The Immunology Podcast

Guest: Dr. Ido Amit is a Principal Investigator and the Eden and Steven Romick Professorial Chair at the Weizmann Institute of Science. His lab is at the forefront of developing and applying cutting-edge single-cell genomics technologies alongside advanced computational approaches. By integrating these innovative tools in both animal models and human studies, his team uncovers the immune regulatory mechanisms and pathways that shape health and disease. Featured Products and Resources: Stay up-to-date with the latest in human immunology news. Download a free wallchart on the production of CAR T cells. The Immunology Science Round Up Modified RNA Prevents Autoimmunity – Researchers show that modified RNA from our own cells naturally blocks TLR7 and TLR8, preventing harmful immune activation. Oncolytic Virus Boosts T Cells – In glioblastoma patients, a single virus treatment helped the immune system attack the tumor. Rewiring the Immune System During Food Scarcity – When food is scarce, stress hormones rebalance the immune system to fight infection while conserving glucose and preserving immune memory. Regulating Bystander T Cells – IL-4 can dial down how strongly memory CD8+ T cells respond to infection without direct antigen stimulation. Image courtesy of Dr. Ido Amit Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Sharon Lewin is the Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, where her team studies HIV. She talks about the current landscape in HIV research and treatments, and how new therapies could target latent viral reservoirs. Featured Products and Resources: Register now for IMMUNOLOGY2026! Make the Easy Choice. Try EasySep to Win! The Immunology Science Round Up Immunosurveillance in the Skin: A neuro-epithelial axis can tune regional immunosurveillance against melanoma. B Cells in Aging: B cells contributed to the age-related reduction of naive CD4 T cells. The Gut–Brain Axis in Parkinson’s: Muscularis macrophages, housekeepers of intestinal homeostasis, modulate α-synuclein pathology and neurodegeneration in models of Parkinson’s disease. How IL-2 Signaling Regulates Inflammation: IL-2 signaling promotes the generation of IL-10pos age-associated B cells, with implications for autoimmunity and inflammation. Image courtesy of Dr. Sharon Lewin Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Rafi Ahmed is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Director of the Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University. He talks about his early work on memory T cells and its applications in autoimmune diseases and cancer. Featured Products and Resources: Register now for IMMUNOLOGY2026! Request Your Free EasySep Sample and Enter for a Chance to Win Prizes Worth Up to $3,000. The Immunology Round Up CAR T Therapy for Hemolytic Anemia: CD19 CAR T cells resulted in sustained remission in patients with multirefractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia. (3:05) How Epstein-Barr Virus and Genetics Drive Multiple Sclerosis: A new study provides a new mechanistic link for how the environmental and genetic risk factors may contribute jointly to multiple sclerosis. (8:30) Autoantigens in Multiple Sclerosis: EBNA1 CD4+ T cells can target the multiple sclerosis autoantigen anoctamin-2, establishing a link between Epstein-Barr infection and neuroinflammation. (18:45) Microbiota-Induced T Cell Plasticity: Molecular mimicry between a gut commensal and a tumor antigen can boost the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy and restrain tumor growth. (26:00) Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guests: Dr. Ulrich von Andrian is the Mallinckrodt Professor of Immunopathology at Harvard Medical School and President of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI). Dr. Shekhar Pasare is Professor and Director of the Division of Immunobiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He is also the Program Committee Chair for the AAI’s annual meetings. They discuss the upcoming IMMUNOLOGY2026 meeting taking place April 15-19 in Boston. They cover highlights of the program including the Presidential Symposium, special sessions, and opportunities for trainees. (42:30) Featured Products and Resources: Submit a late-breaking abstract for IMMUNOLOGY2026! Wallchart: T Cell Nomenclature: From Subsets to Modules The Immunology Science Round Up Psoriatic Arthritis –  A two-step process involving skin-derived myeloid precursors and joint-resident fibroblasts orchestrates the spread of inflammation from the skin to the joints. (6:15) Chemotherapy and Cardiac-Resident Macrophages – DNA-damaging chemotherapy can reshape cardiac macrophage ontogeny. (13:50) Dendritic Cell Cross-Presentation – Neoantigen cross-presentation by Type 1 conventional dendritic cells can determine the immune visibility of the tumor mutational landscape. (26:00) T Cell Cross-Reactivity – Co-receptor switching generates super selective T cells that reduce the risk of lethal off-target cross-reactivity. (32:20) Images courtesy of Drs. Ulrich von Andrian and Shekhar Pasare Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Jayne Danska is a Senior Scientist, Genetics and Genome Biology at the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute. She