Using single-cell RNA sequencing and mRNA translation analysis, we identified CD4⁺ tissue-resident memory T cells as a primary T cell subset that stores cytokine mRNA that can subsequently be translated upon T cell activation to rapidly produce cytokine proteins.

GABA production by enteric neurons suppresses ILC3 activation to prevent inflammation and maintain gut homeostasis.

Virus-specific T cells within the mucosa mediate local defense and establish tissue-resident memory. Strong and functional mucosal SARS-CoV-2-specific responses associate with viral clearance and their effective induction is an important aspiration for vaccine regimens.

In this broad Review, the authors describe how the immune response to leukemias develops, how these cancer cells avoid it and how various immunotherapies have been designed to overcome resistance.

Autophagy, thought to be boosted by T cell receptor or cytokine stimulation, took an unexpected turn in the findings of Sinclair et al. — it is suppressed in activated T cells, facilitating their effector functions.

Store-operated calcium entry in CD4⁺ T helper cells is essential for activation of the transcription factor NFAT, which promotes expression of the T helper 1 cell-lineage-determining transcription factor T-bet. We show that NFAT synergizes with interferon-induced STAT1 to drive T-bet expression in the absence of IL-12 signaling.

In this Review, Matarese and colleagues discuss how immunometabolism controls the physiology and pathophysiology of B cells.

Automated functional profiling of all natural NLRP3 variants accelerates the diagnosis of NLRP3-associated inflammatory diseases by classifying pathogenic mutants, and identifies key structural motifs for inflammasome regulation.

Genome-wide transcriptomics analysis of IFNγ-producing or IL-17A-producing γδ T cell subpopulations reveals marked differences in their mode of activation and functional potential in the periphery. We describe the differential expression of a set of 20 signature genes in models of infection and autoimmunity that may be useful for future studies on γδ T cell functions.

Metabolite-sensing G protein-coupled receptors act as critical signaling hubs that connect metabolism to immunity in cancer. Here we show that activation of the lactate receptor HCAR1 in colorectal tumor cells leads to the recruitment of immunosuppressive PMN-MDSCs to tumors, thereby impairing anti-tumor immunity and diminishing the effectiveness of immunotherapies.

In December 2024, the NIH Office of Autoimmune Disease Research in the Office of Research on Women’s Health (OADR-ORWH) hosted a virtual meeting in the ScienceTALKS series entitled ‘The Cancer Autoimmune Connection: Decoding the Paradox’.

Lymphoid tissues in the upper respiratory tract contain immune cells that are crucial for local immunity. An analysis of adenoid tissue from individuals during and after SARS-CoV-2 infection is used to characterize tissue immune responses.

CD8⁺ T cell exhaustion is defined by a unique transcriptional and epigenetic profile that is important to understand for the generation of immunotherapies to treat cancer. Research now shows how this profile can be regulated by T cells switching their nutrient sources.

Cell-type-specific SARS-CoV-2-induced responses in nasal mucosa differ largely between ancestral, Delta and Omicron cases, including the association with severe disease and the cellular and immunological effects of prior vaccination.

Using a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing, T cell and B cell receptor sequencing, and mass cytometry analyses, we characterized the dynamics of peripheral immune cells across the human lifespan. Based on this resource, we present a single-cell immune aging clock to assess an individual’s immune status across different life stages.

We describe how newly emerging mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.86 sub-variant JN.1 contribute to evasion of CD8⁺ T cell responses. Mutations occurring in T cell epitope hotspots in the viral spike protein and in a highly conserved site in the viral nucleocapsid suggest that T cell-mediated immune pressure is a key driving force for SARS-CoV-2 evolution and adaptation.

Using a novel human tonsil immune organoid system, Chen et al. demonstrate that by controlling autoreactive humoral and cellular responses, human CD4⁺ regulatory T cells (T_reg cells) and CD8⁺ T_reg cells cooperatively restrain the otherwise uncontrolled autoimmune disease progression.

On 23–26 September 2024, the second ImmunOctoberfest conference took place in Raitenhaslach, Germany, and brought together scientists from all over the world to catch up on recent advances in ‘Bridging Innovation and Translation in T cell Immunotherapy’.

On 11–12 September 2024, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) convened experts to discuss associations between microorganisms and the development of autoimmune diseases.

Sepsis results from a dysregulated immune response to infection. A study now shows that gut microbiota-derived metabolites prevent infection-triggered immunopathology by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor; pathogens inhibit this protective mechanism.