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Two potent inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome have been identified — a drug called MCC950 and the exercise- or fasting-induced metabolite β-hydroxybutyrate.
To play their part in the generation of effective adaptive immune responses, different types of antigen-presenting cell (APC) take up and process antigen in different ways. The length of time that peptide–MHC class II complexes are present on APC surfaces can also vary depending on the cell type. This Review describes the different modes and mechanisms that regulate MHC class II processing and presentation.
Regulation of the immune response in the female reproductive tract by sex hormones enables optimal conditions for fertilization and pregnancy according to the stage of the menstrual cycle, but can simultaneously affect susceptibility to pathogen infection.
Type I interferons (IFNs) have both direct and indirect effects on T cells, and can promote or inhibit their antiviral activity. As reviewed here, the outcome of type I IFN signalling in T cells largely depends on the timing of the signal relative to T cell receptor activation.
A recently identified family of molecules that bind nectin and nectin-like proteins is proving to be important in the regulation of natural killer cell functions. As reviewed here, increased understanding of the activity and signalling pathways of these proteins implicates them as potential targets for the treatment of cancer, autoimmunity and viral infection.
Improved treatments are needed for nearly all forms ofMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection. Adjunctive agents that target the host have the potential to shorten treatment duration, prevent resistance and reduce lung injury by promoting macrophage effector mechanisms and blocking mechanisms that cause lung destruction.
