Innate immune cells

Article | 24 April 2024

Periportal macrophages protect against commensal-driven liver inflammation

A subset of Macro-positive macrophages is identified to have immunosuppressive functions in the periportal vein zones of the liver to mediate excessive inflammation, and their effects depend on commensal gut bacteria.

Yu Miyamoto
, Junichi Kikuta
& Masaru Ishii

Article | 01 November 2023

iPS-cell-derived microglia promote brain organoid maturation via cholesterol transfer

The authors seek to understand the precise roles of microglia in the early human brain by coculturing brain organoids with primitive-like macrophages generated from the same human induced pluripotent stem cells (iMac).

Dong Shin Park
, Tatsuya Kozaki
& Florent Ginhoux

Article | 01 November 2023

IL-1β⁺ macrophages fuel pathogenic inflammation in pancreatic cancer

Single-cell and spatial gene expression analyses of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma uncover a population of interleukin-1β-expressing macrophages that drive inflammatory reprogramming of neighboring tumour cells leading to disease progression and poor prognosis for patients.

Nicoletta Caronni
, Federica La Terza
& Renato Ostuni

Article
05 July 2023 | Open Access

SLC38A2 and glutamine signalling in cDC1s dictate anti-tumour immunity

Competition for glutamine between type-1 conventional dendritic cells and tumour cells has a central role in tuning the anti-tumour immune response and in immune evasion by cancer cells.

Chuansheng Guo
, Zhiyuan You
& Hongbo Chi

Article | 28 June 2023

Reprogramming tumour-associated macrophages to outcompete cancer cells

In a mouse model of breast cancer, a low-protein diet induces engulfment activities and mTORC1 signalling in tumour-associated macrophages to suppress engulfment-dependent mTORC1 signalling in MYC-overexpressing cancer cells through cell competition, serving as an innate immune defence mechanism to slow tumour growth.

Xian Zhang
, Shun Li
& Ming O. Li

Review Article | 21 June 2023

Physiology and diseases of tissue-resident macrophages

This Review addresses the current understanding of the roles of tissue-resident macrophages in physiology and disease, including their development and their functions in tissue remodelling and nutrient recycling.

Tomi Lazarov
, Sergio Juarez-Carreño
& Frederic Geissmann

Article | 14 June 2023

Dedicated macrophages organize and maintain the enteric nervous system

Resident macrophages of the muscularis externa refine the enteric nervous system (ENS) early in life by pruning synapses and phagocytosing enteric neurons, and later switch to a neuro-supportive function, indicating that the ENS is governed by a dedicated population of resident macrophages that adapt to the timely needs of the ENS.

Maria Francesca Viola
, Marta Chavero-Pieres
& Guy Boeckxstaens

Article | 08 March 2023

Macrophage fumarate hydratase restrains mtRNA-mediated interferon production

Inhibition of the tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme fumarate hydratase leads to deregulation of cytokine production in macrophages, which has implications in human diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus.

Alexander Hooftman
, Christian G. Peace
& Luke A. J. O’Neill

Article
04 January 2023 | Open Access

Neonatal imprinting of alveolar macrophages via neutrophil-derived 12-HETE

The production of eicosanoids by neutrophils during the neonatal period is necessary for the self-renewal and maintenance of alveolar macrophages during lung development.

Erwan Pernet
, Sarah Sun
& Maziar Divangahi

Article
12 December 2022 | Open Access

Active eosinophils regulate host defence and immune responses in colitis

Single-cell transcriptomic profiling and functional assays are used to identify subpopulations of eosinophils that are present in the mouse gastrointestinal tract and provide insight into the role of these cells in inflammatory bowel diseases in humans.

Alessandra Gurtner
, Costanza Borrelli
& Isabelle C. Arnold

Article | 02 November 2022

Inulin fibre promotes microbiota-derived bile acids and type 2 inflammation

Dietary inulin fibre alters the composition and metabolism of gut microbiota, resulting in elevated levels of bile acids that subsequently trigger mucosal type 2 inflammation characterized by eosinophilia, with clinical implications for allergy and anti-helminth defence.

Mohammad Arifuzzaman
, Tae Hyung Won
& David Artis

Article | 02 November 2022

Non-redundant functions of group 2 innate lymphoid cells

Specific deletion of group 2 innate lymphoid cells in mice shows these cells have roles in the recruitment of eosinophils and in mounting immune and epithelial type 2 responses.

