Volume 11 Issue 8, August 2011

Backtracking neutrophils can promote dissemination of inflammatory responses.

IVIG-mediated immunosuppression occurs through IL-33-induced expansion of IL-4-secreting basophil populations.

Induced CD4⁺ T_Reg cells are essential for tolerance even in the presence of natural T_Regcells.

Early infection withH. pylori prevents asthma in a T_Regcell-dependent manner.

B cells help protect against sepsis-induced lethality.

SHP is a negative regulator of TLR signalling pathways.

Lysosomes promote inflammation by degrading cytosolic glucocorticoid receptors.

A HIF1α-dependent metabolic switch influences the balance between T_H17 and induced T_Regcell differentiation.

A helicase–TRIF complex functions as a 'first responder' to viral dsRNA that triggers initial interferon production.

This article looks at recent developments in our understanding of protective immune mechanisms againstStaphylococcus aureusskin infections, with a focus on IL-1- and IL-17-mediated responses, and the impact of these new discoveries on future immunotherapy and vaccination strategies.

This Review provides an overview of the multiple functions of neutrophils in the immune system. Although classically considered simply as 'first responders', it is now clear that neutrophils contribute to the activation and polarization of numerous cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems and are important players in the pathogenesis of many diseases.

Alan Rothman describes the types of immune response that are associated with protection and pathology during dengue virus infection. Although virus-specific antibodies provide protective neutralizing immunity, they can also facilitate infection of other host cells; the author discusses the implications of this for vaccine development.

Recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) are a population of T cells that undergo maturation in the periphery and are functionally distinct from mature naive T cells. These cells constitute a major proportion of the T cell pool in neonates and in adults recovering from lymphoablation. This article describes what is known, and what remains to be discovered, about RTEs.

The detection of multiple and often rare T cell specificities is crucial for understanding and therapeutically manipulating T cell responses. In this Perspective article, Daviset al. summarize the latest advances in peptide–MHC multimer technology that have rendered peptide–MHC multimers a valuable tool in both basic and clinical T cell research.

In this Viewpoint article,Nature Reviews Immunologyasks five experts in the field to share their thoughts on the development and immune functions of plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Importantly, will these cells be a useful clinical target?