The Journal of Immunology

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag235. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag235. ABSTRACT SARS-CoV-2 has continued to evolve over time, necessitating the adaptation of vaccines to maintain efficacy. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 were a key line of defense for unvaccinated or immunocompromised individuals. However, these mAbs are now ineffective against current SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we tested 3 aspects of … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag201. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag201. ABSTRACT The invariant chain (Ii) trimerizes in the endoplasmic reticulum and swiftly associates with nascent alpha and beta chains of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) molecules. Ii was ascribed many roles pertaining to the antigen presentation capacity of MHCII molecules. The lack of Ii in knockout mice … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag223. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag223. ABSTRACT Neuropathic pain (NP) is a refractory clinical disorder in which microglial pyroptosis plays a crucial role, yet the epigenetic regulation by lysine demethylase 4A (KDM4A) remains unclear. In this study, chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat models were established, and KDM4A was knocked down to evaluate its effects … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag214. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag214. ABSTRACT The human T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is generated in the thymus through a process of recombination involving two gene loci, TRA and TRB, and the pairing of the resulting peptide chains. Because of the lack of allelic exclusion in TRA loci, it is possible for a … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag213. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag213. ABSTRACT The complex and sophisticated sea urchin innate immune system relies on conserved immune receptor and effector molecules plus the euechinoid-specific Transformer family. Native SpTransformer (natSpTrf) proteins in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus respond to immune challenge by augmenting phagocytosis of microbes. These proteins show significant sequence diversity both within and … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag229. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag229. ABSTRACT CD4+ T cell dysfunction plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we investigated the expression, phenotypic characteristics, and potential clinical significance of CD55, a membrane-bound complement regulatory protein, in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from RA patients. Flow cytometric analysis … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag236. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag236. ABSTRACT The programmed death ligand 1/programmed cell death 1 (PD-L1/PD-1) serves as a critical immune checkpoint in T cell-mediated immune responses, playing a central role in maintaining peripheral immune tolerance and homeostasis. Although early vertebrates lack a PD-1 homolog and they retain PD-L1, the functional significance and regulatory … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag191. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag191. ABSTRACT Metastatic disease is the prime cause of death from many malignancies. Due to the multiple different lesions and the increased aggressiveness of the cancer cells, metastatic disease is often difficult to treat. Here, the introduction of immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) has greatly helped to improve patients’ prognosis … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag231. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag231. ABSTRACT Antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) are critical effectors of humoral immunity, wherein their distinct isotypes play specialized roles in pathogen defense. Despite studies defining the transcriptional programs of selected ASC isotypes, specific mechanisms underlying isotype-specific gene regulation are largely unaddressed. Here, we performed an integrated multiomics analysis (RNA sequencing, … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Aug 4;215(8):vkag152. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag152. ABSTRACT The gastrointestinal pathogen Clostridioides difficile is a major burden for health systems due to high rates of recurrence. C. difficile pathogenesis is mediated by two virulence factors, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB). Antibodies specific for TcdA and TcdB are correlated with protection from symptomatic recurrence; … Read more