Katja J. Jarick
, Patrycja M. Topczewska
& Christoph S. N. Klose

Article | 02 November 2022

Neuropeptide regulation of non-redundant ILC2 responses at barrier surfaces

The development of a new genetic tool to selectively deplete or modify group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) addresses the debate regarding the non-redundant functions of this immune cell type.

Amy M. Tsou
, Hiroshi Yano
& David Artis

Article | 07 September 2022

ILC3s select microbiota-specific regulatory T cells to establish tolerance in the gut

ILC3s expressing MHC class II control the fate of inflammatory versus tolerogenic T cells that respond to the microbiota by selecting for antigen-specific RORγt⁺ T_reg cells and against T_H17 cells, establishing intestinal homoeostasis.

Mengze Lyu
, Hiroaki Suzuki
& Gregory F. Sonnenberg

Article | 17 August 2022

LACC1 bridges NOS2 and polyamine metabolism in inflammatory macrophages

Findings suggest that l-ornithine could serve as a novel nutraceutical to ameliorate LACC1-associated immunological dysfunctions.

Zheng Wei
, Joonseok Oh
& Jason M. Crawford

Article | 13 July 2022

ZBTB46 defines and regulates ILC3s that protect the intestine

A subset of group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) expresses the transcription factor ZBTB46—which was previously thought to be restricted to conventional dendritic cells—and these ILC3s have a role in regulating intestinal health.

Wenqing Zhou
, Lei Zhou
& Gregory F. Sonnenberg

Article | 20 April 2022

Specification of CNS macrophage subsets occurs postnatally in defined niches

Single-cell profiling and fate-mapping experiments in the developing brain of mice and humans show that microglia and meningeal macrophages originate from a common prenatal precursor, but that perivascular macrophages are derived postnatally from meningeal macrophages.

Takahiro Masuda
, Lukas Amann
& Marco Prinz

Article | 06 April 2022

FcγR-mediated SARS-CoV-2 infection of monocytes activates inflammation

Antibody-mediated SARS-CoV-2 uptake by monocytes and macrophages triggers inflammatory cell death that aborts the production of infectious virus but causes systemic inflammation that contributes to COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Caroline Junqueira
, Ângela Crespo
& Judy Lieberman

Article | 01 December 2021

Antigen-presenting innate lymphoid cells orchestrate neuroinflammation

A subset of inflammatory group 3 innate lymphoid cells, here termed iILC3s, infiltrate the central nervous system and promote neuroinflammation and disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

John B. Grigg
, Arthi Shanmugavadivu
& Gregory F. Sonnenberg

Article | 25 October 2021

Untimely TGFβ responses in COVID-19 limit antiviral functions of NK cells

The improper timing of transforming growth factor-β production is a hallmark of severe COVID-19 that may impede natural killer cell function and early control of infection.

Mario Witkowski
, Caroline Tizian
& Andreas Diefenbach

Article | 18 August 2021

Neuro-mesenchymal units control ILC2 and obesity via a brain–adipose circuit

Signals from the sympathetic nervous system act via mesenchymal stromal cells to regulate the function of group 2 innate lymphoid cells and control adipocyte metabolism.

Filipa Cardoso
, Roel G. J. Klein Wolterink
& Henrique Veiga-Fernandes

Article | 14 July 2021

Astrocytic interleukin-3 programs microglia and limits Alzheimer’s disease

Interleukin-3 signalling from astrocytes to microglia readies microglia to defend against Alzheimer’s disease.

Cameron S. McAlpine
, Joseph Park
& Filip K. Swirski

Article | 16 June 2021

Tissue-resident macrophages provide a pro-tumorigenic niche to early NSCLC cells

Single-cell RNA sequencing and imaging of macrophages in human non-small cell lung cancer and in a mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma show that tissue-resident macrophages have a key role in early tumour progression.

María Casanova-Acebes
, Erica Dalla
& Miriam Merad

Article | 09 June 2021

TIM-3 restrains anti-tumour immunity by regulating inflammasome activation

Mouse genetic studies and single-cell transcriptome analysis demonstrate that TIM-3 on dendritic cells has a key role in regulating antitumour immunity via inflammasome activation and is a potential target for anticancer therapy.

Karen O. Dixon
, Marcin Tabaka
& Vijay K. Kuchroo

Article | 03 March 2021

Monocyte-derived S1P in the lymph node regulates immune responses

Monocyte-derived sphingosine 1-phosphate gradients in the lymph nodes regulate the response of T cells under inflammatory conditions.

