Haemoglobin (Hb) has well-documented inflammatory effects and is normally efficiently scavenged; clearance mechanisms can be overwhelmed during erythrocyte lysis. Whether Hb is preferentially inflammatory in lupus and triggers broad anti-self responses was assessed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from SLE patients secreted higher levels of lupus-associated inflammatory cytokines

Neutrophils are critical components of the body’s immune response to infection, being loaded with a potent arsenal of toxic mediators and displaying immense destructive capacity. Given the potential of neutrophils to impart extensive tissue damage, it is perhaps not surprising that when augmented these cells are also implicated in the pathology of inflammatory diseases. Prominent neutrophilic inflammation

Bruton’s Tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a TEC kinase with a multifaceted role in B-cell biology and function, highlighted by its position as a critical component of the B-cell receptor signalling pathway. Due to its role as a therapeutic target in several haematological malignancies including Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, BTK has been gaining tremendous momentum in recent years. Within the immune system

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential for control of inflammatory processes by suppressing effector T cell functions. The actions of PGE2 on the development and function of Treg cells, particularly under inflammatory conditions, are debated. In this study, we employed pharmacological and genetic approaches to examine whether PGE2 had a direct action on T cells to modulate de novo differentiation

Neurodegenerative diseases place a devastating burden on affected individuals and their families, and new treatments are desperately needed for these common immune-mediated inflammatory conditions. While large aggregates of abnormal proteins in the brain cause significant damage, it is becoming clear that smaller soluble protein aggregates can also contribute to disease, by both direct and indirect

Mass vaccination of the global population against SARS-CoV-2 will, we hope, turn the tide against this devastating pandemic. To complement vaccinations, better tools are needed to enable viral infections and immunological protection to be monitored. Accurate tools provide sound data for informed decision-making at many levels, from personal to governmental. The measurement of viral RNA is currently

The host defence of insects includes a combination of cellular and humoral responses. The cellular arm of the insect innate immune system includes mechanisms that are directly mediated by haemocytes (e.g., phagocytosis, nodulation and encapsulation). In addition, melanization accompanying coagulation, clot formation and wound healing, nodulation and encapsulation processes leads to the formation of

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor/uncoupler inducing vascular pathology. Vascular pathology is an important factor for the development and progression of CNS pathology of MS, yet the role of ADMA in MS remains elusive. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are reported to have elevated blood levels of ADMA, and mice with experimental autoimmune

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition involving a dysregulated immune response to infectious agents that cause injury to host tissues and organs. Current treatments are limited to early administration of antibiotics and supportive care. While appealing, the strategy of targeted inhibition of individual molecules in the inflammatory cascade has not proved beneficial. Non-targeted, systemic immunosuppression

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have reported that intestinal microbiota have an important effect on tumour immunity by affecting the tumour microenvironment (TME). The intestinal microbiota are closely associated with various immune cells, such as T lymphocytes, Natural killer cells(NK cells) and macrophages. Some bacteria, such as Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) and Lactobacillus

In this issue, we introduce the second part of our review series focusing on lesser-known enigmatic inflammasomes. This part of the collection introduces one more under-studied NLR, NLRP7, and not only its role as a regulator of inflammation in response to bacterial infections but also its non-inflammasome role in early pregnancy. In addition, the enigmatic function of extracellular ASC specks is also

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing receptors or NOD-like receptors (NLRs) are cytosolic pattern recognition receptors, which sense conserved microbial patterns and host-derived danger signals to elicit innate immune responses. The activation of several prototypic NLRs, including NLR and pyrin domain (PYD) containing (NLRP) 1, NLRP3 and NLR and caspase

The fetal immune system is distinguishable from the adult immune system by a higher degree of tolerance to foreign antigens. This tolerance is important for fetal development within the ‘foreign’ maternal environment, and during birth when barrier surfaces are first colonized by microbiota. Immune responses against the wave of newly colonizing microbiota would cause massive damage to barrier tissues

The immune system must be tightly controlled to prevent potentially damaging over‐response to pathogens and must also be actively maintained in a responsive state when no immediate threat is present. These processes of control and maintenance are important for sustaining a state of immune homeostasis and are controlled by a network of cellular and molecular interactions. Here, we highlight a recent