The Journal of Immunology

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag202. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag202. ABSTRACT Effector gene expression in CD8+ T cells is tightly controlled at the epigenetic and transcriptional levels; however, crucial regulatory signals remain incompletely understood. In this study, we identify dual specificity phosphatase 2 (DUSP2) as a key epigenetic modulator of effector CD8+ T-cell state, by elucidating inhibition of … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag204. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag204. ABSTRACT Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic innate lymphoid cells that play a critical role in tumor surveillance by releasing proinflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic granules. NKp44 is an activating receptor that promotes NK cell secretion of TNF and IFN-γ upon engaging platelet-derived growth factor D (PDGF-DD), a ligand … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag194. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag194. ABSTRACT The TNF‑like cytokine TL1A is a key regulator of immune responses through engagement of its receptor, death receptor 3 (DR3), and has emerged as a therapeutic target in inflammatory diseases. Prevailing models propose that TL1A binding initiates recruitment of adaptor proteins to DR3, leading to downstream signaling. … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag196. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag196. ABSTRACT Influenza B infection is an important source of morbidity and mortality, especially in vulnerable populations such as children. Improved vaccines and antiviral therapeutics are hindered by gaps in knowledge about influenza B viruses (IBVs). We examined the immune responses in the lung, at the kinetic interface between … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag211. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag211. ABSTRACT Obesity increases cancer incidence and aggressiveness but is paradoxically associated with improved response to immunotherapy. Here, we show that intratumoral levels of leptin (LEP), a factor contributing to the development of obesity, predict improved outcomes of breast and liver cancers. In contrast, these levels of LEP are … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag203. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag203. ABSTRACT The innate immune system can detect infection, tissue damage, and other homeostatic disruptions to initiate an immune response, drive inflammation, and promote programmed cell death. While these responses can be beneficial in host defense, aberrant activation of inflammatory, lytic cell death pathways can be pathogenic. Emerging evidence … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag175. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag175. ABSTRACT The adaptor protein SLP-76 plays a critical role in T-cell receptor signaling and immune activation, yet its relevance in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear. Although calcineurin inhibitors such as cyclosporine A (CsA) are used in severe ulcerative colitis, voclosporin (VCS), a novel calcineurin inhibitor approved for … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag197. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag197. ABSTRACT Platelets are small, anucleate cells derived from megakaryocytes and are known for their essential role in hemostasis. Over the past decade, they have also emerged as important immune modulators, able to affect viral replication and leukocyte behavior. Most studies on platelets and viral infections have been focused … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag190. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag190. ABSTRACT Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a curative immunotherapy for hematologic malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia, primarily through graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effects mediated by donor T cells. However, up to 60% of recipients develop graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), with intestinal involvement being a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag192. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag192. ABSTRACT Human leukocyte antigen class II genes are highly polymorphic. This raises the question of how polymorphisms are distributed across the entirety of the class II molecule and how this distribution affects function. We performed a comprehensive analysis of amino acid variability across the entire class II molecule, … Read more