Adipose Tissue Invariant NKT Cells Protect against Diet-Induced Obesity and Metabolic Disorder through Regulatory Cytokine Production Researchers showed that invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, previously thought to be rare in humans, were highly enriched in human and murine adipose tissue, and that as adipose tissue expanded in obesity, iNKT cells were depleted, correlating with proinflammatory macrophage infiltration. [Immunity] Abstract | Press Release Neuropilin-1 Distinguishes Natural and Inducible Regulatory T Cells among Regulatory T Cell Subsets In Vivo Using a combination of novel TCR transgenic mice with a defined self-antigen specificity and conventional mouse models, the authors demonstrated that a cell surface molecule, neuropilin-1, is expressed at high levels on natural regulatory T (nT reg) cells and can be used to separate nT reg versus inducible T reg cells in certain physiological settings. [J Exp Med] Abstract Alveolar Epithelial Cells Orchestrate DC Function in Murine Viral Pneumonia Data revealed that GM-CSF-dependent cross-talk between influenza virus (IV)-infected alveolar epithelial cells and CD103+ DCs is crucial for effective viral clearance and recovery from injury, which has potential implications for GM-CSF treatment in severe IV pneumonia. [J Clin Invest] Full Article | Press Release IFNγR Signaling Mediates Alloreactive T Cell Trafficking and GvHD Investigators showed that interferon gamma receptor deficient (IFNγR-/-) allogeneic Tconv, which possess normal allo-reactivity and cytotoxicity, induce significantly less GvHD than wild-type Tconv. [Blood] Abstract T Cells Engineered with a T Cell Receptor against the Prostate Antigen TARP Specifically Kill HLA-A2+ Prostate and Breast Cancer Cells To produce genetically engineered T cells directed against prostate and breast cancer cells, researchers cloned the T-cell receptor recognizing the HLA-A2-restricted T-cell receptor γ-chain alternate reading-frame protein (TARP)4-13 epitope. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Press Release Single-Cell Analysis of Early B-Lymphocyte Development Suggests Independent Regulation of Lineage Specification and Commitment In Vivo To better understand the process of B-lymphocyte lineage restriction, scientists investigated molecular and functional properties in early B-lineage cells from Pax-5-deficient animals crossed to a B-lineage-restricted reporter mouse, allowing them to identify B-lineage-specified progenitors independently of conventional surface markers. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract Myeloid Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α Prevents Airway Allergy in Mice through Macrophage-Mediated Immunoregulation Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α-dependent interleukin-10 secretion is required for interstitial macrophages to block allergen-induced dendritic cell activation and consequently for preventing the development of allergen-specific T-helper cell responses upon allergen exposure. [Mucosal Immunol] Abstract CD11c+ Cells Are Required for Antigen-Induced Increase of Mast Cells in the Lung Data suggested that Ag challenge stimulates CD11c+ cells to produce cytokines and/or chemokines required for VCAM-1 upregulation on the lung endothelium, which in turn is crucial for the Ag-induced mast cell progenitor recruitment and the increase in mast cell numbers. [J Immunol] Abstract Autophagy Regulates IL-23 Secretion and Innate T Cell Responses through Effects on IL-1 Secretion Data demonstrated that autophagy has a potentially pivotal role to play in the induction and regulation of inflammatory responses by innate immune cells, largely driven by IL-1 and its consequential effects on IL-23 secretion. [J Immunol] Abstract Kinetics of the Innate Immune Response to Yersinia pestis after Intradermal Infection in a Mouse Model A hallmark of Yersinia pestis infection is a delayed inflammatory response early in infection. Researchers used an intradermal model of infection to study early innate immune cell recruitment. [Infect Immun] Abstract |