Microfold cells (M-cell) are specialized cells of the intestine that sample luminal microbiota and dietary antigens. Here the authors show that epithelial non-canonical NFκB signalling, as induced by NIK, is important for M-cells maintenance, yet constitutive NIK activation is associated with gut inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease.

The authors investigated the effects and mechanism of IL-10 in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Compared to wild-type mice with IRI, IL-10 knockout (IL-10 KO) mice with IRI demonstrated decreased renal function, increased mRNA expressions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increased expression of the pro-apoptosis factors. Our findings demonstrate that IL-10 suppresses the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, renal dysfunction and the expression of pro-apoptosis factors after IRI.

Metabolic pathways are increasingly recognized as crucial determinants of T cell function. Here the authors show that the balance between IFNγ and IL-10 production in human CD4 T cells is modulated by the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway.