The Journal of Immunology

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag131. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag131. ABSTRACT Type I interferons (IFNs) are central antiviral cytokines in vertebrates, yet the mechanisms underlying their functional diversification in early vertebrates remain unclear. Teleost fish, whose IFN repertoires expanded through whole-genome duplication, provide a powerful model to address this question. Here, we systematically characterize grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag136. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag136. ABSTRACT Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are capable suppressors of aberrant self-reactivity. However, how differences in affinity and specificity may support Treg function compared with autoimmune T cell function remains unresolved. In this study, we analyzed the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires of the regulatory and effector T … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag132. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag132. ABSTRACT The finTRIM (FTR) subfamily, a group of fish-specific tripartite motif proteins, has arisen through gene duplication events specific to particular genera or species. However, the regulatory mechanisms of FTR in antiviral immune response remains largely unknown. In the present study, we identified a fish novel tripartite motif … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag094. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag094. ABSTRACT MR1 is a non-polymorphic, ubiquitously expressed, MHC class I-like antigen-presenting molecule that presents small-molecule metabolites to T cells. Studies have shown that MR1 plays a role in microbial infection, inflammation, and tumor immunity. The antigens it presents include metabolites of microbial and self-origin as well as small-molecule … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag134. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag134. ABSTRACT Gamma delta (γδ) T cells undergo a distinct developmental pathway within the thymus, where transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) exerts pivotal regulatory influence. However, the precise mechanistic contributions of TGF-β to γδ T cells differentiation and functional maturation remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that TGF-β regulates … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag157. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag157. ABSTRACT The complement system and natural killer (NK) cells play crucial roles in tumor growth and metastasis. The role of the complement system in affecting the phenotype and anti-tumor function of NK cells remains poorly understood. Using the B16F10 mouse melanoma model, we demonstrated that NK cells from … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag169. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag169. ABSTRACT Interferons (IFNs) affect almost all nucleated cells and induce transcriptional events that are associated with control of intracellular infections as well as regulatory pathways that influence inflammatory processes. How different hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cell types interpret these signals is a reflection of cellular context and function. For … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag165. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag165. ABSTRACT Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in which cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play pivotal roles in shaping therapeutic responses. Among these, MHC-II-expressing antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs) modulate CD4 T-cell activity, yet their contribution to the antitumor immune response remains unclear. Using tumor clones … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag158. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag158. ABSTRACT In human melanoma, tumor cell-specific MHC class II expression is associated with improved response to programmed death 1 and programmed death-ligand 1 blockade; yet the direct effect of melanoma cell-specific MHC class II expression on anti-melanoma T cell responses remains largely unknown. In the clinically relevant Yale … Read more

J Immunol. 2026 Jun 7;215(6):vkag127. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkag127. ABSTRACT Downregulation of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) has been implicated in autophagic cell death. However, how ENPP1 regulates the interplay between autophagy and ferroptosis to maintain trophoblast homeostasis in the context of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unclear. To determine ENPP1’s role in autophagy-dependent ferroptosis and its contribution … Read more