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This Review considers how forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) — the key transcription factor of regulatory T (Treg) cells — is regulated both at the transcriptional level and through post-translational modifications. The authors explain how FOXP3 interacts with other molecules to induce and maintain Tregcell populations, and they discuss the potential of therapeutically targeting FOXP3 in the context of human disease.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a heterogeneous disease: most infections are asymptomatic, but some infected individuals develop active symptomatic disease. This Review describes how features of the host immune response, granulomas and the mycobacteria contribute to the varied outcomes of TB infection.
The actin cytoskeleton of B cells is extensively coupled to B cell receptor (BCR) signalling pathways. This Review summarizes recent evidence that indicates that actin orchestrates BCR signalling at the plasma membrane, and discusses the role of the cytoskeleton in antigen presentation, affinity maturation and the functional specialization of B cells.
Does mitochondrial metabolism simply support the bioenergetic and biosynthetic needs of committed immune cells, or does it also control their fate? In this Review, Chandel and colleagues explore variations in mitochondrial metabolism across different immune cells and discuss how mitochondria can act as important signalling organelles to dictate immune cell function.
This Review examines accumulating evidence that translation arrest and stress granule formation can have antiviral properties through several mechanisms that are not limited to direct effects on the translation of viral proteins.
Why are newborns more vulnerable to infection? Here, the authors explain that it is not the immaturity of the immune system per se, but the unique regulation of immune responses in early life that limits immunity to infection yet allows safe developmentin uteroand the accommodation of microbial colonization at birth.
Although healthy pregnancies were traditionally considered to require an anti-inflammatory state, emerging evidence suggests that inflammation is important for a healthy pregnancy. Here, the authors discuss how the immune response varies throughout the main stages of pregnancy, and they consider how bacterial and viral infections can affect immune responses at the maternal–fetal interface.
Recent advances in imaging techniques and genetic tools have rapidly increased our understanding of the niches that maintain adult haematopoietic stem cells, including the constituent cell types and the factors that directly or indirectly regulate these niches.
Changes in the composition of the microbiota — also known as dysbiosis — are important contributors to inflammatory diseases. In this Review, the authors explore how disruptions in fungal communities can influence host immunity, and how the immune system has evolved to distinguish between fungal infection and dysbiosis.
In this Review, the authors describe the transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms that determine the functional specification of myeloid cells and discuss how mature cells of the myeloid lineage can react to the same danger signal with different, highly specific responses.
Defects in the non-canonical pathway of NF-κB activation are associated with severe immune deficiencies, and aberrant activation of this pathway can cause autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here, the author investigates the activation, signalling mechanisms and the biological function of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway.
This Review details how chemokines shape immune responses in the tumour microenvironment through their effects on immune cells, stromal cells and the tumour cells themselves. The authors discuss the potential of targeting chemokine networks for cancer therapy.
T helper 17 (TH17) cells have a well-known role in immune pathology, but they also have protective and homeostatic roles. A detailed understanding of their plasticity and how their opposing functions are regulated is crucial for enabling the therapeutic targeting of TH17 cells in disease settings.
Accumulating evidence suggests that environmental experiences during childhood can result in the development of allergies that persist into adulthood. In this Review, the authors present the evidence for specific early life exposures that may tip the balance between tolerance and allergic sensitization.
This Review discusses how genetically discordant microchimeric cells transferred between a mother and her offspring during pregnancy have important implications for definitions of immunological identity and tolerance.
The detection of cell wall components has a critical role in the recognition of bacteria and the initiation of host defence. In this Review, Kieser and Kagan discuss common themes associated with the detection of individual bacterial products by diverse receptors of the innate immune system.
The transcriptional repressors BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) and BACH2 compete with transcriptional activators of the basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) family to control widespread functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems.
Monocytes not only serve as precursors for macrophages, but also contribute to tissue immunity by presenting antigen to T cells and producing immunomodulatory mediators. In this Review, the authors discuss some of these less well-appreciated immune functions of monocytes.
Sepsis — which is caused by a dysregulated host response to infection — is a life-threatening organ dysfunction. This Review describes the recent advances in our understanding of sepsis pathogenesis and discusses strategies for the development of successful therapies.
