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A preprint by Kim et al. shows that the brain parenchyma can be seeded with age with clonal haematopoiesis-derived monocytes that drive neuropathology.
Immune cell engagers — antibody-based molecules engineered to direct immune effector cells to recognize and kill cancer cells — represent a rapidly expanding approach in cancer therapy. Here, the authors bring us up to date with the targets, challenges and opportunities for harnessing the anticancer activities of T cells, natural killer cells and myeloid cells with immune cell engagers.
While anticipating the development of a COVID-19-specific vaccine, several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) explored the potential of BCG vaccination to protect against COVID-19, based on trials demonstrating beneficial effects of BCG vaccination on unrelated infections and all-cause mortality in neonates in high-mortality geographical settings. Results are now available from 12 RCTs, which suggest that BCG vaccination is not an effective intervention against COVID-19. That the BCG–COVID-19 trials failed to meet expectation emphasizes the importance of rigorous clinical trials to validate hypotheses, even in urgent situations such as a pandemic.
This Review provides an updated assessment of the expanding family of T cell-activating bacterial superantigens, emphasizing potential roles of these toxins in various disease states as well as their contribution to the evolution of the bacterial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.
A preprint by Kwok et al. describes the identification of common neojunction-derived antigens that could serve as targets for ‘off the shelf’ vaccines or adoptive cell therapies for patients with various types of cancer.
The failure of T cell-targeted vaccines for HIV in clinical trials is likely due to impaired degranulation of low-avidity CD8+ T cells in the context of low levels of antigen presentation.
In this Comment article, the authors alert us to recent studies of ancient DNA that advance our understanding of the origins of autoimmune disease, providing evidence that our disease risk has been shaped by pathogen-driven evolution.
A study published in Immunity shows that the mechanical force experienced by neutrophils migrating across endothelial barriers arms them for better bactericidal activity.
Genetic variants are identified in humans and viruses that influence the development of multiple sclerosis by shaping protective natural killer cell responses.
A study in Nature Biotechnology investigated context-specific host–microorganisms interactions by using spatial transcriptomics to profile gene expression of host and microbial genes simultaneously.
This Review from Wolfgang Kastenmüller and colleagues highlights the heterogeneity that exists among lymph nodes at different anatomical locations. The authors consider the factors that contribute to lymph node heterogeneity and explain the relevance of this for the immune response, particularly in the contexts of vaccination and cancer.
This Review from Wellford and Moseman considers the unique immunology of the olfactory mucosa. The authors describe how stromal cells, innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells cooperate to defend the olfactory mucosa, protecting the host from potentially serious respiratory or neurotropic infections. They also discuss the relevance of olfactory mucosal immunology for the fields of vaccination and neurodegeneration.
The induction of antigen-specific immune tolerance is considered the 'holy grail' of disease management for autoimmunity and organ transplantation. Are we getting any closer to this goal? Here, the authors update us on the current progress and challenges to the therapeutic induction of antigen-specific immune tolerance.
Inhibition of adrenergic receptors following a traumatic brain injury reduces cerebral oedema and inflammation by restoring fluid efflux through the glymphatic and lymphatic systems.
A new mouse model of sleep deprivation reveals a potent pathway by which sleep-related changes in prostaglandin D2 in the central nervous system can affect the peripheral immune system.
