Reviews & Analysis

As we age, haematopoiesis becomes skewed towards myelopoiesis. Studies of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) transplanted into irradiated recipient mice imply that HSC defects are responsible for this ageing effect. Here, the authors urge caution when using irradiated mice to study haematopoiesis ageing, and propose instead that age-related changes in the bone marrow environment and in downstream progenitors, not just HSCs, may also be responsible for myeloid skewing.

Recent studies have revealed a specialized population of ‘exhausted’ CD8⁺ T cells that expands on immune checkpoint blockade therapy for cancer and may explain how T cell responses are maintained in chronic conditions. Here, the authors describe their phenotypic, developmental and functional characteristics and why they should be harnessed for successful immunotherapy.

B cells have many unique metabolic features. Markus Müschen highlights these in this Opinion article and proposes the concept of three key metabolic gatekeepers that protect against B cell-associated autoimmunity and lymphomas.

Emerging data indicate that neutrophils exist in several different ‘flavours’. Here, the authors outline potential underlying mechanisms for the presence of distinct neutrophil subsets in health and disease.