Audrey Baeyens
, Sabrina Bracero
& Susan R. Schwab

Article | 10 February 2021

Macrophages provide a transient muscle stem cell niche via NAMPT secretion

Specific macrophage populations provide a transient niche that activates muscle stem cells after muscle injury and supply proliferation-inducing cues that govern the repair process mediated by these cells in both zebrafish and mouse injury models.

Dhanushika Ratnayake
, Phong D. Nguyen
& Peter D. Currie

Article | 03 February 2021

Skin-resident innate lymphoid cells converge on a pathogenic effector state

In studies using mouse models of psoriasis, a spectrum of innate lymphoid cell types is reconfigured and converges via multiple trajectories on a type 3-like state, demonstrating the range and flexibility of innate lymphoid cell responses in the skin.

Piotr Bielecki
, Samantha J. Riesenfeld
& Richard A. Flavell

Article | 19 February 2020

ILC2s amplify PD-1 blockade by activating tissue-specific cancer immunity

Tumour-infiltrating group 2 innate lymphoid cells prime CD8⁺ T cells and amplify the anti-tumour effects of PD-1 blockade in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

John Alec Moral
, Joanne Leung
& Vinod P. Balachandran

Article | 12 February 2020

Feeding-dependent VIP neuron–ILC3 circuit regulates the intestinal barrier

Feeding controls a neuroimmune circuit comprising VIP-producing neurons and type-3 innate lymphoid cells that helps to regulate the efficiency of nutrient uptake and IL-22-mediated immune protection in the intestine.

Jhimmy Talbot
, Paul Hahn
& Dan R. Littman

Article | 20 November 2019

NLRP3 inflammasome activation drives tau pathology

The authors show that NLRP3 inflammasome is activated in microglia of patients with fronto-temporal dementia and in a mouse model of tau pathology, and that the loss of NLRP3 inflammasome function decreases tau pathology and improves cognition in mice.

Christina Ising
, Carmen Venegas
& Michael T. Heneka

Article | 23 October 2019

Metabolic regulation of gene expression by histone lactylation

The lactylation of lysine residues on histones in mammalian cells is stimulated by hypoxia and bacterial challenges, and increased histone lactylation induces genes involved in wound healing.

Di Zhang
, Zhanyun Tang
& Yingming Zhao

Article | 09 October 2019

Resolving the fibrotic niche of human liver cirrhosis at single-cell level

Single-cell RNA sequencing is used to characterize and compare the functional diversity of cells from liver biopsies of human scarred and normal liver, and identifies markers for scar-associated macrophages and endothelial cells.

P. Ramachandran
, R. Dobie
& N. C. Henderson

Letter | 18 September 2019

Light-entrained and brain-tuned circadian circuits regulate ILC3s and gut homeostasis

Circadian circuits, entrained by light and tuned by the brain, regulate intestinal group 3 innate lymphoid cells in mice, along with epithelial reactivity, microbiome composition and lipid metabolism.

Cristina Godinho-Silva
, Rita G. Domingues
& Henrique Veiga-Fernandes

Letter | 07 August 2019

Locally renewing resident synovial macrophages provide a protective barrier for the joint

Analysis of macrophage subsets within joints reveals a population of CX₃CR1⁺ tissue-resident macrophages that form a tight-junction-mediated barrier at the synovial lining, protecting the joint from the invasion of inflammatory cells.

Stephan Culemann
, Anika Grüneboom
& Gerhard Krönke

Letter | 31 July 2019

CD24 signalling through macrophage Siglec-10 is a target for cancer immunotherapy

CD24 interacts with the tumour-associated-macrophage receptor Siglec-10 to inhibit the macrophage-mediated clearance of cancer cells, revealing a new ‘don’t eat me’ signal as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy.

Amira A. Barkal
, Rachel E. Brewer
& Irving L. Weissman

Letter | 05 June 2019

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells mediate early protective immunity against tuberculosis

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells are recruited to the lung and involved in the immune response to infection with tuberculosis in humans and mice, as a reduction in group 3 innate lymphoid cells in the lung impaired early immune control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice.

Amanda Ardain
, Racquel Domingo-Gonzalez
& Shabaana A. Khader

Letter | 10 April 2019

Developmental origin, functional maintenance and genetic rescue of osteoclasts

Multinucleated osteoclasts required for normal bone development and tooth eruption in the mouse originate from embryonic erythro-myeloid progenitors and are maintained after birth by fusion with circulating monocytes.

