Journal of Immunology

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 12:vkaf317. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf317. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Human macrophages (MΦs) reside in tissues and develop tissue-specific identities. While studies in mice have identified molecular signatures for site-specific MΦ differentiation, less is known about the transcriptional profiles of human MΦs in distinct sites, including mucosal tissues and lymphoid organs during homeostasis … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 12:vkaf298. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf298. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Pregnancy is characterized by dynamic immunological adaptations which are essential for maintaining both maternal and fetal health. The first-time use of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in pregnant individuals presented an opportunity to discover pregnancy-specific immunoproteomic signatures across gestation. In this study, we … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 11:vkaf221. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf221. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Tristetraprolin (TTP) is an anti-inflammatory protein that mediates messenger RNA (mRNA) decay of certain transcripts, especially those encoding proinflammatory cytokines. TTP modulates various pathological outcomes in diverse inflammatory diseases; however, its role in ozone (O3)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) has never been tested. … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 10:vkaf297. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf297. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Enhancing regulatory T cell (Treg) function offers a compelling therapeutic strategy for autoimmune disease. Engineered IL-2 muteins selectively expand functional Tregs with minimal impact on other immune cells, but their potential to compromise antiviral immunity remains largely unexplored. Here, we used a murine … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 10:vkaf303. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf303. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Regulatory T cell (Treg)-biased IL-2/anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibody complexes (IL-2c) can preferentially deliver IL-2 to CD25+ Tregs, causing proliferation of Tregs that is potentially advantageous in transplantation. We tested the ability of IL-2c to prolong murine cardiac allograft survival. C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice received fully … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 8:vkaf325. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf325. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Freshwater crayfish as most aquatic crustaceans live for up to 20-30 years on the bottom of lakes and rivers, constantly exposed to millions of microorganisms. Consequently, they must have an effective immune system to combat and eliminate pathogens. The main immune cells are … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 6:vkaf302. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf302. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Candidozyma auris (formerly Candida auris) is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogenic fungus that has rapidly spread across the world. Due to the high frequency of multidrug-resistant strains and mortality rate, C. auris is considered a critical health threat by the Centers for Disease Control … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 5:vkaf324. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf324. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Neutrophils are the first line of defense against fungal infection and other microbial pathogens. Through alternative pathway of complement activation in innate immunity, complement fragments (opsonin) generated promote phagocytosis of the yeast forms of fungal pathogens such as Candida albicans. However, when complement … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 3:vkaf310. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf310. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT IgA-secreting plasma cells (PCs) provide durable humoral immunity by supplying critical antibodies to mucosal and systemic sites. These cells are found in large numbers in the gut lamina propria and the bone marrow (BM). In this study, we found that IgA+ PCs in … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Dec 2:vkaf318. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf318. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Helper T cells (CD4 T cells) are lynchpins of adaptive immune responses. Each CD4 T cell expresses a single T-cell receptor, recognizing an epitope presented by major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II). Due to the enormous diversity of the T-cell repertoire, it is … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 29:vkaf290. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf290. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT As the key component of the complement system, C3 plays important roles in complement activation to regulate phagocytosis, lyse cells, mediate inflammation, and clear immune complexes. In the present study, CgC3 in the cell-free hemolymph of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas was found … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 1;214(11):2809-2811. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf232. ABSTRACT This Pillars of Immunology article is a commentary on “A B-cell subset uniquely responsive to innate stimuli accumulates in aged mice,” a pivotal article written by Hao Y, O’Neill P, Naradikian MS, Scholz JL, and Cancro MP, and published in Blood in 2011 (PMID: 21562046; PMCID: PMC3152496). … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 25:vkaf323. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf323. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) has been linked to various neutrophil functions, but the intracellular mechanisms underlying its modulation are unknown. Neutrophils are essential cells for host defense. Neutrophil effector functions include migration, neutrophil extracellular trap production (NETosis), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 25:vkaf320. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf320. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Organ transplantation is a life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure but requires lifelong immunosuppression that can result in significant complications. Achieving stable and durable donor-specific tolerance, whereby immunosuppression can be stopped without precipitating graft rejection, holds the promise to circumvent these … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 22:vkaf316. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf316. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The extracellular fibrinogen-binding protein (Efb) is one of nearly a dozen proteins secreted by Staphylococcus aureus to inhibit complement activation or amplification. The C-terminal domain of Efb (Efb-C) forms a high-affinity interaction with the thioester-containing domain of C3b (TED/C3d), thereby blocking formation of … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 20:vkaf312. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf312. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Peptide-based therapeutic vaccines exploit cross-presentation by dendritic cells for the induction of effective T cell responses. Their clinical success, however, has been limited due to incomplete understanding of antigen processing and presentation (APP). Bioorthogonal chemistry (BOC) uses chemical “click” reactions that can be … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 20:vkaf294. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf294. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), comprising species such as M. tuberculosis, M. africanum, and M. canettii, is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. MTBC strains exhibit genetic diversity that influences host-pathogen interactions, immune evasion, and disease … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 18:vkaf314. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf314. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a lethal malignancy resistant to therapy including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). We previously showed that ICB selects for pancreatic tumor cells that are defective in IFN-γ-inducible MHC-I, prompting us to test the impact of IL-15 complex (IL-15C) in … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 16:vkaf287. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf287. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Assigning antigen specificity to T cell receptor (TCR) sequences is challenging due to the TCR repertoire’s diversity and the complexity of TCR-antigen recognition. We developed the peptide-driven identification of TCRs (PDI-TCR) assay that combines in vitro expansion of cells with peptide pools, bulk … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 15:vkaf311. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf311. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Interferon regulatory factors 3 and 7 (IRF3 and IRF7, respectively), which serve as key transcription factors in interferon (IFN) activation, are tightly regulated by a variety of mechanisms, including multiple posttranslational modifications, to fulfill their normal physiological functions. Nevertheless, the methylation-mediated regulation of … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 15:vkaf146. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf146. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an intracellular pathogen that employs several strategies to evade the host immune system to establish a favorable niche inside the macrophages. One of the major immune evasion strategies involves induction of T helper 2 (Th2)-type response, which in turn … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 13:vkaf299. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf299. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Memory stem CD8+ T cells (TSCM) are a long-lived T-cell subset with stem cell-like properties, playing a key role in antiviral immunity. Despite their importance, comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic profiling of antigen-specific TSCM has not been previously conducted. In this study, an in vitro … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 11:vkaf301. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf301. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Antigen-specific responses to complex antigens encompass a range of cell states and reactivities to an array of epitopes, reflective of the heterogeneity in immune responses. Single-cell sequencing has created new opportunities when combined with flow cytometry for profiling of immune repertoire and cell … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 11:vkaf273. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf273. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Dendritic cells (DCs) and B lymphocytes produce major histocompatibility complex class II molecules (MHCIIs) in large amounts to maximize the display of peptides and fulfill their antigen-presentation functions. The surface expression of MHCIIs in these cells is regulated via the ubiquitination of a … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 11:vkaf306. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf306. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The sympathetic nervous system modulates immune responses through the release of norepinephrine (NE), yet the dynamics of this signaling differ across lymphoid organs. In this study, we investigated how NE release and α2-adrenergic receptor (α2AR) modulation influence neuroimmune interactions in the spleen and … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 11:vkaf309. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf309. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT STAT3 is pivotal for governing myeloid responses to inflammatory stimuli to prevent hyperinflammation in vivo, yet whether STAT3 mediates pathogen control and clearance by myeloid cells remains unclear. In this study, we identified significant enrichment of IFN-stimulated transcriptional pathways in Stat3-deficient bone marrow-derived … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 10:vkaf292. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf292. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming biotechnology and playing a key role in bioeconomy. One of the most important measurement capabilities at the forefront of biotechnology innovations is flow cytometry (FCM), a high-throughput, single-cell analysis platform technology. However, the quality … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 10:vkaf300. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf300. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) promotes the survival of commensal bacteria while it inhibits the invasion by pathogens. Bacterial coating may be mediated by antigen-specific IgA recognition, polyreactivity, and/or by the IgA-associated glycans. We compared human polyclonal secretory SIgA both in vitro and in … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 9:vkaf260. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf260. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are highly conserved innate-like T cells in mammals recognized for their high baseline frequency in human blood and cytotoxic effector functions during infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer. While the majority of these cells in humans express a conserved … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 9:vkaf280. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf280. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Cigarette smoke is the primary cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an incurable condition characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction and alveolar destruction driven by chronic inflammation of the lungs and airways. The inflammatory response caused by cigarette smoke is typified by the … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 6:vkaf218. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf218. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Increasing evidence indicates that invertebrates have the immune adaptive abilities, which is commonly known as “immune priming”. However, the mechanism of immune priming is believed to be rather complicated, and it has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, in the oysters … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 7:vkaf262. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf262. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Human whole blood (WB) immunophenotyping may represent the in vivo immunological state with better fidelity than artificially isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We used a deep phenomics modeling approach to elucidate the quantitative differences in major immune cell lineages in WB and … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 4:vkaf293. