Martin F Bachmann , Mona O Mohsen , Daniel E Speiser
{"title":"The impact of viral evolution on vaccine development for SARS-CoV-2","authors":"Martin F Bachmann , Mona O Mohsen , Daniel E Speiser","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102612","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102612","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In order to stay circulating in the human population over many years, viruses need to adapt to the environment, mainly to the host’s immune response, allowing for reinfection despite preexisting immunity. These different viral strategies are clearly important for guiding vaccine design. SARS-CoV-2 is no exception, using three main strategies to avoid protective and long-lived antibody responses: one very common and two rather unique tactics, consisting of 1) random mutation to partially escape existing antibody responses, 2) increasing affinity of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein to it’s receptor Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2), and 3) diluting out neutralizing epitopes on the viral surface to avoid strong and enduring antibody responses. As the correlate of protection from SARS-CoV-2 is neutralizing antibody response, this review focuses on B cells, the major player in protecting against COVID-19.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"96 ","pages":"Article 102612"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dan Hong , Hui Xiong , Siyao Lu , Jianchi Ma , Zhenrui Shi
{"title":"Metabolic regulation of the immune cell in psoriasis: mechanisms and interventions","authors":"Dan Hong , Hui Xiong , Siyao Lu , Jianchi Ma , Zhenrui Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102614","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102614","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Psoriasis is increasingly recognized as a metabolically regulated inflammatory skin disease. Aberrant glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism reshape T cell, dendritic cell, macrophage, and neutrophil responses, driving chronic inflammation. Keratinocyte-derived metabolites further amplify immune dysfunction, establishing a reciprocal metabolic–immune circuit. Targeting immunometabolic checkpoints, including glucose transporter transporters, mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, and amino acid transporters, offers promising strategies to modulate pathogenic immune responses. This review highlights the metabolic reprogramming of key immune subsets in psoriasis and outlines future directions for developing selective metabolic interventions to improve therapeutic outcomes in this disease context.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"96 ","pages":"Article 102614"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144656226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insights into platelet post-transfusional human leukocyte antigen I immunization","authors":"Gabriel Rojas-Jiménez, Blandine Maître","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102607","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102607","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alloimmunization is asymptomatic, it nevertheless introduces a degree of complexity in the context of transplantation or allogeneic transfusion. In practice, it is evidenced by the presence of anti-HLA-I alloantibodies in patient circulation, which can lead to graft rejection or, of interest in this work, platelet transfusion refractoriness. Exposure of HLA-I antigens during pregnancy or after a transfusion does not lead systematically to the production of alloantibodies. We discuss here recent studies that illustrate the nature of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors involved in regulating humoral response following platelet transfusion. We highlight the importance of the factors related to the ‘donor/blood product/recipient triad’. Understanding their relative importance may help us to develop a stewardship of strategies to prevent the production of antibodies with potential to interfere with transfusions or transplants. We also underscore new directions to orient research in the field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"96 ","pages":"Article 102607"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlo Cannistrà , Suraj Timilsina , Merrill Eric Gershwin , Carlo Selmi
{"title":"HLA-B27 as a potential target for the cure of axial spondyloarthritis","authors":"Carlo Cannistrà , Suraj Timilsina , Merrill Eric Gershwin , Carlo Selmi","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) manifests with inflammatory back pain and is diagnosed predominantly in subjects carrying the human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 allele. While not diagnostic for the disease or a predictive biomarker in the general population, there is convincing data on the pathogenic role of HLA-B27 in axSpA via different proinflammatory mechanisms. Similar to other chronic conditions, axSpA requires lifelong treatments, including biologics and small molecules, to treat inflammation and ultimately halt disease progression by achieving sustained disease remission. There is currently no cure for axSpA, but one fascinating thesis is that gene therapy may hold the potential to reverse the disease. We provide herein a comprehensive and critical review of the advances in gene therapy strategies, including gene-editing techniques, RNA interference, and viral vector–mediated delivery systems, with a focus on the possible future developments in HLA-B27-related mechanisms. Understanding these novel approaches may pave the way for more effective, personalized treatments capable of solving the HLA-B27-positive axSpA conundrum.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"96 ","pages":"Article 102611"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144656224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Serena Longhi , Lina Zhang , Giorgina Mieli-Vergani , Diego Vergani
{"title":"Can we cure autoimmune hepatitis?","authors":"Maria Serena Longhi , Lina Zhang , Giorgina Mieli-Vergani , Diego Vergani","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102609","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102609","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder mainly affecting females and characterized by seropositivity for autoantibodies, hypergammaglobulinemia, and histological evidence of interface hepatitis. Liver damage in AIH is perpetrated by multiple immune cell subsets, including B, T lymphocytes, and macrophages. Dysfunction of regulatory T cells (Tregs), an immune subset central to immunotolerance, plays an important permissive role by enabling effector lymphocytes to act unopposed and perpetuate autoimmune liver injury. Corticosteroids and azathioprine are the mainstay of treatment, resulting in disease remission in 80–90% of cases. Second- and third-line treatment, including mycophenolate mofetil, calcineurin inhibitors, and anti-B lymphocyte strategies, are used in difficult-to-treat cases or intolerant patients. Although controlling inflammation, these immunosuppressants are associated with significant side effects that impact patients’ quality of life and adherence to treatment and, importantly, do not enable immune tolerance reconstitution. Strategies based on adoptive transfer of or <em>ex vivo</em> expansion of Tregs would enable limiting effector cell immunity while reconstituting immune tolerance. Additional studies into the mechanisms resulting in Treg dysfunction at both systemic and tissue levels are warranted to engineer more potent, stable, and long-lasting Tregs to be used in immunotherapy. Restoring Treg pool would be a key step forward toward the cure of this autoimmune condition and other autoimmune diseases with similar pathogenesis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"96 ","pages":"Article 102609"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144623597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mapping economic outcomes: how biosimilars enhance access to health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean","authors":"María Herrán , Juan-Manuel Anaya","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102606","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102606","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biological therapy has revolutionized the treatment landscape of complex and chronic conditions, including autoimmune diseases and cancer. However, their high costs have significantly limited patient access, particularly in low- and middle-income regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). As cost-effective alternatives, biosimilars have shown the potential to transform this paradigm and improve access to care. This narrative review examines the role of biosimilars in transforming health care across LAC. It highlights their potential to reduce treatment costs, expand access to essential medicines, promote market competition, and ease financial pressures on health systems. The biosimilars industry in LAC is expected to experience accelerated growth, driven by regulatory enhancements, market dynamics, investments, and a greater emphasis on education. Developing the biosimilar industry will improve health care resiliency, economic stability, and patient access throughout LAC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"96 ","pages":"Article 102606"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Smriti K Raychaudhuri , Disha Chakraborty , Christopher L Leonardini , Siba P Raychaudhuri
{"title":"Moving beyond the Janus kinase signaling kinases in the pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis","authors":"Smriti K Raychaudhuri , Disha Chakraborty , Christopher L Leonardini , Siba P Raychaudhuri","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Psoriatic disease encompasses psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. It is a chronic, progressive condition and leads to irreversible joint destruction. Conventional treatments used are disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biologics. Janus kinase (JAK) signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) cell signaling protein inhibitors have shown promising results in psoriatic disease. However, JAK inhibitors have been associated with some concerning safety issues, such as cardiac risks, venous thrombotic episodes, malignancy, and infection. There are other developing molecules beyond JAK inhibitors, such as tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitors, RAR-related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ) inhibitors, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, nerve growth factor inhibitors, and STAT kinase inhibitors. In this narrative review, we have discussed such molecular targets beyond JAK inhibitors to examine their role in the treatment of psoriatic disease. This review discusses the potential of these new options, particularly TYK2 inhibitors, which is already Food and Drug Administration approved for psoriasis. These advancements offer promising options for the management of psoriatic disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102601"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144570273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Concept of dual immune inhibitors for the treatment of drug-resistant psoriatic disease","authors":"Disha Chakraborty , Siba P Raychaudhuri","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biologic therapies have significantly improved the management of immune-mediated conditions like psoriatic disease, enhancing the quality of life of patients. However, monotherapy is often insufficient, especially in cases of relapse, concomitant psoriatic arthritis, and involvement of difficult-to-treat areas: the scalp, palmoplantar areas, inverse regions, or genital areas. Patients with psoriatic disease also exhibit varying responses in their skin and joint manifestations to the same biologic, making dual biologic therapy a potential solution. Psoriasis is increasingly recognized as a systemic disease affecting multiple organs, and given the complex pathophysiology, different organs may respond differently to treatment. Targeting multiple immune mediators simultaneously could therefore lead to more effective disease control. Common combinations include TNF inhibitors with IL-17/23 antagonists. Despite its potential, dual biologic therapy remains infrequent, with most data coming from clinical case reports. This review explores dual immune inhibition as a therapeutic strategy, its rationale, and limitations for drug-resistant psoriatic disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102602"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144570274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kader Cetin Gedik , Desiré Casares-Marfil , Erkan Demirkaya , Amr H Sawalha
{"title":"The role of epigenetic modifications in systemic autoinflammatory diseases","authors":"Kader Cetin Gedik , Desiré Casares-Marfil , Erkan Demirkaya , Amr H Sawalha","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autoinflammatory diseases are a group of immune dysregulation disorders, with genetic mutations identified in approximately 50% of patients. However, patients with known pathogenic mutations may display a broad range of phenotypic diversity. Epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in regulating immune-mediated diseases, including autoinflammatory diseases, influencing disease course and complications. This review provides an overview of the current literature on the role of epigenetic changes in autoinflammatory diseases, examining their implications for disease mechanisms. To identify biological processes and pathways influenced by microRNAs across autoinflammatory diseases, we performed enrichment analyses in Gene Ontology biological processes. This analysis revealed enriched pathways reflecting the varying biological mechanisms implicated in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), tumor necrosis factor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID). Notably, FMF was linked to clinically significant pathways, including those related to cytokine production, cardiovascular system, and neuroinflammation. These results highlight the potential of epigenetic modifications as biomarkers for autoinflammatory diseases. Given the role of epigenetic modifications in gene expression and the growing interest in their involvement in disease pathogenesis and therapy, including in rare disorders, further research into the epigenetic landscape of autoinflammatory diseases is essential. Furthermore, integrating genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors will be key to addressing clinical variability and developing personalized treatment approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102599"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144557082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development and consequences of red blood cell autoantibodies: warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia","authors":"Flavia Dei Zotti , Krystalyn E Hudson","doi":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102604","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coi.2025.102604","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare disorder caused by loss of tolerance to red blood cell (RBC) antigens, leading to their destruction by autoantibodies. AIHA can occur as a primary condition or secondary to infections, malignancies, or immune-modulating therapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors. This review focuses on the roles of B and T cells in disease initiation and progression of warm AIHA. We discuss recent studies highlighting the importance of dysregulated CD4+ T cells in driving autoreactive B cell responses and autoantibody production and highlight a new role for purinergic signaling in contributing to T cell dysfunction. This dysfunction results in an imbalance between T regulatory cells and proinflammatory Th17 cells, further exacerbating the autoimmune response. Treatment strategies have variable success, with relapse rates of up to 50% and mortality in ∼11%. As such, we also discuss emerging therapeutic strategies, which may potentially lead to more effective and targeted treatments for this serious condition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11361,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Immunology","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102604"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144548369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}