Featured
-
-
Article |
Necroptosis blockade prevents lung injury in severe influenza
A newly developed RIPK3 inhibitor blocks necroptosis of lung cells, reduces lung inflammation and prevents mortality in a mouse model of influenza A virus infection.
- Avishekh Gautam
- , David F. Boyd
- & Siddharth Balachandran
-
Article |
A host–microbiota interactome reveals extensive transkingdom connectivity
A new technology for proteome-scale assessment of human exoproteome–microbiome interactions exposes an extensive network of transkingdom connectivity.
- Nicole D. Sonnert
- , Connor E. Rosen
- & Noah W. Palm
-
Article |
Role of IL-27 in Epstein–Barr virus infection revealed by IL-27RA deficiency
IL-27RA–IL-27 has a critical role in the immunity to EBV, and this defence is hijacked by Epstein–Barr virus to promote the expansion of infected transformed B cells
- Emmanuel Martin
- , Sarah Winter
- & Sylvain Latour
-
News |
Ancient malaria genome from Roman skeleton hints at disease’s history
Genetic information from ancient remains is helping to reveal how malaria has moved and evolved alongside people.
- Tosin Thompson
-
News |
Blockbuster obesity drug leads to better health in people with HIV
Semaglutide reduces weight and fat accumulation associated with the antiretroviral regimen that keeps HIV at bay.
- Mariana Lenharo
-
Article
| Open Access
Incomplete transcripts dominate the Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcriptome
A study reveals that most transcripts in Mycobacterium tuberculosis are incomplete, likely because of the tendency of the transcription machinery in this species to pause on genomic DNA.
- Xiangwu Ju
- , Shuqi Li
- & Shixin Liu
-
Article
| Open Access
Prevalence of persistent SARS-CoV-2 in a large community surveillance study
Using viral sequence data, individuals with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified, and had higher odds of self-reporting long COVID, in a large community surveillance study.
- Mahan Ghafari
- , Matthew Hall
- & Katrina Lythgoe
-
Article
| Open Access
Redefining the treponemal history through pre-Columbian genomes from Brazil
Reconstruction of four Treponema pallidum genomes associated with human remains from around 2,000 years ago suggests that T. pallidum existed in the Americas and diverged to its modern subspecies before the fifteenth century European contact with the Americas.
- Kerttu Majander
- , Marta Pla-Díaz
- & Verena J. Schuenemann
-
Article
| Open Access
The HIV capsid mimics karyopherin engagement of FG-nucleoporins
Dissection of the nuclear pore complex provides a model in which the HIV capsid enters the nucleus through karyopherin mimicry, a mechanism likely to be conserved across other viruses.
- C. F. Dickson
- , S. Hertel
- & D. A. Jacques
-
Article
| Open Access
Digital measurement of SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk from 7 million contacts
Digital measurements of proximity and duration of exposure by the NHS COVID-19 app show a strong relation to actual infections among 7 million contacts notified in England and Wales, with longer durations translating to increased risk of transmission.
- Luca Ferretti
- , Chris Wymant
- & Christophe Fraser
-
News Feature |
Malaria fighter: this researcher paved the way for a game-changing vaccine
Halidou Tinto runs a clinic in rural Burkina Faso that has been instrumental to the approval of the world’s first malaria vaccines.
- Brendan Maher
-
Article |
Prevention of respiratory virus transmission by resident memory CD8+ T cells
Experiments in a mouse model of natural parainfluenza virus transmission show that tissue-resident memory T cells in the respiratory tract have important interferon-γ-dependent roles in protection against and limiting the transmission of viral disease.
- Ida Uddbäck
- , Sarah E. Michalets
- & Jacob E. Kohlmeier
-
News Explainer |
Climate change is also a health crisis — these 3 graphics explain why
Health is on the agenda at the COP28 climate meeting. Rising temperatures increase the spread of infectious diseases, claim lives and drive food insecurity.
- Carissa Wong
-
Comment |
This is how the world finally ends the HIV/AIDS pandemic
Putting the specific needs of individuals and communities at the heart of HIV/AIDS care, by harnessing behavioural science, is key to building on the progress already been made.
- John Nkengasong
- , Mike Reid
- & Ingrid T. Katz
-
Article
| Open Access
Repeated Omicron exposures override ancestral SARS-CoV-2 immune imprinting
Exposure to early variants of SARS-CoV-2 results in immune imprinting in mouse models and in humans, reducing neutralizing antibody titres against Omicron variants, which could be mitigated with multiple updated boosters.
- Ayijiang Yisimayi
- , Weiliang Song
- & Yunlong Cao
-
Article |
Clostridioides difficile ferrosome organelles combat nutritional immunity
Ferrosome organelles produced by Clostridioides difficile are required to support colonization of the inflamed gut, highlighting the potential of targeting ferrosome formation as an antimicrobial strategy against this important pathogen.
