News & Comment

A preprint by Jerby-Arnon et al. uses a novel algorithm for scRNAseq data to describe a pan-cancer programme for dysfunctional tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes that predicts response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

A preprint by Sanin et al. establishes a transcriptional framework to define common macrophage activation states across tissues and biological conditions.

A preprint by Kersten et al. describes a positive-feedback loop promoting the mutual formation of tumour-associated macrophages and exhausted T cells as they move towards the tumour core.

A preprint by Rookhuizen and colleagues shows that endogenous transposable elements can boost the interferon response to TLR4 stimulation.

Shane Crotty discusses three independent studies published in 2009 that characterized T follicular helper cells as a distinct subset of CD4⁺ T cells on the basis of selective expression of BCL6.

Chen Dong provides an account of the discovery of T_H17 cells.

The early 2000s saw the first trials of checkpoint inhibitors in humans. Here, Jedd Wolchok discusses the first clinical results.

Katalin Karikó describes the discovery that replacing uridine with pseudouridine renders RNA non-immunogenic. This paved the way for developing mRNA for protein replacement therapy and, surprisingly, also for mRNA-based vaccine development.

Erika Pearce reflects on some of the early studies that helped to ignite the field of immunometabolism.

In this Journal Club, Zitvogel and Kroemer discuss a landmark study that initiated the genetic and molecular characterization of the immune–microbiota crosstalk.

Although it was known for decades that type I interferons are crucial for antiviral immunity, it was not until the discovery of cGAS and cGAMP signalling in 2013 that we understood how cytosolic DNA induces them in infected cells, as explained by Andrea Ablasser.

Derek Gilroy describes two studies that revealed an unexpected mechanism by which the resolution of inflammation can be induced.

Laura Mackay highlights seminal studies that shed light on tissue immunity and the unique biology of tissue-resident memory T cells.

Eric Vivier describes the unexpected discovery of new populations of innate-like lymphocytes and the development of the innate lymphoid cell nomenclature.

Feng Shao highlights the studies that led to the discovery and definition of pyroptosis as gasdermin-mediated programmed necrotic cell death.

Max Cooper recalls the discovery of variable lymphocyte receptors in lampreys and hagfish and explains the significance of this for understanding how adaptive immunity evolved in vertebrates.

Arturo Zychlinsky and Volker Brinkman recall the discovery of neutrophil extracellular traps.

David Schneider explains the concept of disease tolerance and describes the first observations of this phenomenon in animal models.

Eicke Latz recalls the discovery of the inflammasome in 2002 and how it revolutionized our understanding of inflammation and is now a target of new immunotherapeutics for inflammatory disease.

Shohei Hori recalls the early work that led to the identification of FOXP3 as the master regulator of regulatory T cells.