●Defying death: showing Bcl-2 the way home. Adrain, C., Creagh, E. M. & Martin, S. J. Nature Cell Biology January (2003) This News & Views article discusses a recent paper showing that the immunosuppressant immunophilin FKBP38 targets BCL-2 to mitochondria and inhibits apoptosis.

●Targeting tumours with genetically enhanced T lymphocytes. Sadelain, M., Riviere, I. & Brentjens, R. Nature Reviews Cancer January (2003)

●Therapeutic antibodies for human disease at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Brekke, O. H. & Sandlie, I. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery January (2003)

●Protozomics: trypanosomatid parasite genomics comes of age. Beverley, S. M. Nature Reviews Genetics January (2003)

●The dual-function CD150 receptor subfamily: the viral attraction. Sidorenko, S. & Clark, E. A. Nature Immunology January (2003)

●NF-κB activation by protein kinase-C isoforms and B-cell function. Moscat, J., Diaz-Meco, M. T. & Rennert, P. EMBO Reports January (2003)

●The evolutionary genomics of pathogen recombination. Awadalla, P. Nature Reviews Genetics January (2003)

●Viral entry through the epithelial barrier: pathogenic trickery. Bomsel, M. & Alfsen, A. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology January (2003)

●CD44: from adhesion molecules to signalling regulators. Ponta, H., Sherman, L. & Herrlich, P. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology January (2003) The CD44 protein family of transmembrane glycoproteins not only functions in cell adhesion, but also has important regulatory roles in signalling cascades. Three types of molecular action for CD44 proteins have been proposed, which account for their roles in many physiological and pathological conditions, affecting, for example, cell growth, survival, differentiation and motility.

●Education and promiscuity. Heath, W. R. & Scott, H. S. Nature 5 December (2002) Immune cells must be taught to distinguish between invading microbes and the body's own proteins. This News & Views article discusses a new study that re-emphasizes the importance of a thorough education in the thymus and identifies an essential instructor.