The Immunology Podcast

Guest: Dr. Mahima Swamy is a Program Leader at the University of Dundee, where her lab studies immune homeostasis in the intestinal epithelium. She talks about intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes and the role of LRRK2 in Parkinson’s and Crohn’s disease. Featured Products and Resources: Register now for IUIS 2025! Enter to win a personalized lab coat! The Immunology Science Round Up Fungal Meningitis in Mammals – Researchers examined Cryptococcus neoformans phenotypes and identified factors that drive mammalian virulence. γδ T cell Receptor Activation – Using cryoelectron microscopy, researchers identified an MHC-independent antigen presentation mechanism distinct from αβ T cells. Fungal Pulmonary Fibrosis – The Dectin-1-Raf1 axis is a key regulator of pulmonary fibrosis and a promising therapeutic target for fibrotic diseases. Early-Life Fructose Exposure – High-fructose treatment of mouse and human microglia suppresses phagocytosis capacity. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Rizwan Romee is a Oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, where his research focuses on genetically manipulating NK cells to enhance their anti-tumor function. He talks about advances and challenges in engineering NK cells for cancer therapy. He also discusses using E. coli to deliver immune-activating cytokines to tumors. (37:31) Featured Products and Resources: Register now for IUIS 2025! Enter to win a personalized lab coat! The Immunology Science Round Up The Y Chromosome in Cancer – Loss of the Y chromosome in tumor and T cells worsens survival. (5:00) Boosting CD8 T Cell Responses – Cytokine-adjuvanted mRNA-lipid nanoparticles can enhance immune response to vaccination. (11:40) Bacterial Antitumor Immunotherapy – Intratumoral Listeria monocytogenes can either enhance or inhibit tumor progression. (21:30) NK Cell Signaling – CAR activation and IL-15 signaling rapidly induce CREM upregulation in NK cells. (28:20) Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Arthur Mortha is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on innate lymphoid cells and their interactions with microbes. He talks about ILCs and how the gut microbiome can affect respiratory disease. (37:44) Featured Products and Resources: Register now for IUIS 2025! Enter to win a personalized lab coat! The Immunology Round Up Serotonin and Antitumor Immunity – Serotonin transporter acts as an immune checkpoint restricting CD8 T cell antitumor immunity. (3:35) T Cells in the Brain – CD4 T cells reside in the brain at steady state and are concentrated in the subfornical organ. (8:40) Bat Antiviral Immunity – A new organoid platform reveals key features of bat epithelial antiviral immunity that may inform therapeutic strategies. (22:30) Acetylcholine in the Thymus – Cholinergic signaling regulates immune cell development through thymic negative selection. (27:00) Image courtesy of Dr. Arthur Mortha Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In May 2025, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2025, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists, in Honolulu. We chat with delegates about their research and impressions of the meeting. They discuss their reasons for attending, the most memorable research, and their experiences in Hawaiʻi. Featured Products and Resources: IUIS 2025 is taking place August 17-22 in Vienna! Prepare for your next conference. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

This special episode was recorded in front of a live audience at IMMUNOLOGY2025 in Honolulu. In this conversation, hosted by Dr. Nicole Quinn, Brenda and Jason share what they’ve learned from recording over 100 episodes of the Immunology Podcast. They talk about how the field has evolved during the past four years, the importance of making science and scientists accessible, and predictions for emerging areas of research. Featured Products and Resources: Register now for IUIS 2025! Enter to win a custom lab coat, personalized with your name! Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In May 2025, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2025, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Honolulu, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the final of five special episodes from the meeting, in which Brenda and Jason discuss sessions on lymphatic immunophysiology and how opioids drive immunosuppression in cancer. Featured Products and Resources: Download a free conference toolkit! Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In May 2025, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2025, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Honolulu, where we recorded daily episodes highlighting key developments from the previous 24 hours. This is the fourth of five special episodes from the meeting. In this episode, Brenda and Jason discuss how macrophages contribute to lung tissue repair and influence hormone activity, as well as the mechanisms linking MHC-II abnormalities to autoimmune disease pathogenesis. Featured Products and Resources: Register: On-Demand Human Immune Cell Isolation Course Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In May 2025, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2025, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Honolulu, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the third of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason discuss highlights from sessions on mucosal immunology and the role of T cells in lactogenesis. They also talk about γδ CAR T cells and veterinary immunology — from sharks to elephants. Featured Products and Resources: Free mouse immune cell wallchart Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In May 2025, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2025, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Honolulu, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the second of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason discuss highlights from sessions on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte and T-cell receptor therapies, unconventional functions of Tregs, and advances in single-cell RNA sequencing. Featured Products and Resources: Register: On-Demand Human T Cell Expansion Course Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In May 2025, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2025, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Honolulu, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the first of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason discuss highlights from talks including immune responses to bacterial infections, p53 reactivation for cancer therapy, and the mechanisms that lead to celiac disease. Featured Products and Resources: Stay up-to-date with the latest in immune regulation news. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe