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Members of the carcinoembryonic-antigen-related cell-adhesion molecule (CEACAM) family are involved in intercellular binding interactions affecting various normal and pathogenic processes. This article provides an overview of the role of CEACAMs in immunity, focusing on the function of CEACAM1.
Defensins are important effectors of innate immunity. Recent studies have elucidated the mechanisms of their antiviral activity, indicating that they have both direct effects on viruses and indirect effects on target cells. In addition, defensins have immunomodulatory activities.
Signal-regulatory proteins (SIRPs) are members of the paired-receptor family, which regulate and fine-tune immune responses. Their rolein vivois influenced by the different affinities of the SIRPs for their ligands and by their expression levels.
Studies of microbial superantigens that target B cells provide better understanding of B-cell-receptor interactions and supraclonal dysregulation. Their ability to induce tolerance that subverts host defences may provide new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of B-cell-mediated autoimmune and neoplastic diseases.
In this article, the ways in which dendritic-cell nomenclature has evolved are discussed, focusing on the new trend to specifically define a dendritic cell not only by its phenotypic maturation state but also by its function.
Bioluminescence imaging is emerging as a useful tool for visualizing immune reactions. Importantly, this technique allows researchers to pinpoint the location of cells at numerous time points in intact animals. This is proving particularly useful in the study of graft-versus-host disease.
