The Journal of Immunology

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag154. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag154. ABSTRACT The postnatal T‑cell pool comprises cells at diverse developmental stages, complicating efforts to resolve T‑cell differentiation, maturation, and long‑term adaptation. To address this challenge, we developed Rag1‑mediated time-stamp tracing, a genetic strategy that enables time‑resolved tracking of T‑cell developmental origins. We validate the specificity and temporal resolution … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag172. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag172. ABSTRACT The growing food allergy epidemic is thought to be related to changing environmental factors, particularly changes in the gut microbiome. While prior work has demonstrated that food allergy can be modulated by gut microbes, little is known about how food allergen-specific CD4+ T cells are affected by … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag173. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag173. ABSTRACT Anti-TNF and anti-IL-12/IL-23 are commonly used therapies for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although several studies have shown intact T cell responses following 2 to 3 doses of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in biologics treated IMID patients, our group … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jul 10;215(7):vkag205. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag205. ABSTRACT Our laboratory has previously described a mouse model (CD40LΔ5) that produces 60% of wild-type CD40L due to a targeted deletion in an RNA binding site within the CD40L message. The CD40LΔ5 mutation, which destabilizes CD40L mRNA during T-cell activation, causes disrupted germinal center (GC) formation, leading to … Read more

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