●This month sees the launch of Nature Reviews Microbiology . Articles of interest to immunologists in the launch issue include: Inhibiting sexual transmission of HIV-1 infection. Shattock, R. J. & Moore, J. P. and The damage-response framework of microbial pathogenesis. Casadevall, A. & Pirofski, L.-A.

●RNA to the rescue? Check, E. Nature 4 September (2003). This news feature discusses the development of new disease therapies based on a gene-silencing technique known as RNA interference that has the potential to disable the genes of pathogenic microorganisms such as HIV in immune cells.

●Cues for migration. Bernards, R. Nature 18 September (2003). A News & Views article discussing recent data showing that the gene encoding the chemokine receptor CXCR4 can be activated by low oxygen levels present in tumours, enabling tumour cells to migrate to other parts of the body.

●Ras GTPases: integrins' friends or foes? Kinbara, K., Goldfinger, L. E., Hansen, M., Chou, F.-L. & Ginsberg, M. H. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology October (2003). A discussion of how the function of integrins — which mediate immune-cell trafficking and recruitment — can be controlled by signalling pathways involving the Ras family of small G proteins.

●Sensing microbes by diverse hosts. Workshop on pattern recognition proteins and receptors. Girardin, S. E., Philpott, D. J. & Lemaitre, B. EMBO Reports October (2003).

●Cell-death alternative model organisms: why and which. Golstein, P., Aubry, L. & Levraud, J.-P. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology October (2003). These authors look at alternative model organisms for cell death, which might help to answer some of the outstanding questions in the field — in particular, relating to caspase-independent, autophagic and necrotic pathways.

●Mitochondrial toxicity of nucleoside antiviral drugs: an integrated cellular perspective. Lewis, W., Day, B. J. & Copeland, W. C. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery October (2003). This review discusses the mitochondrial toxicity that can result from highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimes based on nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for the treatment of AIDS, which can produce serious side effects such as hepatic failure and lactic acidosis.