Effector memory-type regulatory T cells display phenotypic and functional instability.

Regulatory T cells (T cells) hold promise for sustainable therapy of immune disorders. Recent advancements in chimeric antigen receptor development and genome editing aim to enhance the specificity and function of T cells. However, impurities and functional instability pose challenges for the development of safe gene-edited T cell products.

The life-saving benefit of dexamethasone in severe COVID-19 is linked to a reversal of monocyte dysregulation.

Dexamethasone is a life-saving treatment for severe COVID-19, yet its mechanism of action is unknown, and many patients deteriorate or die despite timely treatment initiation. Here, we identify dexamethasone treatment-induced cellular and molecular changes associated with improved survival in COVID-19 patients. We observed a reversal of transcriptional hallmark signatures in monocytes associated with severe COVID-19 and the induction of a monocyte substate characterized by the expression of glucocorticoid-response genes.