Christian E. Jacome-Galarza
, Gulce I. Percin
& Frederic Geissmann

Letter | 03 April 2019

Innate lymphoid cells support regulatory T cells in the intestine through interleukin-2

A microbiota- and IL-1β-dependent axis of IL-2 production by group-3 innate lymphoid cells is shown in a mouse model to be necessary to maintain immunological homeostasis and regulatory T cells in the small intestine.

Lei Zhou
, Coco Chu
& Gregory F. Sonnenberg

Letter | 30 January 2019

Interleukin-22 protects intestinal stem cells against genotoxic stress

Sporadic inactivation of the interleukin-22 receptor in the intestinal epithelium of the mouse shows that IL-22 is required for effective activation of the DNA damage response following DNA damage.

Konrad Gronke
, Pedro P. Hernández
& Andreas Diefenbach

Letter | 23 January 2019

GPR31-dependent dendrite protrusion of intestinal CX3CR1⁺ cells by bacterial metabolites

In the mouse intestine, pyruvate and lactate produced from bacterial metabolites enhance immune responses through inducing dendrite protrusion, mediated by GPR31, of small intestinal mononuclear cells that express CX3CR1.

Naoki Morita
, Eiji Umemoto
& Kiyoshi Takeda

Article | 11 April 2018

Innate immune memory in the brain shapes neurological disease hallmarks

Peripheral stimuli can induce acute immune training and tolerance in the brain and lead to long-lasting epigenetic reprogramming of microglia; these changes alter pathology in mouse models of stroke and Alzheimer’s pathology .

Ann-Christin Wendeln
, Karoline Degenhardt
& Jonas J. Neher

Letter | 28 March 2018

Itaconate is an anti-inflammatory metabolite that activates Nrf2 via alkylation of KEAP1

WebTreatment of lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages with the cell-permeable itaconate derivative 4-octyl itaconate activates the anti-inflammatory transcription factor Nrf2 by alkylating key cysteine residues on the KEAP1 protein.

Evanna L. Mills
, Dylan G. Ryan
& Luke A. O’Neill

Letter | 27 September 2017

Inflammasome-driven catecholamine catabolism in macrophages blunts lipolysis during ageing

Lipolysis declines with age because NLRP3 inflammasome-activated adipose tissue macrophages reduce levels of noradrenaline by upregulating genes that control its degradation, such as GDF3 and MAOA.

Christina D. Camell
, Jil Sander
& Vishwa Deep Dixit

Article | 13 September 2017

The neuropeptide NMU amplifies ILC2-driven allergic lung inflammation

Neuromedin receptor NMUR1 is specifically expressed by a subpopulation of type 2 innate lymphoid cells and promotes the inflammatory response of these cells in response to allergens, indicating the importance of neuro-immune crosstalk in allergic responses.

Antonia Wallrapp
, Samantha J. Riesenfeld
& Vijay K. Kuchroo

Letter | 06 September 2017

Neuronal regulation of type 2 innate lymphoid cells via neuromedin U

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells express the neuromedin U receptor 1 (NMUR1) and respond to neuromedin U (NMU) released by adjacent enteric neurons, and this interaction results in an enhanced immediate early response to the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.

Vânia Cardoso
, Julie Chesné
& Henrique Veiga-Fernandes

Letter | 06 September 2017

The neuropeptide neuromedin U stimulates innate lymphoid cells and type 2 inflammation

Intestinal type 2 innate lymphoid cells express the neuropeptide receptor NMUR1, which makes them responsive to neuronal neuromedin U, thereby promoting a type 2 cytokine response and accelerated expulsion of the gastro-intestinal nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.

Christoph S. N. Klose
, Tanel Mahlakõiv
& David Artis

Letter | 14 June 2017

Human fetal dendritic cells promote prenatal T-cell immune suppression through arginase-2

Prenatal immune suppression is regulated by fetal arginase-2-expressing dendritic cells which respond normally to toll-like receptor stimulation but, in contrast to adult dendritic cells, induce regulatory T cells and repress TNF-α secretion by effector T cells.

Naomi McGovern
, Amanda Shin
& Florent Ginhoux

Letter | 08 March 2017

Class IIa HDAC inhibition reduces breast tumours and metastases through anti-tumour macrophages

A selective class IIa histone deacetylase inhibitor induces anti-tumour immunity in a mouse model of mammary cancer through altered differentiation and recruitment of tumour-associated macrophages.