生命科学最新文献

Metabolically disrupted CD8⁺ T cells drive epithelial injury in people with HIV (PWH) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). In colonic tissue-resident memory (TRM) CD8⁺ T cells, impaired peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ)-dependent lipid metabolism triggers aberrant lipid scavenging from epithelial cell membranes through direct cell contact, leading to epithelial apoptosis and barrier disruption.

As global climate change intensifies, the resultant increase in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) significantly affects plant growth and distribution. Under high VPD (HVPD) conditions, plants face a contradiction between increased water evaporation and carbon fixation. A reduction in stomatal conductance (g_s) can lead to carbon starvation, causing cellular damage or even death. Aquaporins, which are pivotal in water transport, play a crucial role in modulating plant water balance and g_s under HVPD conditions; however, the underlying mechanisms remain inadequately understood. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important economic crop. This study found that SlTIP2;3 is a key hub for tomato's response to HVPD and regulation of whole-plant hydraulic conductance (K_plant) and g_s. The overexpression of SlTIP2;3 was observed to increase K_plant and g_s under HVPD, enhancing water transport and mitigating the decline in g_s. Additionally, the overexpression of SlTIP2;3 improved root and stem morphology, optimizing water absorption and distribution. In this context, SlTIP2;3, as a hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) transporter, facilitates H₂O₂ diffusion into cells, regulating gibberellin (GA) synthesis and signaling, thus enhancing both K_plant and g_s. This study presents novel evidence indicating that SlTIP2;3 plays a mediating role in the H₂O₂-GA signaling pathway, which co-regulates plant adaptation to HVPD environments and contributes to maintaining high K_plant and g_s. These findings provide valuable molecular insights into plant responses to climate change-induced water stress and support the genetic enhancement of drought-resistant crops.

Long-lasting protective immunity against sarbecoviruses is hampered by the dominance of elicited antibodies to variable parts of the Spike protein, allowing ongoing viral escape and evolution. We investigated Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine candidates expressing the SARS-CoV-1 or SARS-CoV-2 Spike for their ability to induce antibodies targeting different epitopes on the SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain (RBD), including those with wide variant conservation. We also explored the capacity of these different Spike proteins to induce broad cross-reactive or cross-neutralizing B cells against multiple variants. This revealed that the SARS-CoV-1 Spike induced distinct patterns of epitope dominance compared to the traditional SARS-CoV-2 Spike antigens. Following immune imprinting by previous exposure to ancestral SARS-CoV-2 Spike, the epitope dominance patterns induced by SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines still differed, with most of the germinal center response consisting of de novo recruited B cells. In addition to the de novo response, B cells with germline cross-reactivity to both antigens further increased their binding toward the most recently immunized antigen. Interestingly, we found that, while SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated animals were extremely capable of mounting an antigen-specific germinal center and plasmablast response to a booster immunization with SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 boosters were less capable of inducing SARS-CoV-2 specific B cells following prior SARS-CoV-1 vaccination. These findings have broad implications for the implementation of vaccine strategies against emerging coronavirus variants and potential future coronavirus spillover events. The implications stemming from a fundamental directionality of immune imprinting and epitope dominance may have wider implications for noncoronavirus antigens.

Effective communication and public engagement are essential components of infectious disease control, yet they remain underdeveloped in the field of immunology. This review explores how immunologists and scientists can contribute to countering misinformation and improving vaccine uptake through inclusive, culturally sensitive engagement. Drawing on historical and contemporary case studies, we examine how trust, cognitive biases, and community involvement shape public responses. We highlight the importance of co-produced messaging and the role of community champions in building trust, particularly among marginalized groups. Vaccine communication is analyzed through the lens of the five Cs: confidence, complacency, convenience, communication, and context. We discuss how demographic and structural barriers, historical mistrust, and politicization of health messaging contribute to declining vaccine uptake and propose tailored strategies to address these challenges. The final section focuses on data presentation as a core foundation of public communication, emphasizing that clarity, transparency, and ethical framing are critical to public understanding. We outline principles for designing trustworthy visuals, mitigating cognitive biases, and embedding context directly within graphics to prevent misinterpretation. Participatory approaches to data communication are shown to improve comprehension and trust, especially when co-developed with affected communities. Together, these domains-engagement, vaccine communication, and data presentation-form a foundation for resilient public health responses. By integrating immunological expertise with inclusive communication strategies, scientists can play a central role in fostering informed decision making and strengthening public cooperation in future outbreaks.