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf293. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Activation of natural killer (NK) cells by transformed targets requires the engagement of activating receptors and commonly a concomitant loss of inhibitory signaling. While the coactivating receptor DNAM-1 is involved in NK cell recognition of tumors expressing the nectin-like molecule CD155, in many … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 3:vkaf295. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf295. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe inflammatory lung disorder triggered by pneumonia, sepsis, trauma, and COVID-19, leading to high mortality. In this study, we investigated the effect of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a potent ligand, on LPS-induced … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 2:vkaf284. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf284. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT FcɛR1γ is a transmembrane adaptor protein that regulates the activating receptors NKp30, NKp46, and CD16 expression and function in human natural killer (NK) cells. HLA-E expression by cancer cells suppresses NK cell function through interaction with NKG2A. Here, we engineered human NK cells … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Nov 1:vkaf289. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf289. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an oral therapy approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, and it is known to reduce disease severity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Because self-reactive Th17 lymphocytes are thought to become activated in the gut before migrating to … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 31:vkaf250. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf250. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Cellular immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematologic malignancies yet has had limited success in the solid tumor microenvironment (TME). While insufficient nutrients can lead to T cell metabolic stress in the TME, the glutamine antagonist DON can paradoxically enhance antitumor immunity. Because … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 31:vkaf265. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf265. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Germinal centers (GCs) are specialized sites in lymphoid tissues where antigen-specific B cells undergo proliferation, affinity maturation, and differentiation into high-affinity memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells following immunization or infection. The specific signals and mechanisms that are involved in GC B … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 1;214(10):2523-2534. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf235. ABSTRACT Maternal immunity is critical for neonatal defense during early life, when infants are highly susceptible to infection. Antibodies transferred across the placenta or through breast milk not only provide immediate protection but also shape immune development. Defining the mechanisms and outcomes of this passive protection is essential … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 1;214(10):2494-2503. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf119. ABSTRACT While studies with laboratory rodent models have defined molecular and cellular components of the human immune system, experiments in these small mammals can’t capture all aspects of human immunity. This review focuses on immunologic research in large and agricultural species, highlighting how understanding immunity in a range … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 1;214(10):2515-2522. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf244. ABSTRACT Rodent models for evaluating new cancer immunotherapies often fail to fully recapitulate the complexity of immune interactions that occur in cancer patients. Companion dogs with spontaneously developing cancers more closely resemble humans immunologically than rodents. This resemblance results in part because their immune systems have been educated … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 1;214(10):2504-2514. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf231. ABSTRACT Infection of eastern North American woodchucks (Marmota monax) with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) represents the most valuable immunopathogenic model of hepatitis type B that, like in humans, can advance stepwise from acute hepatitis to chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or become self-resolving and persist as a … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 1;214(10):2489-2491. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf163. NO ABSTRACT PMID:41169233 | DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf163

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 1;214(10):2535-2542. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf236. ABSTRACT While rodent models remain foundational in biomedical research for their manipulability, genetics, and reproducibility, spontaneous diseases in companion animals provide relevant models to study naturally occurring conditions. Pathogenic processes underlying diseases in humans and dogs are similar or identical, which exemplifies the One Health concept. Companion animals … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 1;214(10):2492-2493. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf238. NO ABSTRACT PMID:41169231 | DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf238

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 30:vkaf276. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf276. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Influenza is a significant public health and economic threat around the world. Although pneumonia is the most common complication associated with influenza, there are several clinical reports showing an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that influenza infection correlates with increased … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 30:vkaf263. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf263. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The National Institutes of Health-funded IMPACC (IMmunoPhenotyping Assessment in a COVID-19 Cohort) evaluated longitudinal clinical and immunological features of human patients hospitalized for COVID-19. This study focuses on comparing the novel NULISAseq assay with the Olink platform using a subset of participants to … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 30:vkaf286. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf286. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccines varies across age groups, even in individuals with strong antibody responses. Since protection against influenza virus infection also involves cellular immunity, identifying immune markers beyond neutralizing antibodies is crucial for informing the design of next-generation vaccines. Participants … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 30:vkaf271. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf271. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Septic peritonitis (SP) is a severe infectious complication associated with high morbidity and mortality. The role of microRNAs, particularly endothelial progenitor cell-derived exosomal miRNA-31 (EPC-ExosmiR-31), in modulating inflammatory pathways in SP has garnered scholars’ attention. However, its precise role and mechanism of action … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 29:vkaf277. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf277. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1)-mediated mitophagy, a classic mechanism underlying the elimination of damaged mitochondria, plays a crucial role in the immune evasion of bacteria. In the present study, we found that Edwardsiella piscicida, an intracellular pathogenic bacterium that infects fish, could induce PINK1-mediated … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 29:vkaf258. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf258. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Endosomal toll-like receptors TLR7 and TLR8 are critical sensors of microbial RNA that initiate antiviral and antibacterial immune responses through type I interferon (IFN) and proinflammatory cytokine production. While TIRAP is traditionally associated with plasma membrane TLR signaling, recent evidence suggests that it … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 29:vkaf291. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf291. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The establishment of memory T cell responses is critical to protection against pathogens and is influenced by the conditions under which memory formation occurs. Iron is an essential micronutrient for multiple immunologic processes and nutritional deficiency is a common problem worldwide. Despite its … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 28:vkaf285. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf285. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) signaling suppresses the activation of key inflammatory genes in Toll-like receptor (TLR) stimulated macrophages, but Il1b transcription is activated by β2AR signaling. The β2ARs potently activate protein kinase A and CREB, but other signaling pathways can also be activated, … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 28:vkaf288. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf288. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The risk of developing melanoma increases with age. Although immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has shown considerable success, a significant portion of melanoma patients either fail to respond to ICB or eventually develop resistance. This leads to the urgent need for exploring novel … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 28:vkaf279. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf279. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Natural killer (NK) cells play essential roles in immunity, but their limited infiltration into solid tumors restricts their therapeutic potential. Here, we identify fibroblast activation protein (FAP), previously thought to be largely fibroblast-restricted, as a novel surface-expressed protease on human NK cells. Using … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 25:vkaf275. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf275. Online ahead of print. NO ABSTRACT PMID:41139928 | DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf275

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 25:vkaf264. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf264. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The liver contains a diverse repertoire of leukocytes, with liver B cells representing a significant population of hepatic immune cells in both newborns and adults. Despite their importance, these cells remain largely unexplored. In this study, we comprehensively characterized liver B cells from … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 23:vkaf256. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf256. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Highly immunodeficient BRGSF mice have proven to be suitable for reconstitution with human cord blood cell-derived CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, enabling the generation of human immune system (HIS) mice. Here, we employ a robust comparative approach utilizing human lung biopsies to characterize the … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 23:vkaf270. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf270. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Nucleoporin 93 (Nup93), a key component of the nuclear pore complex, is involved in various cellular processes, such as immune signaling pathway. In mammals, Nup93 positively regulates the RLR signaling pathway by targeting TBK1 and IRF3. However, the role of Nup93 in teleost … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 17:vkaf274. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf274. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous systemic inflammatory disease predominantly affecting the lungs. It shares histopathological, clinical, and immune features with tuberculosis (TB). There are currently no diagnostic tests to formally identify sarcoidosis; instead, there is a need first to rule out the presence of … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 16:vkaf281. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf281. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT DDX3 and other DEAD-box RNA helicases regulate nuclear export, translation, splicing, and metabolism of RNA. Perturbation of Ddx3x on the mouse X-chromosome in all hematopoietic cells resulted in a loss of natural killer (NK) cells, yet whether DDX3X is important only in progenitors … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 16:vkaf278. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf278. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) is a stress-responsive regulator of protein synthesis implicated in melanoma progression, but its role in tumor immune evasion remains poorly defined. We investigated how eEF2K influences programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression through modulation of Cyclin D1. … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 14:vkaf225. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf225. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Impaired phagocytosis of macrophages was observed in the salivary glands (SGs) of Sjogren’s syndrome (SS). This study aims to investigate the dynamic changes of extracellular high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) within these tissue microenvironments and its roles in macrophage function and subsequent … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 15:vkaf158. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf158. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Pinctada fucata martensii is an economically important mollusk in aquaculture, known for marine pearl production. The inflammatory response during the transplantation process was a key factor affecting pearl yield. Our previous studies have revealed the critical role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) from … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 13:vkaf282. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf282. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT B cells have been shown to be phagocytic under some circumstances. However, the phagocytic capacity of different B-cell subsets and how this is linked to antigen (Ag) presentation or other functions has not been characterized. To address this, we developed 2-µm phagocytic Ag-conjugated … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 12:vkaf249. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf249. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Inflammation has enduring impacts on organismal immunity. However, the precise mechanisms by which tissue-restricted inflammation conditions systemic responses are poorly understood. Here, we leveraged a highly compartmentalized model of skin inflammation and identified a surprising type I interferon (IFN)-mediated activation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 10:vkaf268. