Articles in 2022

In breast cancer, an effective response to therapy with immune checkpoint blockade depends on T cell–eosinophil collaboration: CD4⁺ T cells produce IL-5 to mobilize eosinophils, which in turn help to activate antitumour CD8⁺ T cell responses.

The successful mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 contain polyethylene glycol (PEG) to stabilize the lipid nanoparticles. Recent data show that PEG-specific antibodies can be induced or boosted by mRNA vaccination. Further research is needed to study the potential links between PEG-specific antibodies, vaccine reactogenicity and enhanced clearance of other PEG-containing medicines.

This Review discusses the evidence for pre-existing cross-reactive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, which are mainly due to infections with common cold coronaviruses, and how such cross-reactivity affects adaptive immune responses. Furthermore, it explores cross-reactivity in the context of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and its implications for vaccine development.

A core motif shared by self and microbial peptides is targeted by T cell receptors that are enriched in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

In addition to antibody-mediated neutralization, Fc-dependent effector functions of antibodies directed to SARS-CoV-2 are emerging as an important factor in determining the outcome of infection. This Review highlights the current state of the field and discusses remaining uncertainties regarding Fc-dependent, non-neutralizing functions of antibodies.

The chemokine CXCL12 affects nuclear morphology in neutrophils, allowing these to pass through narrow spaces.

Single-cell analysis of the regenerative velvet skin covering reindeer antlers during periods of growth shows that interactions between fibroblasts and immune cells determine wound healing outcomes.

In this Perspective, Francis Carbone considers the unique characteristics of the tissue-resident memory T (T_RM) cell populations that develop in the lungs. He discusses how the different properties of lung T_RM cells may affect immunity to lung infections, including SARS-CoV-2.

Accumulation of inhaled carbon particulates in lung-draining lymph nodes with age impairs respiratory immunity.

This Review discusses recent applications of CRISPR screening to discover intracellular and intercellular regulators of immune cell function in infection, inflammation and cancer, with a focus on the advances of in vivo and single-cell CRISPR screens in immuno-oncology.

The RNA polymerase III subunit TFIIIA transcribes 5S ribosomal RNA pseudogenes that activate RIG-I. Mutations affecting TFIIIA impair antiviral immune responses and are associated with herpes simplex encephalitis.

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are present in the meninges and help to maintain normal neural function by preserving meningeal barrier homeostasis and integrity.

In this Perspective, Alain Fischer reflects on the development of gene therapy for patients with inborn errors of immunity. He discusses the challenges the field has faced as well as the progress seen in the past 25 years.

A preprint by Ma et al. investigates the mechanism of antigen spreading induced by a vaccine-boosted CAR T cell approach, which has implications for the therapeutic challenges associated with tumour heterogeneity or tumour antigen loss.

Specialized macrophages that reside near the parenchyma of the central nervous system regulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and showed impaired activity in older animals and in the setting of neurodegenerative disease.

Laura Santambrogio and Pippa Marrack clarify how the mechanisms of autoreactivity in bona fide autoimmune diseases and in chronic inflammatory and metabolic conditions overlap and how are they distinguished.