Systemic infection or inflammation can result in long-lasting changes in hematopoiesis by skewing the differentiation of hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) toward myeloid cell lineages. Such reprogramming of HSPC potential is driven by epigenetic changes that alter gene expression programs. In Cell, Cheong et al. examine how severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans affects epigenetic states in

γδ T cells are well suited to fighting cancer owing to an ability to detect stressed cells through T cell receptors that are generally not restricted to antigen-presenting molecules, unlike αβ T cell receptors. This mechanism of general stress sensing can potentially enable the detection and lysis of a more diverse range of tumors. Data published in Nature now show the molecular complexity of this

Liver fibrosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Whereas acute injury or infection can trigger a self-resolving inflammatory response, chronic tissue injury triggers persistent inflammation-induced fibrosis. In Science Translational Medicine, Moreno-Lanceta et al. examine the role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF41 in the progression of hepatic fibrosis, and how altered RNF41 expression

Interferon-γ (IFNγ) orchestrates the immune response to SARS-CoV-2. In Nature, Xu et al. use genome-wide screens in human hepatocyte and lung epithelial cell lines to identify PLSCR1, a phospholipid scramblase upregulated by SARS-CoV-2 infection and type I, II and III IFN in a variety of human cells, including primary tracheal epithelia, as a restriction factor against SARS-CoV-2. Overexpression of

γδ T cells are protective against many tumors, but the relative contribution of different subsets to this protective effect is unknown. Data now published in Nature Cancer show that Vδ1+ T cells are associated with protection against endometrial and other cancers, but not against colorectal cancer. This disparity is present even though both endometrial and colorectal tumors are enriched with Vδ1+ T

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the development of ulcerative colitis through the regulation of miRNA expression or modulation of intestinal epithelial barrier function. In Cell Metabolism, Shmuel-Galia et al. show that the lncRNA HOXA11os regulates myeloid cell metabolism in the colon to maintain intestinal homeostasis, and this may have a role in ulcerative colitis. Transcriptomic

The effects of climate change driven by human activity are now part of the daily news cycle, and time is running out for decisive action.

The role of B cells in antitumor immunity remains unclear. In Nature, Bod et al. use a mouse B16F10 melanoma model to characterize tumor-associated B cells phenotypically and functionally. Whereas B cell depletion enhances tumor growth, loss of plasma cells has no effect on tumor immunity. Transcriptomic profiling identified a distinct proliferative B cell subset that increased over time in the tumor-draining

Cancer antigen cross presentation by type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) is thought to be crucial for antitumor CD8+ T cell responses and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy, but tumor cells use various strategies to prevent this immunogenicity. Data published in Science Immunology show that cancer cells can be reprogrammed into professional antigen-presenting cDC1-like cells to boost

SARS-CoV-2 has a broad tissue tropism. In Cell, Baggen et al. show that the lysosomal transmembrane protein TMEM106B directly engages the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein and functions as a receptor for SARS-CoV-2. E484D substitutions in the spike protein, which are detected in circulating SARS-CoV-2 isolates, increase SARS-CoV-2 infection in a manner dependent on TMEM106B,

Tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells are generated at sites of previous antigen exposure and are required to coordinate rapid protective responses after reinfection, and these populations are stable in adulthood. In Immunity, Connors et al. find that human memory T cells that accrue in mucosal sites during the first 3 years of life lack proinflammatory function and have reduced expression of TRM cell