2026-09-18
Katrin Kierdorf, Markus Sperandio, Mathias W. Hornef, Philipp Henneke
Immune plasticity during the perinatal period enables mammalian offspring to successfully navigate the transition from prenatal, intrauterine life to postnatal, extrauterine life. This Review highlights recent advances in our understanding of perinatal immune plasticity and the factors that modulate it, with implications for neonatal health and disease.
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01354-72026-09-17
Pau Garcia-Baucells, Manuel Serrano, Corina Amor
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01360-92026-09-16
Rafal Hanc, Robin Demuynck, Dmitri V. Krysko
The formation of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) has been associated with better outcomes in patients with certain tumours. Here the authors discuss how immunogenic cell death can lead to the formation of TLSs and explain why this knowledge could help us design better cancer therapies.
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01356-52026-09-02
Sebastian Serve, Max Löhning
This Review summarizes our current understanding of the immunological roles of IL-33 and the IL-33 receptor, also known as ST2. The authors focus on the effects of IL-33 in different disease settings, including infections, cancer, autoimmunity, chronic inflammation and allergy. They further discuss emerging clinical data from studies targeting IL-33 receptor signalling in disease.
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01345-82026-08-27
Josef Shin, Christina Francisca Vogelaar, Stefan Bittner, Frauke Zipp
Excessive glutamate receptor signalling contributes to central nervous system pathology in different neurological settings, including in epilepsy, Parkinson disease and multiple sclerosis. Here, the authors discuss the need to integrate the immune system along with glutamate-centric mechanisms as a core driver of excitotoxic pathology. They suggest that this concept of ‘immune-mediated excitotoxicity’ can help us develop better therapeutic interventions for various neurological conditions.
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01348-52026-08-27
Shaocun Zhang, Yu Wang, Wanli Liu
Epigenetic programmes collectively orchestrate B cell development, activation, germinal centre responses and the maintenance of self-tolerance. This Review examines how layered epigenetic mechanisms govern normal B cell function and enforce self-tolerance, and how their dysregulation breaches successive tolerance checkpoints to drive autoreactive B cell emergence and autoantibody production in systemic autoimmune disease.
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01344-92026-08-25
Ira Mellman
Checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T cells and bispecific T cell engagers have demonstrated the transformative potential of cancer immunotherapy. However, progress has slowed as efforts have focused on replicating PD-(L)1 blockade successes, highlighting the need for deeper understanding of human cancer immunity.
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01352-92026-08-24
Laura K. Mackay
The discoveries that have transformed immunology often seem obvious in retrospect. Yet none began as an inevitable destination. They began with observations that did not fit, assumptions that somebody challenged, or questions that nobody yet realized were important. Discovery was the outcome. Surprise was the process.
DOI: 10.1038/s41577-026-01351-w