is also Associate Chief of Research, Faculty Development and Diversity, and Professor at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the microbiome in type 1 diabetes. She discusses insights from longitudinal human studies and mouse models. (40:00) Featured Products and Resources: Register now for IMMUNOLOGY2026! Wallchart: T Cell Nomenclature: From Subsets to Modules The Immunology Round Up Vaccination for Anaphylaxis –  A vaccine against IgE protected against anaphylaxis in a mouse model. (2:53) How RSV Can Lead to Asthma – Researchers identified maternal allergy and neonatal RSV infection as converging Fc receptor-dependent risk factors for asthma. (9:50) Antigen Presentation for MAIT Cell Immunity – Macrophages are key for MR1 antigen presentation and MAIT cell immunity. (20:30) HIV Remission after Stem Cell Transplantation – After an allogeneic stem cell transplant, a patient discontinued antiretroviral therapy and sustained HIV remission for over six years. (27:00) Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Ana Anderson is currently the Albert H. Coons Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Senior Scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Institute Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Core Faculty Member of the Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation. She talks about her research on immune regulation in cancer and enhancing anti-tumor immunity. (38:33) Featured Products and Resources: Submit your abstract now for IMMUNOLOGY2026! Download a free wallchart on the production of CAR T cells. The Immunology Round Up CAR Tregs for Atherosclerosis: Anti-oxidized low-density lipoprotein CAR Tregs reduce atherosclerotic plaque formation in mouse models. (2:20) Tumor-Reactive T Cells: Tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells can be isolated and expanded from clinical samples. (14:24) Harnessing Myeloid and Lymphoid Synergy for Immunotherapy: Myeloid-targeted immunocytokines and natural killer/T cell enhancers show potential for treating solid cancers. (18:50) Subcutaneous Fat Affects Intestinal Aging: Subcutaneous white adipose tissue dysfunction triggers aging-like intestinal dysfunctions in mouse models. (32:40) Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. George Robinson is a Principal Research Fellow at University College London, where his lab focuses on juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. He discusses current approaches to diagnosis and treatment, as well as the role of sex differences in autoimmunity. (31:20) Featured Products and Resources: Stay up-to-date with the latest in immune regulation news. Download a free wallchart on regulatory T cells. The Immunology Round Up Long-Term Allergies: Allergy-associated IgE plasma cells exhibit limited accrual in the bone marrow, and instead reside in other tissues for extended periods. (3:40) Oral Immunotherapy for Peanut Allergy: Peanut oral immunotherapy reshapes T cell responses, suppressing allergy-associated type 2 helper T cells and boosting cytotoxic type 1 helper T cells, offering clues to long-term tolerance. (9:00) Neuroprotective Microglia in Alzheimer’s Disease: The protective function of microglia is governed by the transcription factor PU.1, which becomes downregulated following microglial contact with amyloid plaques. (18:09) Autoimmunity in ALS: Researchers showed that ALS is associated with recognition of the C9orf72 antigen and mapped the specific epitopes that are recognized. (23:20) Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Camila Coelho is a Principal Investigator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where her lab studies emerging pathogens. She talks about her lab’s work on mpox and other viruses, her approach to mentorship, and how her MBA education helps her in science. (36:00) Featured Products and Resources: Stay up-to-date with the latest in infectious disease news. Learn how to isolate highly pure immune cells with a free, on-demand course. The Immunology Round Up Epigenetic Programming of T Cells – Researchers developed an all-RNA platform for efficient, durable and multiplexed epigenetic programming in primary human T cells. (3:57) Converting Conventional T Cells to Tregs – Using a combination of cytokines and pharmacological approaches, conventional effector T cells can be converted into functional and stable Tregs. (9:40) A Host–Pathogen Arms Race – E. coli uses the effector NleL to suppress epithelial extrusion, which aids in bacterial spread. (23:06) Lactation and Lowered Breast Cancer Risk – Parity induces an accumulation of CD8+ T cells in breast tissue, which reduced tumor growth and increased immune cell infiltration in a mouse model. (28:13) Image courtesy of Dr. Camila Coelho Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Professor Matteo Iannacone is Director of the Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Professor of Pathology, and Head of the Dynamics of Immune Responses laboratory at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. His work centers on understanding the generation of dysfunctional adaptive immune cells in chronic hepatitis B virus infection and developing new strategies to reprogram them into functional cells endowed