{"title":"Transcriptional programming governs the transition from shared progenitors to divergent CD8+ T cell fates","authors":"M Zeeshan Chaudhry, Gabrielle T Belz","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70101","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70101","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Research in 2025 demonstrated that memory and exhausted CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell lineages arise from shared TCF1<sup>+</sup> progenitors and that fate divergence is actively enforced by transcriptional programs rather than fixed at priming. Multi-state regulators such as KLF2 and GFI1 preserve stemness, restrain exhaustion, and calibrate differentiation under acute and chronic antigenic stress.\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"396-399"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/imcb.70101","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147429837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thi H O Nguyen, Hayley A McQuilten, Angela Pizzolla, Sneha Sant, Kim L Harland, Jessica Braverman, Katherine Kedzierska, Linda M Wakim
{"title":"Antigen specificity, not tissue compartment, determines clonal sharing among respiratory tract CD8+ resident memory T cells","authors":"Thi H O Nguyen, Hayley A McQuilten, Angela Pizzolla, Sneha Sant, Kim L Harland, Jessica Braverman, Katherine Kedzierska, Linda M Wakim","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70098","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70098","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tissue-resident memory (Trm) CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells in the upper and lower respiratory tract play an instrumental role in combatting influenza virus. While CD8<sup>+</sup> Trm populations in these compartments differ in longevity and developmental requirements, it remains unclear whether they share clonotypes, indicating a common origin, or are seeded by distinct T-cell clones. Using a mouse model of influenza virus infection, we investigated the T-cell receptor (TCR) composition of CD8<sup>+</sup> Trm specific for two immunodominant influenza-specific CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell epitopes, derived from the nucleoprotein (NP<sub>366-374</sub>) and polymerase acidic protein (PA<sub>224-233</sub>). TCRαβ repertoire analysis of NP<sub>366-374</sub>-specific CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells from the nasal mucosa, lung and spleen revealed substantial clonal overlap across resident and circulating subsets, consistent with derivation from a shared precursor pool. In contrast, PA<sub>224-233</sub>-specific responses showed minimal clonal sharing across tissues and subsets, reflecting a more diverse and private repertoire. Thus, nasal and lung CD8<sup>+</sup> Trm can arise from either shared or distinct clonotypes, with their profiles shaped primarily by the antigen specificity rather than tissue location. This allows barrier tissues to be seeded by both highly conserved, public NP<sub>366–374</sub>-specific CD8<sup>+</sup> TCRs and a more diverse, private PA<sub>224–233</sub>-specific repertoire, together forming an optimal pool capable of providing broadly cross-reactive T-cell immunity and limiting viral escape.</p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"358-367"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/imcb.70098","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147343090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"One lineage, many diseases: γδ T cells as context-dependent immune surveyors","authors":"Lauren J Howson","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70103","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70103","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Key highights from studies of γδ T cells in 2025 reveal new insights into their role in infection, inflammation and allergy and the impact of cellular and metabolic stress on γδ T cells. Created in BioRender. Howson, L. (2026) https://BioRender.com/mhdcqha\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"415-418"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/imcb.70103","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147462487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring SIK2-CXCL5 interactions in neutrophils: A novel mechanism for modulating IL-23 and psoriasis progression","authors":"Yadi Li, Xiaoqian Zhou, Zhusheng Yang, Xiumin Yang, Aihua Wei","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70105","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70105","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, involves dysregulated immune responses and keratinocyte hyperproliferation. The role of salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2) in modulating interleukin-23 (IL-23) secretion via C–X–C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) in neutrophils has not been fully explored. We combined <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i> approaches to examine SIK2's role in an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis model and activated neutrophils. Mice underwent intradermal injections of lentiviruses overexpressing SIK2, CXCL5, or both, while <i>in vitro</i> experiments involved transfecting activated neutrophils with these constructs. Assessments included ear thickness, cellular