Volume 13 Issue 6, June 2013

TLR expression in intestinal epithelial cells is under circadian control, leading to microbiota-dependent oscillatory immune signalling.

Blocking of type I interferon signalling is protective in chronic viral infection.

Bystander B cells promote T cell recruitment to germinal centres by providing an ICOS-dependent signal.

Eosinophil-derived type 2 immune signals promote muscle regeneration through fibrocyte–adipocyte progenitor activation.

High-throughput TCR sequencing suggests that most intestinal T_Regcells derive from the thymus.

Regulatory T cells maintain NK cell homeostasis through the regulation of interleukin-2 availability.

Inflammasomes are multiprotein signalling platforms that activate the highly pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 and induce cell death in response to pathogens and sterile stressors. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of our rapidly evolving understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that control the activation of distinct inflammasome components, as well as the non-canonical processing of IL-1β.

An increasing number of studies have highlighted novel aspects of the differentiation and function of T follicular helper (T_FH) cells. Tangye et al. discuss these recent findings with a particular focus on the role of human T_FHcells in disease pathogenesis.

Notch signalling has well-described roles in lymphocyte development. More recently, it has become apparent that Notch is also crucial for innate immune cells and for mature lymphocyte responses. Here, the authors discuss our current understanding of how Notch contributes to both innate and adaptive immune responses.

Immune dysfunction is a recurring theme in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in aged individuals. Understanding the dual nature of ocular immune pathways in both visual homeostasis and retinal damage could aid the development of immune-based therapeutics for this disease.

The past 15 years have seen a breakthrough in the field of innate immunity. In this Timeline article, the authors discuss the early events that led to the identification of Toll-like receptors as the prototype pattern-recognition receptors that link innate and adaptive immune responses.

In this Viewpoint article, several experts share their thoughts on the plasticity and stability of regulatory T cells, discussing the recent advances in our understanding of the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of this important T cell subset, as well as the therapeutic implications of this research.