Frontiers in Immunology

Purpose This study aimed to explore the significance of anti-connective tissue antibodies in the clinical diagnosis and evaluation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Methods Demographic and clinical data from 205 patients with aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-positive NMOSD were collected. Variables included sex, age, clinical symptoms/signs, connective tissue antibody stat…

Purpose Radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL) has been well known to associate with poor patient prognosis. Based on interesting findings in our previous study, we hypothesize that a low dose of 5-Gy can damage erythrocytes, which indirectly depletes lymphocytes in spleen, and may contribute to RIL. This study aimed to verify the hypothesis. Methods Rats were divided into non-irradiated and 5Gy-irr…

Orbital inflammation is the most common presentation of VEXAS, with any orbital structure potentially affected. Non-sight-threatening and uncomplicated anterior non-granulomatous uveitis and anterior diffuse scleritis follow in frequency, along with episcleritis. Ophthalmic involvement was significantly associated with relapsing polychondritis ( p = 0.014), with an increased chance of a fatal out…

Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability worldwide, producing acute neurological deficits and lasting cognitive impairment. Post-injury neuroinflammation is a principal driver of secondary damage and contributes substantially to TBI-induced cognitive dysfunction (TBI-CD), yet the cell-autonomous mechanisms operating within neurons remain i…

Background Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have improved outcomes in ovarian cancer with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). However, approximately half of high-grade serous ovarian cancers retain intact homologous recombination repair and are classified as homologous recombination–proficient (HRP), limiting the clinical benefit of PARPi in this population. Strategies capab…

Adaptive T cell-centric immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, have fundamentally transformed clinical oncology. However, the limitations of their therapeutic potential are becoming more evident. Many patients fail to achieve durable responses due to tumorintrinsic escape mechanisms. These challenges include low tumor mut…

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of blindness, is driven by hyperglycemia-induced neurovascular damage. Emerging evidence indicates that PANoptosis, an integrated inflammatory programmed cell death modality encompassing apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis, participates in the progression of diabetic retinal damage; however, the supporting evidence varies substantially across clinical…

The nervous system is increasingly recognized as an active regulator of oncogenesis rather than a passive structural component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Neural activity promotes tumor proliferation, invasion, metastasis, therapeutic resistance and immune evasion through dynamic, bidirectional interactions with malignant cells and stromal components. These effects are mediated by divers…

Introduction Macrophages play a central role in regulating intestinal inflammation, resolution, and tissue repair. However, the upstream regulators that govern their polarization during colitis remain poorly defined. Methods In this study, we used a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model to investigate the role of the scaffold protein AF6 in colitis pathogenesis. Results We identify A…

Background Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy improves pathological response in resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but response remains heterogeneous. PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) incompletely captures spatial immune contexture. We developed and cross-center validated an immunohistochemistry (IHC)-derived equal-weight immune niche score integrating tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) …

Background Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder in which approximately 10–15% of patients with generalized AChR antibody–positive MG develop refractoriness to standard immunosuppressive therapies. Advanced therapeutic strategies, including FcRn antagonists and C5 complement inhibitors, have demonstrated early and sustained clinical efficacy in pivotal phase 3 trials. How…

Neurodegenerative diseases and neurocognitive disorders increasingly appear to share a common and underappreciated contributor: the viral-immune axis in the brain. This review presents current evidence linking neurotropic viruses and host antiviral immunity to the onset and progression of neurodegeneration and neurocognitive dysfunction. We explore how viral infections, particularly by Herpesviru…

Background Platelet activation (PA) acts as a molecular bridge connecting thrombosis and inflammation. This study aimed to identify key PA-related genes (PARGs) in ulcerative colitis (UC), and explore their transcriptional associations with immune–stromal dysregulation. Methods Transcriptomic data of UC patients were obtained from the GEO database, and PARGs were retrieved from the MSigDB databas…

Neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as a core pathological process in various neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, autoimmune demyelinating diseases, and acute brain dysfunction associated with systemic inflammation. Among its regulatory mechanisms, the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway links neural activity with immune regulation. However, its neurol…

Background Pregnant women and young children bear the highest burden of malaria morbidity/mortality. While transplacental transfer of malaria antibodies protects the child, the efficiency varies by antigen and maternal factors. This systematic review assessed transplacental transfer of malaria antibodies, factors associated with reduced transfer and identified knowledge gaps for future research. …

Background Traumatic lung injury (TLI) frequently progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a condition with high mortality and limited targeted therapies. This study aimed to identify specific immune cell drivers and potential therapeutic targets for precision intervention in TLI. Methods We conducted a comprehensive analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from pe…

Chronic inflammatory diseases of the spine, typified by axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), impose a substantial burden through refractory pain and irreversible structural remodelling (pathological ossification or fibrosis). Although current anti-inflammatory therapies can alleviate symptoms, their capacity to arrest structural deterioration remains limited…

Neonatal respiratory infections remain a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, yet there is still little information about the role of B cell populations in the respiratory tract. CD19 + B220 lo are B cells that are found in neonatal lungs, and antibiotic treatment of pregnant females and their offspring reduced the number of these cells and modified their VH immunoglobulin repertoi…

Background Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a life-threatening inflammatory disorder characterized by diverse etiologies and complex pathophysiological mechanisms involving immune dysregulation, systemic metabolic reprogramming, and gut microbiota disturbances. Although single-omics studies have provided partial insights into AP pathogenesis, comprehensive integrative multi-omics analyses investigating…