and neutrophil infiltration through histological and immunofluorescence techniques, and analysis of gene and protein expressions via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Western blot. Additionally, cell viability, proliferation, and cytokine levels in <i>N</i>-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF) treated neutrophils were evaluated using cell-counting kit-8 (CCK8), 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Overexpression of SIK2 significantly reduced ear thickness, cellular and neutrophil infiltration, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), CXCL5, IL-23 and phosphorylated Yes-associated protein (p-YAP) levels, and increased SIK2 levels in IMQ mice model, but overexpression of CXCL5 reversed these effects. <i>In vitro</i>, SIK2 overexpression resulted in reduced cell viability and proliferation, with corresponding reductions in IL-1β, IL-17, IL-23, and Matrix Metallopeptidase 9 levels, whereas overexpression of CXCL5 reversed these effects. Our findings suggest that SIK2 acts as a critical modulator in psoriasis by influencing CXCL5-mediated IL-23 secretion in neutrophils, underscoring the potential of SIK2 as a therapeutic target to alleviate the inflammatory responses in psoriasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"419-431"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147496955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thomas S Fulford, Hui-Fern Koay, Raelene Grumont, Darryl N Johnson, Sebastian Scheer, Hendrik J Nel, Ranjeny Thomas, Jeffrey YW Mak, David P Fairlie, Charis E Teh, Daniel HD Gray, Vanessa L Bryant, Colby Zaph, Lorraine A O'Reilly, Steven Gerondakis, Dale I Godfrey
{"title":"The NF-κB transcription factor RelA directs mucosal-associated invariant T-cell development","authors":"Thomas S Fulford, Hui-Fern Koay, Raelene Grumont, Darryl N Johnson, Sebastian Scheer, Hendrik J Nel, Ranjeny Thomas, Jeffrey YW Mak, David P Fairlie, Charis E Teh, Daniel HD Gray, Vanessa L Bryant, Colby Zaph, Lorraine A O'Reilly, Steven Gerondakis, Dale I Godfrey","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70096","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70096","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are characterized by rapid responses to nonpeptide antigens via invariant T-cell receptors (TCR), and expression of an “effector-like” T-cell phenotype. The transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) is crucial for defining the function of MAIT cells and other unconventional T cells; however, the transcriptional programs that direct MAIT cell development are not fully elucidated. Here, we show that the canonical NF-κB transcription factor RelA is critical for MAIT cell thymic development, but not responsiveness to antigen, whereas NF-κB1 and c-Rel make more limited contributions. MAIT cell development is also impaired in the absence of the linear ubiquitin signaling complex (LUBAC), an upstream regulator of NF-κB signaling, implicating this pathway in establishing the MAIT cell pool. Collectively, these data suggest LUBAC and NF-κB signals as elements of the transcriptional network controlling MAIT cell development.</p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"329-344"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/imcb.70096","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147275251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Innate lymphoid cells at the heart of the enteric neuroimmune system","authors":"Cyril Seillet","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70100","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70100","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bidirectional communication between neurons and innate lymphoid cells shapes intestinal immunity. Distinct neuropeptides calibrate immune responses in the gut to ensure rapid adaptation of inflammatory and tissue-protective programs essential for intestinal protection.\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"377-380"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/imcb.70100","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147375480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shivali Savita Chinni, Gemma S Trollope, Patrick Leung, Jonathan L McQualter, Chee Wah Tan, Linfa Wang, Leonard Lim, Adam K Wheatley, Jennifer A Juno, Stephen J Kent, Hareth A Al-Wassiti, Colin W Pouton, Kylie M Quinn
{"title":"Age-related differences in mRNA vaccine immunogenicity and adjuvancy","authors":"Shivali Savita Chinni, Gemma S Trollope, Patrick Leung, Jonathan L McQualter, Chee Wah Tan, Linfa Wang, Leonard Lim, Adam K Wheatley, Jennifer A Juno, Stephen J Kent, Hareth A Al-Wassiti, Colin W Pouton, Kylie M Quinn","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70102","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70102","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Older people mount poorer adaptive immune responses to mRNA vaccines, leaving them more vulnerable to infection with SARS-CoV-2. To design better mRNA vaccines for older people, we need to understand how aging alters mechanisms of adjuvancy that shape immunogenicity. To first define age-related changes in immunogenicity, we vaccinated young (< 5 months old) and aged (> 18 months old) C57BL/6 mice with an mRNA vaccine encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. T cell responses were markedly reduced in