Reviews & Analysis

What factors determine the development of γδ versus αβ T lineage cells from common thymocyte progenitor cells? Here, the authors discuss the two prevailing models for γδ versus αβ T cell development and discuss recent evidence that supports a T cell receptor signal strength model for γδ T cell lineage specification.

NFAT transcription factors are expressed by most immune cells and have critical roles in regulating immune responses. This Review describes recent insights into the NFAT-mediated regulation of distinct immune cells and details our increasing understanding of the importance of the NFAT family during tumorigenesis.

This Review focuses on the earliest steps in the formation of lymphoid tissues during embryogenesis, describing the cellular and molecular requirements. The authors compare this with the development of lymphoid structures in mucosal tissues after birth and of tertiary lymphoid organs at sites of chronic inflammation.

Virus infection in a wide range of eukaryotic host species results in the production of virus-derived small RNAs (such as small interfering RNAs) that specifically target the virus genome through RNA interference and related RNA silencing mechanisms. In this manner, virus-derived small RNAs mediate a form of antiviral immunity.

The behaviour of a T cell is moulded by numerous signals encountered during the T cell's life. This Review describes the current technologies that allow the fate and history of individual T cells to be monitored, providing insights into the kinship and prior functional activity of T cell subsets.

The vertebrate adaptive immune system is defined by antigen-binding receptors of diverse specificity and the cells that express them. But how did this system evolve? Here, our current understanding of the evolutionary acquisition of the factors required to generate such receptor variation and cellular complexity is discussed.

This Review describes the mechanisms by which the X chromosome regulates immune responses. The authors discuss how the effects of this chromosome can account for many of the immunological differences, such as altered susceptibility to infection or autoimmune disease, that occur between the sexes.

This Review emphasizes the clinical and immunological insights that can be gained from recent immunotherapy trials in patients with prostate cancer and how these might apply to developing immunotherapies for other types of solid tumour.

A complex and highly regulated pathway ensures that the delivery of cytotoxic cargo of cytotoxic lymphocytes is appropriately aimed and timed. As reviewed here, the study of patients and mutant mice with cytotoxicity defects has revealed many of the molecules involved in this targeted exocytosis of cytotoxic granules.

A comprehensive description of the many ways in which TGFβ can inhibit antitumour immune responses through effects on innate and adaptive immune cells and how these immunosuppressive effects could be targeted for the benefit of patients with cancer.

This Opinion article describes the newly discovered conserved immunological and structural features of the sequence-variable regions of HIV-1 gp120, which the authors suggest warrant the reappraisal of these regions as vaccine targets.

Here, the authors describe the complex interactions between cells of the innate immune system, the implications of these interactions for activation of adaptive immune cells and pancreatic β-cell death and the impact of infectious agents on these processes.

How can infection with the same virus have different outcomes in different individuals? Here, the authors describe how the outcome is influenced by virus properties, the circumstances of infection and host factors, such as immune regulatory mechanisms and genetic susceptibility.

In this article, the authors describe the development, phenotype and suppressive function of human regulatory T cell populations. There has been much emphasis on the clinical use of these cells, and the associated progresses and pitfalls are discussed here.

The discovery of IL-17-producing T cells has revolutionized our understanding of autoimmune diseases. However, much of the IL-17 released during an immune response is produced before T cells can be activated. Here, Daniel Cua and Cristina Tato describe the cellular sources, transcriptional regulation and physiological relevance of this early IL-17 production.

γδ T cells have innate cell-like attributes that allow them to rapidly produce cytokines and become cytotoxic in response to cell stress and infection. Here, the authors describe how they acquire these effector functions through both developmental programming and polarization in the periphery.

This Review article discusses how the interaction of neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages is important for both initiating and terminating an inflammatory response. The authors describe the phagocyte-derived mediators involved in these interactions and highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting them.

The activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes by cross-presented antigen (known as cross-priming) is necessary for immunity against certain viruses, bacteria and most tumours. Here, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of cross-priming are described, providing insight into some central questions on the basic mechanisms of cross-priming, and its physiological and therapeutic importance are discussed.

Several distinct populations of dendritic cells and macrophages are found in the intestinal lamina propria; these cells have crucial roles in both tolerogenic and inflammatory-type immune responses at the mucosa. This Review describes the recent findings that have increased our understanding of the origin and functions of intestinal mononuclear phagocytes.

In this Review the authors describe the key attributes of mast cells that make them well suited to initiate and coordinate innate and adaptive immune responses to pathogens, by acting as pathogen sensors, immune effectors and immune modulators.