Human invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) play an important role in an orchestrated immune response; however, the heterogeneity of iNKT subsets is not yet fully understood. Here, we uncovered CD38 as a marker of iNKT differentiation, decoupling it from its role as a marker of activation by comparing the phenotype, cytokine profile and transcription factor expression of iNKT cell subsets in humans. Expression of CD38 on resting iNKT cells was restricted to cells that were low in well-described maturity markers such as CD161 and CCR5 and co-expressed markers associated with undifferentiated T cells (CD45RA, CCR7, CD62L). High abundance of CD38⁺ iNKT cells in human infant thymus and cord blood supported the immature nature of this subset. Functional analysis revealed that the CD38⁺ phenotype of resting iNKT cells was accompanied by diminished type 1 cytokine release, which was reflected by reduced expression of the transcription factor EOMES. Moreover, in vitro stimulation of sorted CD38⁺ and CD38^- iNKT cells demonstrated the distinct phenotype of cells expressing CD38 in a resting state and activation-induced CD38. These findings suggest a context-dependent role of CD38 expression on iNKT cells, distinguishing activated from resting iNKT cells where CD38 expression marks a subset of undifferentiated cells with altered functionality. Taken together, we describe a population of iNKT cells that extends the remarkable heterogeneity of the iNKT cell compartment beyond the presence of CD4⁺ and CD4^- subsets.

This study, from the perspective of a Medical Immunology student, sought to explore and investigate the implementation of the Academic Tutor System in the teaching of Medical Immunology. The characteristics and challenges of studying Medical Immunology, as well as the limitations of conventional teaching models in this discipline, are analyzed. Additionally, the concept and theory of the Academic Tutor System and its application in the learning process of medical students are introduced in this study. Moreover, the specific implementation methods of the Academic Tutor System in Medical Immunology teaching are described, including implementation plan for the Academic Tutor System, implementation process for the Academic Tutor System and practical case analysis. Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that the application of the Academic Tutor System benefits students' academic performance, enhances their research capabilities, and improves their overall comprehensive qualities. The vast majority of students support the implementation of the Academic Tutor System.

Clodronate-loaded liposomes (CL liposomes) have been widely employed to deplete different macrophage subpopulations to assess their role in homeostatic, repair, regulatory, defense, autoimmune and inflammatory processes. Administration of CL liposomes, while promoting macrophage killing, can have long-term anti-inflammatory effects or cause inflammation in several mouse disease models. Therefore, the collateral effects of CL liposome treatment need to be explored when designing experiments involving macrophage depletion by CL liposomes. In this regard, the effect of a standard (high) versus low CL liposome dose on peritoneal macrophage kinetics and the structural integrity of the omentum has been investigated. High-dose clodronate treatment led to a long-lasting resMØ depletion but induced peritoneal inflammation and caused a severe and persistent omental milky spot disorganization, precluding drawing definitive conclusions on peritoneal resMØs function. In contrast, low-dose clodronate led to a transient depletion of resMØs but did not promote significant milky spot alterations or peritoneal inflammation, thus ensuring an efficient resMØ depletion in the absence of severe collateral effects, yet during a limited time window. These results have important implications for the design of experimental models aiming at addressing the role of peritoneal macrophages in peritoneal bacterial infection and tumor metastasis based on their depletion by CL liposomes.

Davidia involucrata, a deciduous and endangered “living fossil” tree species, is native to mountainous regions in south-central and southwestern China. Despite the fact that drought stress severely constrains the conservation and utilization of D. involucrata resources, effective strategies for improving drought tolerance in this endangered species are still largely unexplored. This study aimed to examine the impact of exogenously applied glycine betaine (GB) on the tolerance to drought stress in D. involucrata. The results revealed that pre-treatment with 25 mM GB effectively alleviated drought-induced damage of D. involucrata seedlings. GB application significantly mitigated growth inhibition and concurrently enhanced chlorophyll accumulation in D. involucrata seedlings subjected to drought. Exogenous GB protected the photosynthetic electron transport system, maintained structural stability of the reaction center, and up-regulated the expression of photosystem II (PSII) subunit genes (DiPsbA, DiPsbP) as well as Calvin cycle-related genes (DiRbcL, DiRbcS, DiFBPase, DiSBPase), leading to improved photosynthetic capacity under drought stress. Furthermore, GB-mediated drought tolerance could also involve increased accumulation of soluble sugars, including glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Finally, we reveal that GB application can substantially enhance antioxidant enzyme activities and preserve ROS equilibrium under drought condition. Overall, this study demonstrated for the first time that exogenous GB plays a positive role during drought stress response in D. involucrata seedlings.