Responding to escalating violence by extremist animal-rights groups, academics are working proactively to prevent the harassment and harm of scientists.
This Focus on natural killer cells aims to highlight what is currently known and what remains to be understood about these important innate immune cells.
This report highlights the lively debate and discussions on lymphocyte plasticity and/or determinism that occurred at the second Ringberg Colloquium in February 2008 in the Bavarian hills near Tegernsee, Germany.
Every 2 years, scientists interested in immunomodulation meet to discuss new opportunities arising from interactions between basic science and clinical 'translation'. This report discusses the 8th International Conference on New Trends in Immunosuppression and Immunotherapy, 2008, in Berlin.
The intensity of cytokine-induced signaling by the kinase PI(3)K subunit p110? proves to be an important regulator of T cell migration patterns. High PI(3)K activity functions through the nutrient and bioenergetic sensor mTOR to modulate the transcription factor KLF2 and thereby the repertoire of tissue-homing receptors expressed on effector T cells.
Cross-presentation of antigens is essential for the responses of cytotoxic T cells to tumors and viruses. Two new papers offer insights into the subcellular compartment and types of dendritic cells that mediate cross-presentation.
How engagement of surface T cell antigen receptors 'translates' into intracellular signal cascades remains vague. Genetic and biochemical experiments now allow modification of a model linking ligation of these receptors with CD3? and other cytoplasmic signal-transduction 'machinery'.
Toll-like receptor signaling induces the production of proinflammatory cytokines and type I interferons. Inhibition of the kinase IRAK1 by the phosphatase SHP-1 provides reciprocal regulation of these pathways by dampening the former while enhancing the latter.
