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Recent evidence indicates that the intestinal microbiota has important functions in maintaining intestinal homeostasis through crosstalk with the innate immune system. However, changes in the intestinal microbiota or breakdown of this crosstalk can result in colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer.
Increasingly advanced microscopy techniques are now being widely used to gain a better understanding of lymphocyte activation. This Review provides a guide to the latest imaging technologies, highlighting the advantages and limitations that should be considered when choosing which approach to use.
In this Review, Nicole Baumgarth describes the development and functions of B-1 cells. These innate-like B cells serve as the major source of natural antibody in mice, and can have important roles in defence against mucosal pathogens and in maintaining tissue homeostasis.
Three main types of mechanism have been proposed to explain T cell receptor (TCR) triggering: aggregation, conformation change and segregation. The most recent data on these mechanisms are discussed here, and the authors propose an integrated model for TCR triggering.
These authors put forward their view that the information obtained from experimental human malaria infections justifies the minimal potential risks in well-designed trials and will be essential to the development of an effective malaria vaccine.
The lack of natural immunity against HIV has been a major hindrance to the search for immune correlates of protection. Here, the authors propose a new approach for clinical trials of HIV vaccine efficacy that should help to increase our chances of identifying immune correlates of protection.
