Regulatory immune cells in transplantation

Immune regulation is fundamental to any immune response to ensure that it is appropriate for the perceived threat to the host. Following cell and organ transplantation, it is essential to control both the innate immune response triggered by the injured tissue and the adaptive immune response stimulated by mismatched donor and recipient histocompatibility antigens to enable the transplant to survive and function. Here, we discuss the leukocyte populations that can promote immune tolerance after cell or solid-organ transplantation. Such populations include regulatory T cells, B cells and macrophages, as well as myeloid-derived suppressor cells, dendritic cells and mesenchymal stromal cells. We consider the potential of these regulatory immune cells to develop and function in transplant recipients and their potential use as cellular therapies to promote long-term graft function

DNA methylation networks underlying mammalian traits

Using DNA methylation profiles ( = 15,456) from 348 mammalian species, we constructed phyloepigenetic trees that bear marked similarities to traditional phylogenetic ones. Using unsupervised clustering across all samples, we identified 55 distinct cytosine modules, of which 30 are related to traits such as maximum life span, adult weight, age, sex, and human mortality risk. Maximum life span is associated with methylation levels in subclass homeobox genes and developmental processes and is potentially regulated by pluripotency transcription factors. The methylation state of some modules responds to perturbations such as caloric restriction, ablation of growth hormone receptors, consumption of high-fat diets, and expression of Yamanaka factors. This study reveals an intertwined evolution of the genome and epigenome that mediates the biological characteristics and traits of different mammalian species