Toll-like receptors articles from across Nature Portfolio

Learning results in persistent double-stranded DNA breaks, nuclear rupture and release of DNA fragments and histones within hippocampal CA1 neurons that, following TLR9-mediated DNA damage repair, results in their recruitment to memory circuits.

IL-10 exerts its anti-inflammatory activity in macrophages by increasing the expression of enzymes that promote fatty acid desaturation and downstream regulation of the transcription factor REL.

Understanding how the immune system’s functionality declines with age is crucial for addressing aging-related health issues. Here, the authors demonstrate that activating TLR5 in the mucosal layer can significantly improve healthspan and longevity, suggesting a novel approach for aging interventions.

Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) normally recognizes exogenous single-stranded RNA for the activation of innate immunity. Here the authors show that TLR7 may also contribute, via the modulation of mast cell functions, to experimental, cigarette smoke-induced mouse models of emphysema, thereby hinting TLR7 as a potential therapeutic target for human lung inflammation.

The functional heterogeneity of macrophages has ontological and microenvironmental bases, and differentially affects pathology. In pancreatitis, tissue-resident macrophages promote protective fibrosis that favors the maintenance of pancreatic homeostasis. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, they promote tumor progression by facilitating stromal desmoplasia.