Volume 10 Issue 6, June 2010

HLA-B57-restricted T cells emerge from the thymus better prepared to control HIV.

Memory CD4⁺T cells enhance innate inflammatory responses for early viral control.

PU.1 is a unique transcription factor for the pro-allergic 'TH9 cell' lineage.

Widespread bystander signalling by T cell cytokines occurs in reactive lymph nodes.

The first description of RAG protein binding to antigen receptor lociin vivo.

Neuroendocrine signalling triggered by smoking or stress compromises antimicrobial defence.

iNKT cells suppress CD1d⁺B cell reactivity to apoptotic cells.

TLR2 directly regulates T_H17 cell responses and T_H17 cell-mediated autoimmune disease.

K63-linked polyubiquitin chains are potent intracellular signalling molecules of innate immunity.

This Review describes new roles for the tyrosine kinase SYK in innate recognition of pathogens and tissue damage, cell adhesion, bone metabolism and vascular development, and it discusses the emergence of SYK as a promising therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases and B cell lymphomas.

The activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes by cross-presented antigen (known as cross-priming) is necessary for immunity against certain viruses, bacteria and most tumours. Here, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of cross-priming are described, providing insight into some central questions on the basic mechanisms of cross-priming, and its physiological and therapeutic importance are discussed.

Several distinct populations of dendritic cells and macrophages are found in the intestinal lamina propria; these cells have crucial roles in both tolerogenic and inflammatory-type immune responses at the mucosa. This Review describes the recent findings that have increased our understanding of the origin and functions of intestinal mononuclear phagocytes.

This Review article discusses how the interaction of neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages is important for both initiating and terminating an inflammatory response. The authors describe the phagocyte-derived mediators involved in these interactions and highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting them.

In this Review the authors describe the key attributes of mast cells that make them well suited to initiate and coordinate innate and adaptive immune responses to pathogens, by acting as pathogen sensors, immune effectors and immune modulators.

Recent elegant studies in the mouse have increased our understanding of the origin and function of different macrophage and dendritic cell populations. However, these studies have also highlighted an old debate — how exactly should we classify the cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system? Here, five experts give their thoughts on this topic.