●Killer to the rescue. Wahren-Herlenius, M. & Kuchroo, V. K. Nature Biotechnology December (2002) This News & Views article discusses how genetically modified CD8+ T cells that express a peptide–MHC complex, and are involved normally in the induction of autoimmunity, can actually inhibit autoimmune disease.

●Tackling multiple sclerosis. Wekerle, H. Nature 7 November (2002) This News & Views article discusses how drugs that are used to reduce blood-cholesterol levels could be used as therapies for multiple sclerosis.

●Immunoglobulin transport across polarized epithelial cells. Rojas, R. & Apodaca, G. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology December (2002) This review discusses how the epidemiology of AIDS-related cancers, and the mechanisms that underlie their development, have provided important insights into cancer immunity and viral oncogenesis.

●Skin antibiotics get in the loop. Kopp, E. & Medzhitov, R. Nature Medicine December (2002) A News & Views article on how the anti-microbial peptide β-defensin can activate Toll-like receptor signalling and so amplify the innate immune response.

●Gene therapy: a tragic setback. Check, E. Nature 14 November (2002) A News feature reporting on what gene therapists can learn from the recent setback in gene-therapy trials for severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID).

●Microbicides: a new approach to preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Stone, A. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery December (2002) Although many chemicals can prevent HIV infection in the laboratory, the development and evaluation of these microbicides for intravaginal use to prevent HIV transmission is complex and many issues need to be addressed, as discussed in this review article.

●Oncolytic viruses. Chiocca, E. A. Nature Reviews Cancer December (2002)

●The origins of the adaptive immune system: whatever next? Kaufman, J. Nature Immunology December (2002) A News & Views article discussing how the recent discovery of genes that contain immunoglobulin-like variable regions in the protochordate amphioxus has provided new insights into the evolution of the adaptive immune response.