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In this Review, DeNardo and Ruffell describe how macrophages shape local immune responses in the tumour microenvironment to both suppress and promote immunity to tumours. The authors also discuss the potential of targeting tumour-associated macrophages to enhance antitumour immune responses.
By sensing environmental, dietary, microbial and metabolic cues, the ligand-activated transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor controls complex transcriptional programmes that are relevant to autoimmune, neoplastic, metabolic and degenerative diseases.
Diversification of the antibody repertoire is well known to be driven by genetic recombination and mutation. However, it is becoming apparent that other processes can also diversify antibody specificities. Here, Dimitrov and colleagues discuss these unconventional strategies for antibody diversification and consider why these extra strategies have evolved.
During an immune response, macrophage metabolism is diverted to produce the metabolite itaconate, which has anti-inflammatory effects. This Review recounts the story of itaconate, from its discovery to its potentially far-reaching consequences for immunity, host defence and tumorigenesis.
Different lineages of macrophages respond divergently to immune stimuli and microbial infection. This Review explores our current knowledge of how the different metabolic states of macrophage lineages impact the control or progression of intracellular bacterial infections.
The existence of four different serotypes of dengue virus poses a challenge to vaccine development, as pre-existing immunity can lead to severe disease during infection with a heterologous serotype. This Review analyses the mechanisms of protective and pathological adaptive immune responses in primary and secondary dengue infection.
This Review explains how innate sensors of DNA activate different types of programmed cell death. The authors consider the relevance of these cell death pathways during infection and in inflammatory diseases.
Dietary salt can have direct effects on immune cell subsets as well as indirect effects through intestinal dysbiosis. We are beginning to appreciate that high salt diets not only are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease but also have marked effects on immune responses.
The field of immunometabolism (both on the cellular as well as on the organismal level) is advancing rapidly. This article highlights several studies from 2018 that examine how immune cells can regulate systemic metabolism, as well as studies of the impact of organismal metabolism on the immune system in conditions such as obesity and cancer.
Several clinical studies in 2018 documented the potency of therapies based on T cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T cells), but also revealed mechanisms of resistance. These insights may facilitate the design of improved CAR T cell therapies for B cell malignancies and beyond.
Recent research in mucosal immunology has uncovered novel lines of communication between the mucosal immune system and other cellular and metabolic pathways. Given the complexity of these networks, new precision approaches are being developed to dissect the contribution of specific pathways or selected microorganisms.
Regulated calcium signalling, in particular downstream of the T cell receptor, is crucial for many T cell effector functions. This Review provides an overview of the numerous membrane and organellar calcium-permeable channels that are coordinated to fine-tune T cell immunity.
After many years of being largely neglected in neurodegenerative disease, the past few years have seen a turning point in the field’s view on the impact of microglia in neurological disorders.
Our knowledge of how the immune system changes with age has benefitted from a growing appreciation of the importance of systems-level analyses in humans. We are now beginning to uncover the global patterns of immune system development and decline in the young and the elderly.
The study of B cell biology is a mature field, but highlights from the past year remind us that there are still many exciting and unexpected things to be discovered in terms of B cell responses to antigen, germinal centres and plasma cells.
The field of innate immunity has been rapidly evolving and expanding its horizons during the past few years. 2018 was no exception, with the publication of several ground-breaking studies that bring into light new activators, regulators and signalling networks that drive innate immune responses and inflammation.
