●Dendritic cells: open for presentation business. Saveanu, L. & van Endert, P. Nature Immunology January (2005)

How exogenous antigens become available for MHC class I presentation – that is, cross-presentation – has long been a mystery. However, as discussed in this News and Views article, new data now indicate that exogenous soluble antigens gain access to the endoplasmic reticulum of dendritic cells.

●Genetic aspects of immune-mediated adverse drug effects. Bugelski, P. J. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery January (2005)

●Signaling negative selection: is MINK the missing link? Palmer, E. Nature Immunology January (2005)

This News and Views article discusses the observation that the kinase MINK might be crucial in distinguishing the signalling pathways that result in negative selection of thymocytes from those that mediate positive selection.

●LPS, TLR4 and infectious disease diversity. Miller, S. I., Ernst, R. K. & Bader, M. Nature Reviews Microbiology January (2005)

●Building an antibody factory: a job for the unfolded protein response. Brewer, J. W. & Hendershot, L. M. Nature Immunology January (2005)

As a B cell differentiates into a plasma cell, it undergoes many cellular changes that are essential for its secretory function. Increased secretory-pathway activity triggers the unfolded-protein response. This Review article describes recent evidence that the unfolded-protein response has a crucial role in the generation and function of plasma cells.

●Proteolysis: from the lysosome to ubiquitin and the proteasome. Ciechanover, A. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology January (2005)

This Timeline article reviews the key events that led to our current understanding of intracellular protein degradation, from the initial observation of degradation in the lysosome to degradation mediated by the ubiquitin–proteasome system.

●Psoriasis: emerging therapeutic strategies. Gottlieb, A. B. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery January (2005)

This Review article reports on recent progress in understanding the role of the immune system in the chronic inflammatory skin disorder psoriasis and how this has enabled the identification of new therapeutic targets.

●Viral modulation of NK cell immunity. Lodoen, M. B. & Lanier, L. L. Nature Reviews Microbiology January (2005)