Human Immunology News

Human Immunology News is an online publication and email newsletter for researchers studying the human immune system.

Piezo1-Mediated Autophagy Promotes Immune-Inflammatory Responses in Ankylosing Spondylitis

January 9, 2026

[Cell Death & Disease] Researchers investigated the specific mechanism by which Piezo1 mediates autophagy to regulate the immune-inflammatory response in ankylosing spondylitis.

Pathogenic Role of MIF Receptor (CD74) Expressing T Cells in Inflammatory Arthritis

January 9, 2026

[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America] Scientists examined the impact of gene deletion of migration inhibitory factor (MIF), or its cognate receptor CD74 in the T cell–dependent model of collagen-induced arthritis and observed the complete absence of arthritis development, suggesting an unforeseen role for MIF/CD74 signaling in the development of arthritogenic T cells.

Immune Profiling in a Living Human Recipient of a Gene-Edited Pig Kidney

January 9, 2026

[Nature Medicine] Scientists recently performed a gene-edited pig kidney transplantation into a living human recipient with end-stage kidney disease. Here, using transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and multiplexed imaging, they conducted high-dimensional immune profiling in this individual.

A Distinct Subset of Stem-Cell Memory Is Poised for the Cytotoxicity Program in CD4 T Cells in Humans

January 8, 2026

[Science Advances] By parallelly analyzing the human peripheral CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and CD8+ CTLs, scientists demonstrated that they are indistinguishable for the cytotoxic program.

Bidirectional Regulation in the Tumor Microenvironment: The Interaction Between Tumor-Associated Macrophages and T Cells Reshapes the Paradigm of Cancer Immunotherapy

January 8, 2026

[Immunology] Scientists provide an in-depth analysis of the complex bidirectional interaction mechanisms between tumour-associated macrophages and T cells in the tumour microenvironment.

CD19 CAR-T Cells for Treatment-Refractory Autoimmune Diseases: The Phase 1/2 CASTLE Basket Trial

January 8, 2026

[Nature Medicine] Researchers investigated the safety and efficacy of zorpocabtagene autoleucel, an autologous CD19 CAR-T cell product, in patients with treatment-resistant systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Targeting MLCK1 Uncouples Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Colitis from Antitumour Immunity

January 8, 2026

[Gut] Researchers investigated long myosin light chain kinase 1 (MLCK1), a known regulator of tight junction and gut permeability, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying immune checkpoint inhibitor-mediated colitis and identified approaches to reduce this toxicity.

Intrathecal CRISPR-Edited Allogeneic IL-13Rα2 CAR T Cells for Recurrent High-Grade Glioma: Preclinical Characterization and Phase I Trial

January 8, 2026

[Nature Communications] Scientists generated off-the-shelf CRISPR-Cas9–edited IL-13Rα2-specific allogeneic universal CAR-T cells

Contextualizing TH17 Cells in Cancer

January 7, 2026

[Nature Reviews Immunology] Researchers examine the context-dependent roles of TH17 cells in cancer, with a focus on the environmental signals and regulatory networks that may shape their phenotypes during cancer development and progression.

The Multilayered Identity of B Cell Memory

January 7, 2026

[Cellular & Molecular Immunology] The authors review the mechanisms underlying memory B cell (MBC) differentiation, maintenance, and reactivation and explore how the layered identity of MBCs contributes to the functions of these cells.

Interleukin-23 Biology Linking Mucosal Immunity to Autoimmune Diseases and Cancer

January 6, 2026

[Trends in Immunology] The authors discuss recently uncovered biology of IL-23 in the context of mucosal immunity, which intimately links the role of this pathway to the pathophysiology of autoimmunity, chronic inflammation, and emerging functions in cancer.

The Immunology of Vitiligo

January 6, 2026

[Nature Reviews Immunology] Scientists focus on the immunology of vitiligo: the mechanisms that drive melanocyte destruction, the biology of aberrant T cell responses against melanocytes and therapeutic means for counteracting this autoimmune condition.

Each issue of Human Immunology News provides up-to-date coverage of the latest news in immunology research performed using human cells or subjects. Our expert editors hand-pick recent research papers and review articles from relevant high-impact peer-reviewed journals on topics including immunotherapy, autoimmunity, adaptive, and innate immunity in humans. We also feature news on clinical trials, award announcements, and funding opportunities.