Volume 14 Issue 5, May 2014

IL-6 signalling in macrophages limits obesity-associated inflammation and the development of insulin resistance.

Regulatory T cells promote the differentiation of T follicular helper cells.

In response to parasite infection, nitric oxide is produced not only by infected cells but also by recruited phagocytes.

Differential chemokine induction by pathogens leads to the development of distinct tertiary lymphoid tissues.

The immunoglobulin superfamily member CD96 binds CD155 to negatively control cytokine production by natural killer cells.

Retinoic acid promotes secondary lymphoid organ formation during embryogenesis to establish adult immunity.

Local fibroblasts prevent mast cell activation in the skin by degrading retinoic acid.

Inflammasome assembly involves prion-like polymerization of the pyrin domain of the adaptor ASC.

Immune homeostasis in the skin requires dynamic crosstalk between epithelial, stromal and immune cells, which is influenced by environmental insults and commensal microorganisms. Here, the authors highlight recent studies that provide an insight into the immunoregulatory mechanisms that mediate host defence and prevent chronic inflammation in the skin.

A summary of the molecular and cellular events that coordinate the markedly increasedde novoproduction of neutrophils in response to systemic microbial infection.

The recognition of influenza virus by multiple pattern recognition receptors initiates numerous defence mechanisms to control disease through their effects on antiviral resistance and disease tolerance. Here, the authors review these mechanisms and discuss how the treatment of influenza virus-initiated diseases should promote both of these protective strategies to improve host fitness.

This Review covers the cellular sources and immune functions of the various cytokines that have been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The author details how the dysregulated production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines can drive IBD pathology, and discusses the feasibility of targeting different cytokines for the future therapy of IBD.

The molecular cloning of the forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) gene led to a renaissance in the field of suppressor T cells (now known as regulatory T cells). In this Timeline article, the authors describe the key events that demonstrated the importance of FOXP3in immune regulation, starting with the discovery of the scurfy mouse some 65 years ago.