Volume 13 Issue 2, February 2013

Caspase 8 inhibits ripoptosome-mediated activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Perivascular mast cells in the skin extend projections into the blood vessel lumen to acquire circulating IgE.

Loss of the dopamine D2 receptor or activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome can enhance CNS inflammation and contribute to neurodegenerative disease.

B cells secrete the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to control neutrophil recruitment.

B-1a cells, neutrophils and pDCs cooperate to initiate type 1 diabetes.

Prolonged IL-7-mediated signalling in CD8⁺T cells induces apoptosis.

This Review discusses the key features of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which despite their fairly recent identification have emerged as an important cellular component of the immune system. ILCs can rapidly release effector cytokines and promote protective immunity following infection. However, aberrant activation of ILCs may contribute to immunopathology in allergic and autoimmune diseases.

This Review critically assesses six signatory roles of the often overlooked γδ T cells that may collectively distinguish these cells from αβ T cells, and thereby define their unique contributions to lymphocyte biology.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that express T cell receptors that can be activated by lipid antigens presented on CD1d molecules. Here, the authors describe different models of iNKT cell activation and discuss how activated iNKT cells can contribute to both protective and pathological immune responses.

Marginal zone B cells are strategically positioned at the interface between the circulation and the white pulp of the spleen, where they can mediate a rapid, innate-like humoral response against both pathogens and commensals that breach the mucosal barrier. Understanding the interplay of these cells with other immune components and the species-specific differences between mice and humans is of clinical importance.

The role of natural killer (NK) cells in both immunity to infection and reproductive success is postulated to have placed competing demands on the evolution of NK cell receptors and their MHC class I ligands during the migration of humans out of Africa.

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have key roles in immune responses, lymphoid tissue development and tissue regeneration. Recently, several new ILC subsets were identified. Here, the authors propose the use of a uniform nomenclature to describe all ILC subsets to avoid confusion and further promote the development of this field.

The recent identification of several subsets of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and the evolving understanding of the function of other innate-like lymphocytes, including γδ T cells, NKT cells and marginal zone B cells, suggest that there are No. clear boundaries between innate and adaptive immunity. This focus features articles describing these recent advances and discussing their implications for the future of immunological research.