec 26;118(1):qiaf162. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiaf162. ABSTRACT Antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) provide the foundation for protective humoral immunity following infection or vaccination. Recent advances have revealed substantial phenotypic complexity within the ASC compartment, associated with diverse functional states and differentiation stages. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM, CD326) has emerged as a marker of mature … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Jan 19:qiag011. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag011. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Age-related decline in neutrophil function reduces vaccine protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae. In vaccinated hosts, neutrophil activation via complement and Fcγ receptors mediates bacterial uptake and killing. Mechanisms behind age-related changes in signaling of these receptors is unknown. Using neutrophils from young and … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Jan 19:qiag006. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag006. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Neutrophils release their chromatin with toxic granular proteins as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) when activated. Diabetes exacerbates NET formation (NETosis), resulting in tissue damage and diabetic complications such as non-healing wounds. How diabetes predisposes neutrophils to NETosis remains unclear. Herein, we found … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Jan 17:qiaf185. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiaf185. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Extravasation control of leukocytes and their functional fates are crucial to maintain tissue homeostasis. Leukocyte lineage origin regulates these processes that blood monocytes derived from PDGFRα+ embryonic progenitors (PDGFRα-lineage) extravasate more efficiently to inflamed skin than non-PDGFRα-lineage cells. Here we elucidated the … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Jan 16:qiag004. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag004. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Expression of the Csf1r gene in mice is restricted to cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system and placental trophoblasts. A conserved element (Csf1r upstream regulatory element A, CUREA) in the mouse Csf1r locus contains transcription start sites utilised by trophoblasts and osteoclasts … Read more

J Leukoc Biol. 2026 Jan 14:qiag010. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiag010. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT As the barrier between the contents of the intestines and the rest of the body, intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) occupy a crucial niche for the health of the organism. They are responsible for nutrient absorption and transfer, barrier maintenance, and interactions with … Read more