Collections

  • Focus |

    The homeostatic immune responses that operate in steady-state conditions are required to maintain the stability of diverse physiological systems and processes, ranging from host–commensal relationships in the gut to the fibrotic cascade involved in wound healing. Furthermore, regulatory T cells and phagocytic cells are required to maintain homeostasis of all tissues. Failure of these homeostatic mechanisms can precipitate disease in the absence of infection.

  • Collection |

    A web focus from Cell Death & Differentiation, Cell Death & Disease, Nature Reviews Cancer, Nature Cell Biology, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. We hope you enjoy this focus including work from the world's most recognized experts in the field of autophagy.

  • Focus |

    The recent identification of several subsets of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and the evolving understanding of the function of other innate-like lymphocytes, including γδ T cells, NKT cells and marginal zone B cells, suggest that there are No. clear boundaries between innate and adaptive immunity. This focus features articles describing these recent advances and discussing their implications for the future of immunological research.

  • Focus |

    Transplantation has therapeutic applications not only for patients experiencing organ failure, but also in other clinical settings, such as cancer and autoimmunity. The specially commissioned Review articles in this Focus issue describe the recent developments that have been made in the field of transplant immunology. Importantly, the authors discuss the promise of new immunotherapies that prevent transplant rejection and graft-versus-host disease without inducing broad immunosuppression.

  • Focus |

    This joint Focus issue from Nature Reviews CancerandNature Reviews Immunologyfeatures specially commissioned articles that discuss the promise of immunotherapy to treat cancer and how key immune cells function in the tumour microenvironment.

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    The January 2012 special issue presents two important strategies for generating potent and lasting anti-tumor immunity. The first strategy is to subvert immune suppressive networks in the tumor microenvironment. The second strategy is to optimize conventional and anti-biological modalities to directly target tumor and adjacent tumor tissue, and mobilize and expand anti-tumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment which results in tumor eradication. Further background information on this important topic is available through the accompanying web focus which links to related articles from across Springer Nature.

  • Focus |

    Macrophages, first described at the end of the 19th century by Élie Metchnikoff, have a central role in maintaining tissue homeostasis but also provide signals for the activation of adaptive immune cells. The specially commissioned review articles in this Focus discuss our current understanding of the homeostatic and pathogenic functions — as well as the development, recruitment and transcriptional regulation — of monocytes and macrophages.

  • Focus |

    In recent decades enormous effort has been made to elucidate the pathogenesis of autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. Autoimmunity is a multifactorial process in which genetic, immunological, environmental and hormonal factors act in concert, representing what was termed some years ago the “mosaic of autoimmunity”. The May 2011 Special Issue on Cutting Edge Issues in Immunology and Autoimmunity summarizes our current understanding of this complex mosaic. The accompanying selection of recent articles from across the Springer Nature provide further insight into this topic.

  • Focus |

    Obesity-linked metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, are associated with a state of low-grade inflammation. Recent research has elucidated many of the mediators and mechanisms that are involved in inflammation-associated metabolic disease. This Focus features articles that explore the interplay between metabolism and the immune system, explaining how inflammation drives type 2 diabetes, how fat-tissue-derived mediators are involved in inflammation and metabolic disease, and how T cell metabolism is linked to T cell fate.

  • Focus |

    Helper T cell heterogeneity was discovered two decades ago, initially with the designation of Th1 and Th2 cells, which are involved in immunity against intracellular and extracellular pathogens, respectively. Several years ago a third lineage was identified as the Th17 cells and several novel T cell subsets have since been found, including Treg and Tfh cells. The collection of articles presented in the May special issue and accompanying web focus summarize our understanding of the development and function of the T cell subsets in immunity and immune diseases.

  • Focus |

    The discovery of how to make monoclonal antibodies 35 years ago has revolutionized science and medicine, with more than 30 antibody-based products currently approved as biological agents for the treatment of many immune-mediated diseases and cancer. This Focus issue brings together specially commissioned articles on the basic biology of antibody receptors and on the important advances and further prospects for the development of more efficient, affordable and safer therapeutic antibodies.

  • Focus |

    Recent research in the area of neuroimmunology has focused on the role of immune cells, such as autoimmune T cells and microglial cells, in the initiation and progression of particular neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, there have been important advances in our understanding of the effects of an inflammatory response in the brain owing to infection or injury. This Focus highlights these recent advances and their therapeutic implications.