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf268. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat. Deep knowledge of the immune responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is crucial for developing effective interventions. Data support that both innate and adaptive CD8+ lymphocytes contribute to protective immunity in Mtb infections, commonly attributed to … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 10:vkaf214. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf214. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Memory CD8+ T cells are essential for long-term protective immunity. Here, we show that activation of p38 MAPK during the primary response of CD8+ T cells orchestrates a delicate balance between the formation of short-lived effector cells and memory precursor effector cells. p38αfl/flp38βfl/flGzmBcre/- … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 10:vkaf272. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf272. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Sepsis followed by multiple organ failure is a leading cause of death in noncoronary intensive care units. While the NLRC4 inflammasome has been shown to play a crucial role in the innate immune response, the role of NLRC4 in sepsis remains unclear. Here, … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 8:vkaf123. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf123. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Vaccination strategies and correlates of protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have predominantly focused on the spike (S) protein and neutralizing antibodies. However, the rapid emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has reduced the effectiveness of spike-based vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. It … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 8:vkaf154. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf154. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) represents a significant threat to cyprinids, particularly common carp (Cyprinus carpio). The disease caused by this virus is characterized by tissue necrosis and petechial hemorrhages. However, the pathogenesis of SVCV infection remains poorly understood. Pyroptosis, a recently … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 6:vkaf269. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf269. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in immunocompromised populations worldwide. Mortality rates range from 5% to 30% in HIV-positive individuals and 4% to 76% in those without HIV. Recognizing its public health impact, the World Health Organization (WHO) … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 3:vkaf224. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf224. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) constitutes 90% of head and neck cancers. HNSCC development is linked to chronic inflammation, while established HNSCC tumors are often immune suppressive. However, both occur through mechanisms that are not fully understood. The cytosolic double-stranded DNA … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 3:vkaf233. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf233. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Fibroblasts participate in inflammatory responses and play a critical role in the switch from acute to persistent inflammation. Whether fibroblast responses are modulated by signals from their microenvironment is not well established. Insulin signaling and insulin resistance modulate responsiveness of innate immune cells … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Oct 1:vkaf223. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf223. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Systemic lupus erythematosus is characterized by activation of many self-reactive B cell clones that produce autoantibodies. This can be modeled using mixed bone marrow chimeras, where autoreactive 564Igi B cells initiate autoimmunity that spreads to wild-type (WT) B cells. The mechanisms controlling the … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 1;214(9):2135-2137. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf178. NO ABSTRACT PMID:41024741 | DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf178

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 30:vkaf266. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf266. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Mucosa-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like T cells abundant in mucosal tissues, liver, and blood. MAIT cells recognize riboflavin metabolite-derived microbial antigens displayed by the MHC-I-related protein (MR1) and respond by producing cytokines, killing infected cells, and suppressing microbial growth. We previously … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 29:vkaf228. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf228. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stands as one of the most prevalent and fatal malignancies globally, posing a persistent challenge in its treatment due to immune evasion. We knocked down MEF2D in HCC cell lines and analyzed HCC tissues and cell lines by RNA sequencing, … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 27:vkaf240. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf240. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases and is upregulated by TNF-α. ITE (2-[1’H-indole-3′-carbonyl]-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester) functions as an endogenous ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and is involved in inflammation. It is still uncertain … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 27:vkaf254. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf254. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells with antigen receptors (TCRs) specific for host peptides suppress autoimmunity. Paradoxically, Treg cells are also found in CD4+ T-cell populations specific for foreign (nonhost) peptides. We investigated the origin and function of these Treg cells in mice. Populations … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 26:vkaf252. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf252. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Tuberculosis (TB), a significant global health issue, needs novel therapeutic approaches to reduce its burden. Studying host-pathogen interactions provides new targets for host-directed therapeutics (HDTs). Nuclear receptors (NRs) are important master regulators of cellular function and bona fide drug targets. Herein, we identify … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 26:vkaf259. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf259. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is a type of adoptive immunotherapy potentially applicable to many types of solid tumors. Although gynecologic malignancies are promising targets for TIL therapy, its objective efficacy has not been established. Current TIL culture typically involves incubation of dissociated samples … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 25:vkaf212. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf212. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Rhesus macaques (RMs) are widely employed as a preclinical model in vaccination and infectious disease studies, yet their B cell immunobiology and immunogenetics remain ill-characterized. In this study, single-cell RNA/VDJ sequencing was conducted on peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 6 RMs to … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 25:vkaf237. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf237. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The rising emergence of antimicrobial-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains necessitates effective therapeutic strategies like antibody-based immunotherapy. Flagellin is crucial in P. aeruginosa infection development. This study evaluated the antibacterial efficacy of bivalent immunoglobulin Y (IgY) raised against both A and B flagellins. IgY’s immunoreactivity … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 24:vkaf251. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf251. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Graft failure (GF) following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains a major complication particularly in the setting of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched grafts where residual host lymphocytes can drive immune-mediated rejection. While strategies to mitigate GF have been explored, such as intensified conditioning … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 22:vkaf247. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf247. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Obexelimab is an investigational, bifunctional humanized monoclonal antibody that inhibits B-lineage cells by binding CD19 via its Fab region and simultaneously co-engaging the inhibitory receptor FcγRIIb through a modified Fc region. Interactions between B cells and T cells specific for the same Ag … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 22:vkaf261. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf261. Online ahead of print. NO ABSTRACT PMID:40981764 | DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf261

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 22:vkaf196. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf196. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT In response to an infection, the host T cell compartment develops immunological memory to ensure rapid responses upon re-infection with the same pathogen. However, these memory responses can also modulate immune reactions to unrelated pathogens through bystander activation. Herein, T cells are activated … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 22:vkaf257. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf257. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Chronic inflammatory diseases are becoming more prevalent in Western countries, yet there is limited research on clinical tools for their cure. Understanding the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract is crucial for managing these diseases, as pathogenic bacteria can lead to inflammation and cancer, … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 16:vkaf239. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf239. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The differentiation of CD8 T cells into effector and memory populations is guided by a combination of antigenic, costimulatory, and cytokine signals. Here we show that, within 24 h of activating naïve CD8 T cells, populations emerge with divergent patterns of interleukin (IL)-2 … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 22:vkaf255. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf255. Online ahead of print. NO ABSTRACT PMID:40981765 | DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf255

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 16:vkaf245. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf245. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common childhood vasculitis. Approximately 25% of KD patients are refractory to standard intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy and frequently develop coronary artery lesions (CAL) that result in long-term complications. Transcriptome studies utilizing blood cells from KD patients and … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 16:vkaf242. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf242. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is a promising approach, earning U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in patients with anti-PD-1-resistant melanoma. Extending TIL therapy to patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), an aggressive and largely immune-refractory cancer, is an emerging area of interest. However, cost and … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 16:vkaf243. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf243. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Disruptor of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L) is an epigenetic regulator that promotes gene expression by methylating lysine 79 on histone H3 and recruits transcription factors to gene targets. DOT1L is also an oncogenic driver in cancers that affect developing lymphocytes, yet how DOT1L … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 16:vkaf197. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf197. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Pulmonary infections often fail to produce long-lived immune memory and the underlying mechanism(s) for this are unclear. Given the complex interactions between cells within the lung, we predicted intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to development of poor memory immune responses. To identify these … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 16:vkaf253. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf253. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a pivotal role in shaping immune responses and therapeutic outcomes in lung cancer, yet the diversity and functional specialization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) remain poorly resolved. Here, we present a refined classification of TAM subtypes across large cohorts … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 15:vkaf227. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf227. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Although the interplay between the complement system, platelets, and neutrophils has been considered a major contributor to inflammation and thrombogenicity, little attention has been directed toward understanding their roles in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). We quantified and compared expression levels … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 15:vkaf246. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf246. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Blood coagulation and immune responses have long been considered as discrete processes. However, recent studies have revealed that mammalian platelets play a critical role in immune regulation in addition to their well-established role in hemostasis. This dual functionality suggests an evolutionary link between … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 15:vkaf200. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf200. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The intestinal mucosa in individuals with chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains a site of viral persistence and immune dysregulation, even with prolonged suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). While biomarkers of mucosal damage and microbial translocation offer valuable correlative insights, the underlying mechanisms … Read more

J Immunol. 2025 Sep 15:vkaf213. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf213. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by cartilage destruction and immune cell infiltration, of which include myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). MDSCs have been shown to expand in obese patients with OA. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of obesity on MDSC function in knee … Read more