with potent antiviral activity. Featured Products and Resources: Stay up-to-date with the latest in human immunology news Isolate highly purified immune cells from virtually any sample source with EasySep The Immunology Science Round Up The Cells That Keep Immunity in Check – Brenda reviews Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi’s seminal study demonstrating that a population of T cells expressing the IL-2 receptor α chain acts to maintain self-tolerance by suppressing other T cells. The Gene That Controls Immune Balance – Brenda reviews Dr. Mary Brunkow and Dr. Fred Ramsdell’s work identifying FOXP3 as the gene disrupted in a fatal lymphoproliferation syndrome in the “scurfy” mouse, pointing to FOXP3 as a master regulator of regulatory T cells. Zap70 and the Treg Cell Repertoire – Age-dependent Zap70 expression regulates negative selection and thymic Treg cell development. T Cell Exhaustion Driven by Protein Stress – Researchers show that proteotoxic stress, induced by protein aggregation, is not merely a consequence, but a driver of the exhausted T cell state. Image courtesy of Professor Matteo Iannacone. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Robin Orozco is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas, where her lab studies how specific allelic variants affect immune responses. She talks about what we can learn from mouse models and the role of PTPN22 in antiviral immunity. (36:48) Featured Products and Resources: Stay up-to-date with the latest in immune regulation news. EasySep 8-Minute Human Cell Isolation Kits The Immunology Round Up Skin Infections and Food Allergy – Scientists unraveled mechanisms by which S. aureus skin colonization can aggravate food allergy in atopic dermatitis. (3:10) Cytotoxic T Cell Dynamics – Nuclear polarization represents a key step during cytotoxic T cell-mediated killing. (11:55) CRISPR-Boosted CAR T Therapies – Researchers discovered, validated, and biologically characterized CRISPR-boosted CAR T cells that outperform standard CAR T cells. (18:36) CAR T Cells in Myeloma – New findings reveal differing effects of gene perturbation on CAR T cells and highlight a promising target to generate highly effective CAR T cells for multiple myeloma. (26:40) Image courtesy of Dr. Robin Orozco Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Harikesh Wong is an Assistant Professor at the Ragon Institute and MIT, where his lab studies the design principles of the immune system.  He talks about how Tregs constrain conventional T cell responses during infection, and advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques to study immune responses. (38:11) Featured Products and Resources: Stay up-to-date with the latest in immune regulation news. Learn how to isolate highly pure immune cells and efficiently process human samples with a free, on-demand course on human immune cell isolation. The Immunology Science Round Up Immunometabolism in HIV – Immunometabolic defects in colon-resident CD8+ T cells in people with HIV lead to intestinal epithelial apoptosis and disruption of intestinal barrier integrity. (2:50) T Cell Dysfunction in Tumors – Mitochondria or telomeric reactive oxygen species induce DNA damage responses driving T cell dysfunction. (9:15) Microglia-Astrocyte Crosstalk – Microglia-derived Wnts drive astrocytes to reduce their association with synapses. (22:00) Monocyte-Derived Macrophages in Tumors – Researchers identified myeloid progenitor programs that fuel pro-tumorigenic monocyte-derived macrophages. (28:45) Image courtesy of Dr. Harikesh Wong Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Eric Vivier is a Professor of Immunology at Aix-Marseille Université and the Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy. He is also an awardee of the European Research Council and a member of the French Society of Immunology. In this special episode recorded at the IUIS 2025 Congress in Vienna, Dr. Vivier highlights the critical importance of investing in science, explores the responsibility of governments and other organizations in funding research, and reflects on the role science plays in society. Featured Products and Resources: Register for an on-demand course on human immune cell isolation Download a free wallchart summarizing the development, phenotypes, and functions of regulatory T cells The Immunology Science Round Up Strengthening CAR NK Cell Therapies – Scientists have found that natural killer (NK) cells become better at killing cancer cells after removal of key gene targets. (3:00) Maternal Stress Triggers Infant Eczema – Offspring of stressed pregnant dams have dysregulated mast cells and skin-projecting neurons and quickly develop eczema in response to harmless mechanical friction. (8:55) Suppressing Necroptosis-Induced Colitis – Researchers show that XBP1 and caspase-8 synergize to prevent colon inflammation. (17:07) Reprograming T Cells through Cytokine Receptor Expansion – Scientists have leveraged synthetic cytokine receptor engineering to successfully rewire T cell fate decisions and amplify anti-cancer immunity. (24:25) Image courtesy of Eric Vivier Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In August 2025, we attended the 19th International Congress of Immunology, hosted by the International Union of Immunological Societies, in Vienna, Austria. We chat with delegates about their research and impressions of the meeting. They discuss the most memorable research presented and their experiences in Austria. Featured Products and Resources: Prepare for your next conference. