Contents
Vol 3, Issue 19
Focus
- Antiviral immunity backfires: Pathogenic effects of type I interferon signaling in fetal development
Interferon-α/β signaling is pathogenic in a mouse model of congenital Zika virus infection. See related research article by Yockey et al.
Research Articles
- TLR7 escapes X chromosome inactivation in immune cells
Biallelic TLR7 expression in immune cells may contribute to increased autoimmune disease risk in women.
- Precursors of human CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes identified by single-cell transcriptome analysis
Human CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes that play a vital role in antiviral immunity are highly heterogeneous.
- Production of BMP4 by endothelial cells is crucial for endogenous thymic regeneration
BMP4 produced by endothelial cells promotes thymic regeneration after acute damage by activating FOXN1 and its downstream targets.
- Type I interferons instigate fetal demise after Zika virus infection
After Zika virus infection, fetal type I interferon signaling is responsible for abnormal placental development and fetal resorption.
Editors' Choice
- Resident memory T cells: Runx and hide
The transcription factor Runx3 enhances the differentiation and survival of CD8+ resident memory T cells; enhancing Runx3 expression in responding T cells could lead to better therapies for infection and cancer.
- Getting with the program in type 1 diabetes mellitus
Transcriptomic studies reveal defective costimulation via PD-L1 to explain the autoreactive phenotype seen in type 1 diabetes mellitus.
About The Cover

ONLINE COVER Interfer′ing with Zika. The microscopy image shows a section of a human mid-gestation placental chorionic villi that has been stained to visualize localization of actin (red) and cell nuclei (blue). Yockey et al. have studied the role of placental interferon signaling in the context of Zika virus infection using mouse models and human placental tissue. [CREDIT: YOCKEY ET AL./SCIENCE IMMUNOLOGY]