- Hualiang Pi
- , Rong Sun
- & Eric P. Skaar
-
Article
| Open Access
Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in humans with alternative NF-κB pathway deficiency
Inborn errors of the alternative NF-κB pathway in humans impair the development of AIRE-expressing medullary thymic epithelial cells, thereby underlying the production of autoantibodies against type I IFNs and predisposition to viral diseases
- Tom Le Voyer
- , Audrey V. Parent
- & Anne Puel
-
Article |
Antigenicity and receptor affinity of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 spike
A severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron subvariant, BA.2.86, was found to be no more resistant to human sera than the currently dominant XBB.1.5 and EG.5.1, but it had a remarkably higher receptor affinity.
- Qian Wang
- , Yicheng Guo
- & David D. Ho
-
Article |
The episodic resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 virus
Recent resurgences of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 viruses have different origins and virus ecologies as their epicentres shift and viruses evolve, with changes indicating increased adaptation among domestic birds.
- Ruopeng Xie
- , Kimberly M. Edwards
- & Vijaykrishna Dhanasekaran
-
Article
| Open Access
The burden and dynamics of hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 in England
Data from acute hospitals in England are used to quantify hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infections, evaluate likely pathways of spread and factors associated with heightened transmission risk, and explore the impact on community transmission.
- Ben S. Cooper
- , Stephanie Evans
- & Gwenan M. Knight
-
Editorial |
Half a million children die of malaria every year. Finally we can change that
With two vaccines available, this killer disease could now be eliminated — but will the world pull together to make it happen?
-
News |
Second malaria vaccine to win global approval is cheaper and easier to make
The World Health Organization has recommended a shot called R21 to prevent the disease in children.
- Miryam Naddaf
-
Article
| Open Access
The sex-specific factor SOA controls dosage compensation in Anopheles mosquitoes
A newly identified gene, sex chromosome activation (SOA), is a master regulator of dosage compensation in Anopheles gambiae.
- Agata Izabela Kalita
- , Eric Marois
- & Claudia Isabelle Keller Valsecchi
-
Article
| Open Access
Distinguishing features of long COVID identified through immune profiling
Individuals with long COVID show marked biological changes in cortisol and immune factors relative to convalescent populations.
- Jon Klein
- , Jamie Wood
- & Akiko Iwasaki
-
Article |
The β1-adrenergic receptor links sympathetic nerves to T cell exhaustion
Stress-associated catecholamines promote CD8+ T cell exhaustion through the β1-adrenergic receptor, and blocking β-adrenergic signalling may help restore anti-tumour functions.
- Anna-Maria Globig
- , Steven Zhao
- & Susan M. Kaech
-
Article
| Open Access
Neutralization, effector function and immune imprinting of Omicron variants
Convergent mutations in hot spots of the spike proteins of currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants increase the binding affinity for the host receptor and promote more efficient fusion with host cell membranes.
- Amin Addetia
- , Luca Piccoli
- & David Veesler
-
Article |
Endothelial AHR activity prevents lung barrier disruption in viral infection
The environmental sensor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and diet-derived AHR ligands play an important part in protecting against tissue damage following viral pathogen infection in the lung.
- Jack Major
- , Stefania Crotta
- & Andreas Wack
-
Article
| Open Access
Dissecting human population variation in single-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2
Population differences in immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 can be explained by environmental exposures, but also by local adaptation acting through genetic variants acquired after admixture with archaic hominin forms.
- Yann Aquino
- , Aurélie Bisiaux
- & Lluis Quintana-Murci
-
Article |
Africa-specific human genetic variation near CHD1L associates with HIV-1 load
Africa-specific genetic variation on chromosome 1 near CHD1L is associated with HIV replication in vivo.
- Paul J. McLaren
- , Immacolata Porreca
- & Jacques Fellay
-
Article
| Open Access
A common allele of HLA is associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection
The human leukocyte antigen allele HLA-B*15:01 is associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection due to pre-existing T cell immunity.
- Danillo G. Augusto
- , Lawton D. Murdolo
- & Jill A. Hollenbach
-
Article
| Open Access
PLSCR1 is a cell-autonomous defence factor against SARS-CoV-2 infection
Phospholipid scramblase 1 (PLSCR1), a protein induced by IFNγ, acts as a defence factor against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses by inhibiting the fusion of the virus with host-cell membranes.
- Dijin Xu
- , Weiqian Jiang
- & John D. MacMicking
-
Article |
A planetary health innovation for disease, food and water challenges in Africa
By harvesting aquatic vegetation that provides habitat for snails that harbour Schistosoma parasites and converting it to compost and animal feed, a trial reduced schistosomiasis prevalence in children while providing wider economic benefits.
- Jason R. Rohr
- , Alexandra Sack
- & Caitlin Wolfe
-
Outlook |
Battling a health crisis in the Amazon
Scientists are racing to control malaria in northern Brazil where the disease is playing a major part in the current health emergency threatening the region’s Indigenous people.
-
Outlook |
The challenges facing scientists in the elimination of malaria
The world now has a malaria vaccine, but it won’t be enough to wipe out the parasitic disease
- Richard Hodson
-
Outlook |
Malaria’s modelling problem
Southern Africa wants to eliminate the disease by 2030, but predicting where and when the disease will strike remains a challenge.
- Linda Nordling
-
Outlook |
Can malaria researchers slow the spread of drug resistance?
Concerns that artemisinin combination treatments are losing their effectiveness against Plasmodium parasites have set scientists looking for alternatives.
- T. V. Padma
-
Outlook |
The next frontier for malaria vaccination
Hot on the heels of the first approved vaccine for malaria, researchers are racing to develop even better shots that tackle the parasite at every stage of its life cycle.
- Cassandra Willyard
-
Outlook |
Malaria: highlights from research
A mosquito hibernation mystery solved, parasites grown in dishes for the first time, and other studies and trials.
- Laura Vargas-Parada
-
Outlook |
In search of a vaccine for Plasmodium vivax malaria
Vaccinologist Arturo Reyes-Sandoval explains how researchers are edging closer to a much-needed vaccine.
- Laura Vargas-Parada
-
Outlook |
Monoclonal antibodies show promise for malaria prevention
Immunologist Robert Seder and malaria epidemiologist Kassoum Kayentao talk to Nature about their work and how they think the parasitic disease could be controlled in the future.
- Cassandra Willyard
-
Outlook |
How genetically modified mosquitoes could eradicate malaria
Gene-drive technology that can spread antimalarial modifications throughout mosquito populations is maturing, but there are questions to answer before it can be used in the wild.
- Sam Jones
-
Article
| Open Access
A pan-influenza antibody inhibiting neuraminidase via receptor mimicry
The neuraminidase-targeting monoclonal antibody FNI9 potently inhibits the enzymatic activity of influenza A and B viruses via receptor mimicry.
- Corey Momont
- , Ha V. Dang
- & Matteo Samuele Pizzuto
-
Article
| Open Access
GWAS and meta-analysis identifies 49 genetic variants underlying critical COVID-19
An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).
- Erola Pairo-Castineira
- , Konrad Rawlik
- & J. Kenneth Baillie
-
Article |
Adeno-associated virus type 2 in US children with acute severe hepatitis
A retrospective analysis using PCR testing, viral enrichment-based sequencing and agnostic metagenomic sequencing finds an association between adeno-associated virus type 2 and paediatric hepatitis of unknown cause.
- Venice Servellita
- , Alicia Sotomayor Gonzalez
- & Charles Y. Chiu
-
Article |
Bacteria hijack a meningeal neuroimmune axis to facilitate brain invasion
Two Streptococcus spp. can utilize a neuropeptide (CGRP) and its receptor (RAMP1) on macrophages to promote brain invasion, a finding that may help the development of therapies for bacterial meningitis.
- Felipe A. Pinho-Ribeiro
- , Liwen Deng
- & Isaac M. Chiu
-
News |
Third patient free of HIV after receiving virus-resistant cells
But the risks associated with the procedure mean it is unlikely to be used widely in its current form.
- Sara Reardon
-
Article |
Molecular fate-mapping of serum antibody responses to repeat immunization
Serum antibody responses to sequential homologous booster vaccines derive overwhelmingly from primary cohort B cells at the expense of de novo responses; this ‘primary addiction’ can be overcome by boosting with variant antigens.
- Ariën Schiepers
- , Marije F. L. van ’t Wout
- & Gabriel D. Victora
-
Article
| Open Access
HIV silencing and cell survival signatures in infected T cell reservoirs
HIV-infected memory CD4 T cells under antiretroviral therapy are a distinctive population of cells with transcriptomic patterns that favour HIV silencing, cell survival and cell proliferation.
- Iain C. Clark
- , Prakriti Mudvari
- & Eli A. Boritz
-
Article |
Influenza vaccination reveals sex dimorphic imprints of prior mild COVID-19
Immune responses to influenza vaccination are affected by previous mild COVID-19 in a sex-dimorphic manner.
- Rachel Sparks
- , William W. Lau
- & John S. Tsang
A meta-analysis on global change drivers and the risk of infectious disease