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In this Viewpoint article, members of the Optimmunize consortium discuss the evidence for non-specific and sex-differential effects of vaccines and how this information might inform vaccine design and policy, including in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here, Carmeliet and colleagues discuss the role of endothelial cells in inflammation and viral infection and propose novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19.
T cells play a central role in immune responses to cancer. In this guide to cancer immunotherapy, the authors provide a comprehensive historical and biological perspective on cancer immunotherapy, with a focus on current and emerging therapeutic approaches that harness T cells to fight cancer.
Clonal expansion is no longer only the preserve of adaptive lymphocytes. Innate lymphocytes, in particular natural killer cells, also undergo clonal expansion in response to infection. Here, the authors compare and contrast this process for adaptive and innate lymphocytes.
Could the BCG vaccine be used to bridge the gap until a specific COVID-19 vaccine is developed? Luke O’Neill and Mihai Netea discuss the science behind this approach.
This Progress article from Merad and Martin examines our current understanding of the excessive inflammatory responses seen in patients with severe COVID-19. The authors focus on the emerging pathological roles of monocytes and macrophages and discuss the inflammatory pathways that are currently being targeted in the clinic.
A new study shows how myeloid-derived suppressor cells paralyse CD8+ T cell effector functions by transferring the metabolite methylglyoxal directly into the T cell cytosol, where it depletes essential amino acids.
This Review from Gause, Rothlin and Loke considers how different layers of complexity influence the development of type 2 immunity. In particular, the discussion focuses on how variations in the initiating stimuli, tissue microenvironments and host genetics can lead to heterogeneity in type 2 immune responses.
Levels of the cytokine IL-17 positively correlate with disease severity in COVID-19. Here, the authors argue that existing anti-IL-17 therapies should be considered for the treatment of severe COVID-19.
Helminth co-infections can skew systemic immunity towards type 2 responses. Here, Bradbury and colleagues consider how this may impact the severity of COVID-19 in helminth-endemic regions.