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Zwi Berneman is Emeritus Professor of Hematology at the University of Antwerp, and previously Head of the Division of Hematology at the Antwerp University Hospital. His basic and clinical research is focused on vaccination with immunogenic dendritic cells in cancer and with tolerogenic dendritic cells in multiple sclerosis. He talks about the history and development of dendritic cell vaccines and the work needed to make them more widely available to patients. Featured Products and Resources: Share your feedback on the podcast. The STEMdiff Monocyte Kit generates millions of monocytes that are ready for downstream assays, or further development into macrophages or dendritic cells. Image courtesy of Dr. Zwi Berneman Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In 2025, we attended the 19th International Congress of Immunology, hosted by the International Union of Immunological Societies, in Vienna, Austria, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the conference. Here is the final of five special episodes from the meeting, in which Brenda and Jason discuss sessions on AI applications and CAR T therapy progress. Featured Products and Resources: ImmunoCult Mouse T Cell Activator Kit Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In 2025, we attended the 19th International Congress of Immunology, hosted by the International Union of Immunological Societies, in Vienna, Austria, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the conference. Here is the fourth of five special episodes from the meeting, in which Jason and Brenda discuss sessions on cancer immunotherapy and neuroimmunology. Featured Products and Resources: Say goodbye to manual labor and hello to efficiency with RoboSep—your ultimate solution for automated cell isolation. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In 2025, we attended the 19th International Congress of Immunology, hosted by the International Union of Immunological Societies, in Vienna, Austria, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the conference. Here is the third of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason discuss sessions on CD4+ T cells in Hepatitis B infections and how amoebas make their way to the brain. They also cover research on the effects of antibiotics on immunotherapy, and what we can learn about allergies by comparing pet shop and lab mice. Featured Products and Resources: Improve your T cell therapy development with ImmunoCult-XF Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In 2025, we attended the 19th International Congress of Immunology, hosted by the International Union of Immunological Societies, in Vienna, Austria, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the conference. Here is the second of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason cover research on Lynch syndrome, dendritic cells, and the epigenome of regulatory T cells. Featured Products and Resources: Simply and efficiently isolate untouched, viable human NK cells from PBMCs or leukapheresis samples with EasySep. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In 2025, we attended the 19th International Congress of Immunology, hosted by the International Union of Immunological Societies, in Vienna, Austria, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the conference. Here is the first of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason discuss sessions on colon cancer organoids and stable induced regulatory T cells. They also cover presentations from the IUIS Rising Star Awardees and Dr. Yasmine Belkaid’s talk on maternal physiology. Featured Products and Resources: With no columns, minimal steps, and high-purity results, EasySep is the easy choice for simplified cell isolation. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Daniel Goodman is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where his lab researches high-throughput approaches to engineer the immune system. He talks about new technologies for immune cell engineering, and methods for screening and developing CAR T therapies. (47:30) Featured Products and Resources: Share your feedback on the podcast and enter to win a Bluetooth speaker! Register now for IUIS 2025! The Immunology Science Round Up Respiratory Infections and Breast Cancer – A study in mice shows that respiratory viruses can cause the proliferation of dormant disseminated cancer cells. (5:00) Early-Life HIV Antibodies – AAV-vectored delivery of HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies led to long-term protection in infant rhesus macaques. (11:55) Obesity and Immunity – Researchers compared the effects of high-fat diets derived from animal and plant fat sources on tumor growth in obese mice. (22:25) Lithium Deficiency in Alzheimer’s Disease – Scientists showed that endogenous lithium contributes to cognitive preservation during aging. (32:37) Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe