Journal Clubs

A recent preprint describes that human exhausted T cells turn on an active migratory programme in tumours that could reflect an unexplored function.

A preprint by Gschwend et al. describes the intercellular crosstalk between alveolar type 2 epithelial cells and basophils via GM-CSF that directs the development and maintenance of alveolar macrophages.

A preprint by Hasim et al. shows that tumour cell-derived PD1 can be acquired by natural killer cells through trogocytosis, which dampens their anti-tumour effector function.

A preprint by Tarke et al. suggests a neglible impact of SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations on T cell reactivity in convalescent individuals and mRNA vaccine recipients.

A preprint by Mayer et al. reveals the role played by environmental IL-13 in shaping the balance of type 2 dendritic cell molecular composition in the dermis.

A preprint by Lim et al. looks at the effects of maternal infection on long-term immunity in offspring, showing that maternal IL-6-induced signalling in mice induces epigenetic changes in fetal intestinal epithelial cells.

A preprint by Sugiura et al. looks at the role of one-carbon metabolism during T cell activation, with a focus on autoimmune disease, and identifies differences between T cell subsets.

Two preprints by Choe et al. and Hyrenius-Wittsten et al. describe a ‘prime-and-kill’ strategy to target CAR T cells to solid tumours.

A preprint by Wang et al. uses a high-throughput assay to investigate the remarkable breadth of autoantibody reactivities in patients with COVID-19.

Iain McInnes discusses a 1994 paper by Ravinder Maini, Marc Feldmann and colleagues that showed a specific cytokine (tumour necrosis factor) could be targeted for therapeutic benefit in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Jennifer Gommerman discusses a 2008 paper by Sidonia Fagarasan and colleagues showing that isolated lymphoid follicles (ILFs) in the gut can function as inductive sites for the generation of IgA-producing plasma cells in the absence of T cell help.

Rémy Bosselut describes a 2001 paper by Jordan et al. showing that CD25⁺ regulatory T cells can be selected on self-peptides, which provided important insights into mechanisms of thymic tolerance.

Hai Qi describes a 2007 paper by Jason Cyster and colleagues that identified PD1 as a marker for T follicular helper cells.

Ana Domingos describes a 1994 paper by Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues that identified the hormone leptin as the key regulator of body fat.

Connie Wong describes a 2003 paper by Andreas Meisel and colleagues linking post-stroke systemic immunosuppression to effects of the sympathetic nervous system on immune cells.

Prue Hart describes a 1983 paper by De Fabo and Noonan that identified urocanic acid as a major photoreceptor for ultraviolet radiation in the skin that induces systemic immunosuppression.

Christoph Hess describes a 1984 paper by Barry Marshall and Robin Warren that proposed that bacteria might be a key factor in chronic gastritis.

Betty Wu-Hsieh describes a 2013 paper by Gordon Brown and colleagues that showed fungal strain-specific interactions with the innate immune system.

Doreen Cantrell describes a 2005 paper by Graham Hardie and colleagues showing that Ca²⁺–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinases could phosphorylate and activate AMPK, which suggested a biochemical link between T cell receptor signalling and ATP production.

Mala Maini describes a 1996 paper by Frank Chisari and colleagues that showed CD8⁺ T cells can exert potent antiviral efficacy against hepatitis B virus without lysing infected cells, through the production of antiviral cytokines.