Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Epidemiological studies and mouse models suggest that stress can affect the evolution, dissemination and outcome of malignancies. In this Review, Ma and Kroemer present insights into the complex neuro-immune interactions that link stress to cancer, with a focus on stress-associated immunomodulatory molecules, and discuss their implications for cancer therapy.
Mother mice retain a small population of latent regulatory T cells from each pregnancy that remembers their offspring and protects against future pregnancy complications.
In this Tools of the Trade article, Lisa Wagar (while in the Mark Davis lab) developed an in vitro immune organoid system from primary human lymphoid tissue that recapitulates productive adaptive immune responses.
In this Perspective, the authors consider the distinct contributions made by T helper 2 cells and group 2 innate lymphoid cells during the course of a helminth infection. Although anti-helminth drugs are effective, reinfection is common and there are currently no available vaccines — a better understanding of T helper 2 cell and group 2 innate lymphoid cell interplay could lead to new anti-helminth strategies.
Epidemiological evidence indicates that physical exercise can lower cancer incidence and mortality. This Perspective discusses the importance of muscular activity for maintaining a healthy immune system and the potential mechanisms by which exercise affects anticancer immunity.
Personalized neoantigen vaccines offer the potential to boost immune response a patient against their specific cancer antigens. Here, Katsikis, Ishii and Schliehe discuss the challenges that currently limit this therapeutic approach, including those related to neoantigen selection and adjuvants, and post-vaccine challenges such as the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. Moreover, they consider solutions that could help to overcome these obstacles.
The MHC class I-related protein 1 (MR1) presents specific small molecule antigens to MR1-restricted T (MR1T) lymphocytes. These cells play an important role in infection and cancer, and strategies to target these cells are of considerable therapeutic interest. In this Review, McWilliam and Villadangos provide a comprehensive description of the antigen presentation pathway of MR1, which is fundamental for the understanding of MR1-mediated immunity and the potential therapeutic manipulation of MR1T cells.
The protective effect of vaccines is often poorest in low-income countries. Here, the authors explore the immunological factors that may explain the geographical variation in vaccine responsiveness and the ways in which they might be modulated to ensure effective vaccination in regions where it is needed most.
The families of tetraspanins and galectins are essential for the organization of molecules on the surface of lymphocytes, and deficiencies in specific family members can lead to impaired immunity, tumour development and autoimmunity. This Review investigates the molecular mechanisms of membrane organization by tetraspanins and galectins, specifically their role in B cell and T cell proliferation, survival and migration, as well as in antibody production and T cell polarization, and discusses potential therapeutic opportunities.
This Review discusses how the study of novel mouse models of human ADAR1 deficiency has led to the identification of the innate immune receptors recognizing endogenous immunostimulatory double-stranded RNA and their respective downstream signalling pathways that induce autoinflammatory pathology.
This Review covers the biology of anti-cytokine autoantibodies and their varied roles in causing, preventing and treating diseases. Recent reports of anti-type I interferon autoantibodies in critical COVID-19 have led to renewed interest in this topic, which offers fascinating insights into the reversibility of immune tolerance and the origins of autoimmunity in otherwise healthy individuals.