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γδ T cells are important for responding to immune checkpoint blockade therapy in patients whose cancers have downregulated MHC class I expression.

Commensal-specific T cells promote the regeneration of damaged sensory nerves in the skin, through an IL-17-dependent pathway.

Neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) supports host defence through its role in antibody recycling and transcytosis, as well as by regulating immune effector cells together with classical Fc receptors for IgG. However, in autoantibody-mediated disease, these activities can be harmful. FcRn-blocking strategies are now showing promise in the clinic.

A paper in Cell describes a role for regulatory T cells in mediating the symptoms of opioid withdrawal through effects on neuronal synapses.

In addition to their well-established role in haemostasis, platelets also have an active role in the immune response. Here the authors summarize the evidence linking platelet activation to immune dysregulation and organ damage in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, and discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting platelets.

Galectins can modulate immune cells by binding to glycosylated proteins and lipids on the cell surface, or intracellularly via carbohydrate-dependent or carbohydrate-independent interactions. This Review explores the diverse ways in which galectins affect immunity and discusses the challenges in the field.

The authors propose a new grouping of glomerulonephritis disorders based on their underlying immunopathogenesis, with a view to improving diagnosis, mechanistic understanding and treatment of these immune-mediated kidney diseases.

This Review synthesizes our current mechanistic understanding of the cellular and molecular determinants of tissue-specific antifungal host defences derived from animal models of fungal disease, humans with fungal infection-manifesting inborn errors of immunity and patients treated with fungal infection-promoting, immune-targeted biologics.

A preprint by Daniels et al. reports a sex-specific role for the microglial protein CST7 in the regulation of phagocytosis and inflammatory signalling.

A preprint by Beltra et al. describes a role for STAT5A in the development of an intermediate-exhausted ‘effector-like’ phenotype of exhausted T cells.

In breast cancer, an effective response to therapy with immune checkpoint blockade depends on T cell–eosinophil collaboration: CD4⁺ T cells produce IL-5 to mobilize eosinophils, which in turn help to activate antitumour CD8⁺ T cell responses.

The successful mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 contain polyethylene glycol (PEG) to stabilize the lipid nanoparticles. Recent data show that PEG-specific antibodies can be induced or boosted by mRNA vaccination. Further research is needed to study the potential links between PEG-specific antibodies, vaccine reactogenicity and enhanced clearance of other PEG-containing medicines.

This Review discusses the evidence for pre-existing cross-reactive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, which are mainly due to infections with common cold coronaviruses, and how such cross-reactivity affects adaptive immune responses. Furthermore, it explores cross-reactivity in the context of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and its implications for vaccine development.

A core motif shared by self and microbial peptides is targeted by T cell receptors that are enriched in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

In addition to antibody-mediated neutralization, Fc-dependent effector functions of antibodies directed to SARS-CoV-2 are emerging as an important factor in determining the outcome of infection. This Review highlights the current state of the field and discusses remaining uncertainties regarding Fc-dependent, non-neutralizing functions of antibodies.

The chemokine CXCL12 affects nuclear morphology in neutrophils, allowing these to pass through narrow spaces.

Single-cell analysis of the regenerative velvet skin covering reindeer antlers during periods of growth shows that interactions between fibroblasts and immune cells determine wound healing outcomes.

In this Perspective, Francis Carbone considers the unique characteristics of the tissue-resident memory T (T_RM) cell populations that develop in the lungs. He discusses how the different properties of lung T_RM cells may affect immunity to lung infections, including SARS-CoV-2.

Accumulation of inhaled carbon particulates in lung-draining lymph nodes with age impairs respiratory immunity.

This Review discusses recent applications of CRISPR screening to discover intracellular and intercellular regulators of immune cell function in infection, inflammation and cancer, with a focus on the advances of in vivo and single-cell CRISPR screens in immuno-oncology.