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Cell-type-specific regulation of gene expression by transcription factors is a fundamental principle of biology. New findings show that microRNA-mediated control of target-gene expression is also dependent on the cellular context.
New insights into how NK cells are educated by the receptor NKG2D, which leads to effects on another receptor, NCR1, raise interesting questions about why so many receptors are linked to the education of NK cells.
Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) that produce the cytokine IL-5 are found in lung, gut, fat and skin tissues. New findings indicate that ILC2s in different tissues selectively express distinct functional cytokine receptors for cell activation in response to the local environment.
He and Wang review the immunological functions of RIP kinases in inflammatory responses to microbial infection and tissue injury, as well as their potential roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disease and aging.
Immune responses have the potential to induce life-threatening conditions. A novel multi-system pathway in which neuroendocrine signaling induces expression of the checkpoint receptor PD-1 on NK cells is an important mechanism for protection against cytokine-mediated disease during viral infection.
In the current issue of Nature Immunology, Casanova and colleagues demonstrate that humans (and mouse models) with autosomal-recessive SPPL2a deficiency have a severe defect in conventional dendritic cell 2 survival and production of IL-12 and IL-23, and diminished IFN-γ secretion by mycobacterium-specific memory T cells, thus resulting in increased susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases.
Single-cell transcriptomic analysis shows that B cells experience a continuum of cyclic transitional states during the germinal center (GC) reaction; this pattern is lost in GC-derived follicular lymphoma cells, which seem to be heterogeneous and desynchronized.
Chronic infection with human immunodeficiency virus impairs B cell antigen receptor signaling via a newly described mechanism of inhibitory signaling mediated by IgG3 and the IgG Fc receptor FcRγIIb (CD32b).
The immunoproteasome and thymoproteasome are specialized proteasomes operating within the immune system. In this Review, Murata et al. recount the discovery of the immunoproteasome and thymoproteasome and delve into their function, context in evolution and relation to human disease.
Romagnani and colleagues discuss the specific recognition of viral antigens and peptides by NK cells and its implications for the composition of the NK cell repertoire and the selection of viral variants.
T cell activation is ‘digital’: exhaustive single-cell analysis shows that only the proportion of cells that cross the activation threshold is reduced when the affinity of the TCR for its ligand is reduced.
In response to epithelial DNA damage, tissue-resident γδ T cells initiate and shape a tumor-protective IgE response that requires CD4+ T cells and immune effector cells expressing the high-affinity IgE receptor FcεRI.
Co-stimulatory second signals delivered through TLRs or CD40 rescue antigen-stimulated B cells from metabolic dysfunction and apoptosis. This identifies a critical time-limited window during which B cells integrate sequential signals to successfully initiate humoral immunity.
What keeps memory T cells functionally silent in the absence of infection is unclear. New data reveal the existence of a deterministic halt in the protein-synthesis machinery of memory T cells and expose the discriminatory functions of a family of RNA-binding proteins.
The thymus has a critical role in the establishment of appropriately educated and self-tolerant T cells. In their Focus Review, Cheng and Anderson discuss the most recent insights into how the thymus establishes self-tolerance.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are type I interferon–producing cells with antigen-presenting potential. pDC populations are composed of transcriptionally and functionally heterogeneous cellular subsets with distinct hematopoietic precursor origin.
Treg cells have a critical role in maintaining peripheral tolerance. In this Focus Review, Dominguez-Villar and Hafler describe how the instability and plasticity of Treg cells can contribute to the breakdown of tolerance and lead to autoimmune disease.
Autoimmune disease has been the subject of intense genetic study. In this Focus Review, Todd and colleagues describe recent advances and approaches in the genetic analysis of autoimmune disease.
The rates of autoimmune disease are rising more rapidly than can be explained by changes in genetics. In this Focus Review, Verdu and Danska describe the dietary and microbial influences on type 1 diabetes and draw comparisons with celiac disease.
