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An experimental simian immunodeficiency virus vaccine boosts production of memory T cells at the site where the virus first contacts the body—in the mucosa (pages 293–299). The approach has the potential to result in more effective HIV vaccines than those currently under development.
Activation of hypoxia-inducible factor, a molecule central to oxygen sensing, can promote the survival and growth of tumor cells. New experiments dissect a pathway behind this effect—upregulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (pages 319–324).
The inflammatory response goes haywire after stroke, and the brain floods with immune mediators that can injure tissue and worsen outcome. Experiments in mice suggest that regulatory T cells help contain the damage (pages 192–199).
Experiments in mice and zebrafish uncover a pathway behind malformed blood vessels in the brain (pages 169–176 & 177–184). The findings provide a basis for understanding the development of cerebral vascular malformations, a common and deadly condition.
A molecular pathway requiring vitamin B3 increases the production of neutrophils (pages 151–158). These findings could lead to new ways to treat neutropenias, diseases involving low neutrophil counts.
γ-secretase inhibitors inhibit Notch, a transmembrane receptor that drives many cases of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia—but there are safety concerns with such drugs. Combining these inhibitors with glucocorticoids could provide a more effective and safer approach (pages 50–58).
A new approach to the treatment of sepsis relies on the infusion of mesenchymal stem cells, multipotent cells used experimentally to treat a range of medical conditions. In mouse models, the cells seem to reprogram immune cells that can contribute to sepsis (pages 42–49).
Mental retardation and epilepsy can result from the aberrant migration of neurons during development. An experimental treatment in prenatal mice restores normal patterns of migration and eases symptoms (pages 84–90).
A trial of a childhood vaccine against a common respiratory virus went terribly wrong in the early 1960s. Instead of protecting children, the vaccine exacerbated disease in response to infection. We now have a better understanding as to why (pages 34–41).
