{"title":"The sweet truth about germinal centers.","authors":"Vishal N Rao, Ana Luiza T Silva, Camila H Coelho","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.04.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glycan-specific antibodies are classically associated with limited durability. In a recent Immunity article, Fryer et al. showed that repeated Streptococcus pyogenes exposure elicits glycan-specific germinal center responses in tonsils despite reduced T cell help, revealing key limitations of anti-glycan immunity and opportunities to improve vaccine strategies against bacteria.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cooling inflammation through metabolism with 4-octyl itaconate.","authors":"Hanna F Voß-Willenbockel, Thekla Cordes","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.04.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Itaconate is an immunomodulatory metabolite that links metabolism and inflammation. Li et al. uncover a mechanism by which itaconate and 4-octyl itaconate suppress cytokine signaling through the alkylation of tyrosine kinase 2 and Janus kinase 1. This study reveals a direct metabolic control of inflammation and highlights its therapeutic potential in sepsis.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147823349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Clare Sparling, Esther B Florsheim, Zuri A Sullivan
{"title":"Scaling immunity: sickness as a host defense strategy.","authors":"A Clare Sparling, Esther B Florsheim, Zuri A Sullivan","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.03.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.03.015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sickness, or sickness behavior, is a state of altered physiology and behavior generated by the brain-immune axis during infection, which is generally assumed to contribute to host defense. Here, we examine this assumption by framing sickness as organismal-scale immunity and explore predicted parallels with immunity at the cellular and tissue scales.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147823324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gabriela Barrientos, Fabian B Fahlbusch, Melanie L Conrad
{"title":"Microbes, molecules, and the maternal-fetal interface: rethinking the gut-placenta axis.","authors":"Gabriela Barrientos, Fabian B Fahlbusch, Melanie L Conrad","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.03.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.03.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Placental biology is increasingly framed through a signaling paradigm in which maternal microbiome-derived mediators-rather than microbial colonization-affect the function of the interface. This review synthesizes evidence that circulating microbial signals, including short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan-derived indoles, bile-acid-linked ligands, microbe-associated molecular patterns, and bacterial extracellular vesicles, are associated with placental vascular development, immune regulation, nutrient transport, and endocrine programs-processes central to pregnancy outcomes. We integrate mechanistic insights from gnotobiotic and supplementation models with limitations of human evidence and identify key translational gaps. The current evidence supports a model in which maternal microbial ecology shapes a network of circulating mediators that converge on interlinked placental pathways essential for placental function and fetal development.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147789396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Proteasome-haem-BACH2 axis fuels T cell exhaustion.","authors":"Jiajia Wang, Ziyi Luo, Haitao Shen, Lianjun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.04.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It remains unclear how mitochondrial stress instructs the transcriptional programme of terminal T cell exhaustion. In a recent study, Xu et al. uncovered a proteasome-haem-BACH2 axis in which haem liberated from damaged mitochondrial haemoproteins acts as a molecular messenger that couples mitochondrial injury to terminal T cell exhaustion.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147789132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Murine MAIT cells: phenotypic markers, plasticity, and parallels to humans.","authors":"Dominic Haas, Michael G Constantinides","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.04.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like T cells that recognize microbial metabolites. Recent studies have suggested numerous markers to define MAIT cells with distinct functional characteristics. This review synthesizes available data to identify markers that distinguish type 1 and type 3 murine MAIT cells. Inflammation can alter the expression of these markers, reflecting the plasticity of MAIT cells, which is discussed further. Comparative analysis with human MAIT cells reveals that type 1 and type 3 subsets are not as apparent. Although these have been described as activation states, unique human MAIT cell subsets exist across various tissues. By establishing a consensus for how to categorize MAIT cells, this review facilitates future research on these important lymphocytes.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13120724/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147789425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Revisiting the macrophage disappearance reaction.","authors":"Zhuangzhuang Liu, Charlotte L Scott","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.03.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.03.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The macrophage disappearance reaction (MDR) was originally proposed to explain the loss of peritoneal macrophages in inflammation but has since been extended across tissues and diseases. MDR involves multiple processes, including cell death, differentiation, loss of identity, and the formation of aggregates rendering the cells difficult to isolate. This spectrum of modalities, coupled with our increased understanding of how the microenvironment shapes macrophage identities, highlights the need to reassess MDR within the framework of modern macrophage biology. We postulate that rethinking MDR in the context of the tissue niche offers insights into macrophage dynamics and demonstrates that macrophage loss is not a passive outcome of inflammation but rather an active process shaping immune networks, tissue responses, and ultimately organ function.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147789113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annika Niehrs, Kejsi Zeqiraj, Andrea Ponzetta, Niklas K Björkström
{"title":"Local cues, local killers: human natural killer cells across tissues.","authors":"Annika Niehrs, Kejsi Zeqiraj, Andrea Ponzetta, Niklas K Björkström","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.03.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.03.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Natural killer (NK) cells are part of the innate immune system and reside in multiple tissues. During steady-state conditions, they contribute to tissue homeostasis, while in disease settings, tissue-resident (tr) NK cells are positioned at the frontline of immune surveillance. Due to their exposure to local microenvironments, NK cells residing outside the bloodstream exhibit phenotypic, transcriptional, functional, and metabolic features that distinguish them from their circulating counterparts. In this review, we outline the defining characteristics of tr NK cells, discuss their recirculation potential, and summarize their functional and metabolic specialization across human tissues. Finally, using cancer as an example, we highlight how tr NK cells are altered in disease and how local tissue environments shape their functional states.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147724789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploiting immunogenic cell death to promote antitumor immunity.","authors":"Gabriele Casagrande Raffi, Siying Wang, Liqin Wang, Rene Bernards","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.03.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Immunogenic cell death (ICD) converts the death of a tumor cell into an event sensed by the immune system. Recent studies show that distinct ICD modalities, including immunogenic apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and hybrid forms such as PANoptosis, release defined sets of danger signals and cytokines that reshape the immune composition of the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we examine how ICD activates antitumor immunity and which immune cell subsets drive these responses. We also discuss how the benefits of ICD rely on its acute and transient nature, whereas prolonged or chronic exposure to the same inflammatory cues can ultimately dampen immune activation and promote oncogenesis. Finally, we outline the role of ICD and its clinical relevance in combination with immunotherapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Skull channels as gateways for immune surveillance of the brain.","authors":"Elisa Eme-Scolan, Rejane Rua","doi":"10.1016/j.it.2026.03.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2026.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The central nervous system (CNS), once considered immune privileged, is, in fact, protected by a dynamic immune compartment located in the meninges. These immune cells are crucial for brain protection, controlling neuroinflammation, and also supporting neural function. Recent studies show that meningeal immune cells, including myeloid and B cells, partly originate from the skull bone marrow, which communicates directly with the meninges via specialized skull channels identified in mice and humans. These channels allow immune cell trafficking and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exchange, positioning the skull marrow as a CSF-sensing niche. Therefore, understanding skull-meninges-brain interactions reveals a functional connection between the skull marrow and the CNS, offering new insights into neuroimmune regulation and potential therapeutic strategies in neuroinflammatory conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":54412,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147655510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}