aged mice at peak and memory timepoints, using intracellular cytokine staining or activation-induced marker assays. Spike and receptor-binding domain binding and neutralizing antibody titers were also markedly reduced in aged mice, consistent with deficits seen in older humans. To define age-related changes in adjuvancy mechanisms, we vaccinated young and aged mice with mRNA vaccines loaded with DiD lipid dye or mScarlet mRNA, then tracked dendritic cell (DC) numbers, phenotype, vaccine uptake, antigen expression, and activation, as well as local and systemic cytokine production. DC numbers in the draining lymph nodes (dLN) were dramatically reduced before and early after vaccination in aged compared to young mice, with delayed recruitment of DCs to the dLN. Vaccine uptake was not impacted by age, but the frequency of DCs expressing antigen increased with age and DC activation decreased with age. Aging accelerated the expression of some cytokines (IL-1α, IL-6), while delaying others (IFNγ, MCP-1) in dLNs and sera. This illustrates that aging impairs multiple adjuvancy mechanisms but mRNA vaccine strategies that address these age-related deficits could improve responses in older people.</p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"400-414"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/imcb.70102","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147442016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"C3AR1 regulates intestinal T-cell immune response after burn by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway","authors":"Jingyu Wei, Kai Zhang, Weicheng Pan, Yunjian Li, Qiang Shi, Yun Cheng, Wenwen Zhang","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70099","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70099","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Severe burns are characterized by high mortality and morbidity rates. Immune dysfunction during the acute phase of severe burns exacerbates tissue damage. Complement C3a receptor 1 (C3AR1) is a key receptor associated with severe burn shock. This study aimed to investigate the effects of C3AR1 on T-cell immunity in the intestine following burns. We established a mouse model of severe burns and performed <i>in vitro</i> stimulation of CD3<sup>+</sup> T cells with C3AR1 agonist. Quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot, ELISA, and flow cytometry were used to analyze the expression of C3AR1, IL-2, IL-10 and factors related to the NF-κB signaling pathway, changes in the proportions of Th1 and Th2 subsets, and the apoptosis rate of CD3<sup>+</sup> T cells after C3AR1 stimulation. The results showed that C3AR1 expression in the intestinal mucosa of severely burned mice was significantly elevated, while IL-2 expression was decreased, exhibiting a negative correlation. After C3AR1 overexpression, the proportion of Th1 cells decreased, the apoptosis rates of Th2 cells and CD3<sup>+</sup> T cells increased, IL-2 expression was reduced, and the NF-κB signaling pathway was activated. In conclusion, C3AR1 participates in intestinal T-cell immune responses after burns through activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, indicating that C3AR1 is a crucial regulator in the recovery of intestinal mucosal injury and immune function balance, and may serve as a potential molecular target for burn treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"345-357"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147315918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel W Thorpe, Lauren A Jones, Alyce M Martin, Rosemary A Coleman, Caitlin Allman, Rochelle A Peterson, Damien J Keating
{"title":"The role of peripheral serotonin in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, COVID-19 treatment and long COVID","authors":"Daniel W Thorpe, Lauren A Jones, Alyce M Martin, Rosemary A Coleman, Caitlin Allman, Rochelle A Peterson, Damien J Keating","doi":"10.1111/imcb.70097","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imcb.70097","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Gastrointestinal symptoms have emerged as a common, but underappreciated, cause of morbidity in relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the COVID-19 pandemic. This manifests as a range of indications including diarrhea, anorexia, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In addition, the gastrointestinal tract may represent a route of viral entry via the epithelial cell layer lining the gut wall. This route of entry could be a significant component of disease pathogenesis, including effects on the nervous system via the gut-brain axis. In this review, we provide an assessment of the effects of COVID-19 on the gastrointestinal system, its involvement in disease severity and potential pathways for viral entry and infection in the gastrointestinal tract. We also examine evidence that gut-derived serotonin is affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection, how this may link to symptoms and disease pathogenesis and the potential link to the efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in reducing COVID-19 severity.</p>","PeriodicalId":179,"journal":{"name":"Immunology & Cell Biology","volume":"104 4","pages":"368-376"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/imcb.70097","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147375538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}