The potential of gene delivery for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

Therapeutics for traumatic brains injuries constitute a global unmet medical need. Despite the advances in neurocritical care, which have dramatically improved the survival rate for the ~ 70 million patients annually, few treatments have been developed to counter the long-term neuroinflammatory processes and accompanying cognitive impairments, frequent among patients. This review looks at gene delivery as a potential therapeutic development avenue for traumatic brain injury.

Cross-talk between ILC2 and Gata3 T locally constrains adaptive type 2 immunity.

Regulatory T cells (T) control adaptive immunity and restrain type 2 inflammation in allergic disease. Interleukin-33 promotes the expansion of tissue-resident T and group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s); however, how T locally coordinate their function within the inflammatory niche is not understood. Here, we show that ILC2s are critical orchestrators of T function.

Investigating the effects of radiation, T cell depletion, and bone marrow transplantation on murine gut microbiota.

Microbiome research has gained much attention in recent years as the importance of gut microbiota in regulating host health becomes increasingly evident. However, the impact of radiation on the microbiota in the murine bone marrow transplantation model is still poorly understood. In this paper, we present key findings from our study on how radiation, followed by bone marrow transplantation with or without T cell depletion, impacts the microbiota in the ileum and caecum.

The tissue-resident regulatory T cell pool is shaped by transient multi-tissue migration and a conserved residency program.

The tissues are the site of many important immunological reactions, yet how the immune system is controlled at these sites remains opaque. Recent studies have identified Foxp3 regulatory T (Treg) cells in non-lymphoid tissues with unique characteristics compared with lymphoid Treg cells. However, tissue Treg cells have not been considered holistically across tissues.

Nurturing a positive research culture within your organization.

Positive research cultures provide the environment for scientists to explore ideas, grow as individuals, develop team science and create a positive impact on those around them. While positive research cultures need to grow from the kindness and integrity of team members, organization policy can either help or hinder this organic positive behavior. A focus on policies to enhance positive research culture can benefit even high-functioning organizations, by expanding and extending the benefits.

OTULIN haploinsufficiency predisposes to environmentally directed inflammation.

Recently, OTULIN haploinsufficiency was linked to enhanced susceptibility to infections accompanied by local necrosis and systemic inflammation. The pathogenesis observed in haploinsufficient patients differs from the hyperinflammation seen in classical OTULIN-related autoinflammatory syndrome (ORAS) patients and is characterized by increased susceptibility of dermal fibroblasts to alpha toxin-inflicted cytotoxic damage. Immunological abnormalities were not observed in OTULIN haploinsufficient patients, suggesting a non-hematopoietic basis.

Designing interview questions to find the right candidate.

Asking the right questions during a job interview helps you find the best person for your team. A well-crafted question will allow the applicants to shed light on their skills and their passion for science. Just as importantly, good interview questions can let you know about the applicants' support expectations and needs, and their approach to lab citizenship and research culture.

Highlight of 2023: Tregs in the lungs.

In this article for the Highlights of the 2023 Series, we discuss recent discoveries on regulatory T cells in the lungs and their multifaceted roles in various contexts. Key advancements in Treg immunology have broadened our understanding of lung tissue homeostasis and the potential role of Tregs in pathological processes.

Highlight of 2023: Microglia biology.

The field of neuroimmunology is quickly expanding and, as the primary immune cell of the brain, microglia are truly in the spotlight. In 2023, the number of microglia related articles published on PubMed rose to 5152. This number has consistently increased year on year and has more than doubled since 2013, as we begin to appreciate the role of microglia in brain development, health and disease.

Regulatory T cells limit age-associated retinal inflammation and neurodegeneration.

Background: Ageing is the principal risk factor for retinal degenerative diseases, which are the commonest cause of blindness in the developed countries. These conditions include age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. Regulatory T cells play a vital role in immunoregulation of the nervous system by limiting inflammation and tissue damage in health and disease.

Ageing impairs the regenerative capacity of regulatory T cells in mouse central nervous system remyelination.

Myelin regeneration (remyelination) is essential to prevent neurodegeneration in demyelinating diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, however, its efficiency declines with age. Regulatory T cells (Treg) recently emerged as critical players in tissue regeneration, including remyelination. However, the effect of ageing on Treg-mediated regenerative processes is poorly understood.

TGF-β specifies T versus T17 cell fates in murine CD4 T cells through c-Maf.

T follicular helper (T) cells are essential for effective antibody responses, but deciphering the intrinsic wiring of mouse T cells has long been hampered by the lack of a reliable protocol for their generation in vitro. We report that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) induces robust expression of T hallmark molecules CXCR5 and Bcl6 in activated mouse CD4 T cells in vitro. TGF-β-induced mouse CXCR5 T cells are phenotypically, transcriptionally, and functionally similar to in vivo-generated T cells and provide critical help to B cells.

Renewing an author-centric publication process.

Immunology & Cell Biology celebrated its 100-year birthday as a journal with an editorial workshop focused on how we can improve the author experience. In our renewed editorial policies, we articulate our editorial focus on the quality of the scientific question and the robustness of the conclusions, including a new "scoop protection" policy to live our values. The journal is dedicated to maintaining its relationship with reviewers, enabling rapid quality peer review, but is also opening new lines of submission with expedited cross-platform assessment of reviews and incorporation into the Review Commons submission pipeline.

Genomic analyses provide insights into sex differentiation of tetraploid strawberry (Fragaria moupinensis).

The strawberry genus, Fragaria, exhibits a wide range of sexual systems and natural ploidy variation. Nearly, all polyploid strawberry species exhibit separate sexes (dioecy). Research has identified the sex-determining sequences as roughly conserved but with repeatedly changed genomic locations across octoploid strawberries.

Acquisition of suppressive function by conventional T cells limits antitumor immunity upon T depletion.

Regulatory T (T) cells contribute to immune homeostasis but suppress immune responses to cancer. Strategies to disrupt T cell-mediated cancer immunosuppression have been met with limited clinical success, but the underlying mechanisms for treatment failure are poorly understood. By modeling T cell-targeted immunotherapy in mice, we find that CD4 Foxp3 conventional T (T) cells acquire suppressive function upon depletion of Foxp3 T cells, limiting therapeutic efficacy.

Brain regulatory T cells.

The brain, long thought to be isolated from the peripheral immune system, is increasingly recognized to be integrated into a systemic immunological network. These conduits of immune-brain interaction and immunosurveillance processes necessitate the presence of complementary immunoregulatory mechanisms, of which brain regulatory T cells (T cells) are likely a key facet. T cells represent a dynamic population in the brain, with continual influx, specialization to a brain-residency phenotype and relatively rapid displacement by newly incoming cells.

Release of miR-29 Target Laminin C2 Improves Skin Repair.

miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate mRNA targets in a cell-specific manner. miR-29 is expressed in murine and human skin, where it may regulate functions in skin repair. Cutaneous wound healing model in miR-29a/b1 gene knockout mice was used to identify miR-29 targets in the wound matrix, where angiogenesis and maturation of provisional granulation tissue was enhanced in response to genetic deletion of miR-29.

A centenary of service: 100 years of Immunology & Cell Biology.

This year marks the 100th year of the publication of Immunology & Cell Biology since it was first published in March 1924 as the Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science. In this Editorial, we recount the journal from its founding, to its focus on immunology, through to the modern era.