Immunology

This Review highlights the progress that has been made in the development of diagnostic tools for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the fight against COVID-19.

Type-1 innate lymphoid cells have been shown to drive intestinal epithelial proliferation and extracellular matrix remodelling through TGF-β1 secretion, which could exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease comorbidities such as cancer and fibrosis.

Microparticle wear debris from prosthetic implants following patient revision surgery is observed to induce a potent type 2 inflammatory response involving cytokine secretion by macrophages through a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase-dependent signalling pathway.

A vaccine platform has been developed from a polymeric glyco-adjuvant conjugated to an antigen, and is now shown to target dendritic cells via mannose-binding receptors and generate potent cellular and humoral immune response against malaria.

Physical confinement of macrophages is shown to down-regulate pro-inflammatory gene transcription, lowering pro-inflammatory macrophage activation and phagocytic potential.

The Zika virus infects the central nervous system and results in severe brain malformation. An amphiphatic peptide is now shown to penetrate the blood–brain barrier, reducing viral loads due to its activity against Zika and other mosquito-borne viruses.

Immunotherapies have shown significant promise in cancer treatment. This Review discusses how a range of materials have been employed to enhance the effectiveness of these therapies by mediating their delivery and immunomodulatory activity.

Islet transplantation for diabetes treatment requires immunosuppression to control rejection. A microgel presenting Fas ligand with immunomodulatory properties is now shown to prolong the survival of allogeneic islet grafts in vivo.

Immunotherapy offers a promising approach to treating a range of complications. This Review discusses strategies that employ bioengineering and immunological principles to develop engineered tissues for screening therapeutics and treating diseases.

By studying the immune responses of animals to different types of biomaterial implants, colony stimulating factor-1 receptor is revealed as an important mediator of the foreign body reaction and a possible target for fibrosis inhibition.