Immunology explores the intricate defense systems that keep our bodies safe from infections and disease. This field examines how our immune cells recognize threats, coordinate responses, and maintain a delicate balance between fighting invaders and avoiding self-harm. From understanding vaccine mechanisms to investigating autoimmune disorders, these studies reveal the dynamic biology protecting human health every day.

On Gist.Science, we ensure these critical discoveries remain accessible to everyone. We automatically process every new preprint in this category as it appears on bioRxiv, transforming complex research into both plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries. This approach allows readers to grasp the core findings without getting lost in dense jargon, while still providing the depth needed for scientific inquiry.

Below are the latest immunology papers from bioRxiv, each accompanied by our curated summaries to help you navigate the newest breakthroughs in the field.

🛡️ immunology

Transgene Expression Kinetics and Replication Potential of Recombinant Adenovirus Serotype 4 in a Mouse Model and its Use as a Herpes Simplex Virus Vaccine

This study demonstrates that while human adenovirus serotype 4 (Ad4) exhibits limited replication in BALB/c mice, it still supports sufficient transgene expression to elicit protective immune responses against herpes simplex virus type 2, validating the mouse model for evaluating Ad4-based vaccine candidates.

Vostal, A. C., Maciorowski, D., Readler, J. M., Pytel, I. S., Patamawenu, A., Cooney, C., Roeder, P. M., Roenicke, R., V (…)2026-05-17
🛡️ immunology

Circadian Clock Programming of Anticipatory Antiviral Immunity Gates Enteric Virus Infection Susceptibility

The study demonstrates that the circadian clock regulates host susceptibility to enteric viral infections by driving rhythmic, pre-infection expression of the antiviral factor IRF1 in intestinal myeloid cells, thereby creating time-of-day-dependent variations in infection outcomes.

Oshinowo, T. O., Maples, R. W., Woods Acevedo, M. A., McCune, B. T., Dalton, H., Johnson, I., Simpkins, D. A., Basu, U. (…)2026-05-16
🛡️ immunology

Bioactive Enhanced Adjuvant Chemokine Oligonucleotide Nanoparticles (BEACON) for Mucosal Vaccination Against Genital Herpes

The study demonstrates that vaginally administered BEACON nanoparticles, composed of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides and CXCL9, significantly enhance protection against genital herpes by boosting local CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cells and mucosal antibody responses when used as an adjuvant with HSV-2 glycoproteins.

Bhagchandani, S. H., Ehrenzeller, S., Pires, I. S., Chaudhary, N., Booth, C. J., Kwon, D.-i., Koutsioumpa, C., Baker, C. (…)2026-05-15
🛡️ immunology

T cells compete via reverse MHC class I signaling at the synapse with dendritic cells to secure Golgi recruitment for activation

This study reveals that antigen recognition triggers reverse MHC class I signaling in dendritic cells, driving the polarization of the Golgi apparatus toward the immunological synapse to enable spatially restricted IL-12 release that preferentially activates T cells with the highest receptor affinity.

Psoma, A., Muntjewerff, E. M., Nicolasen, M. J. T., Bottema, R., ter Beest, M., de Boer, R., Bianchi, F., Revelo, N. H. (…)2026-05-15
🛡️ immunology

Embryonated chicken eggs clear systemic H3N2 influenza without RIG-I: transcriptomic evidence for innate sufficiency and brain immune privilege

This study demonstrates that H3N2 influenza is cleared from the peripheral organs of 10-day chicken embryos via RIG-I-independent innate immunity and macrophage activity, while the virus persists in the brain due to immune privilege rather than intrinsic neurotropism.

Gurses Sahin, O. S., Fung, J. B., Lehri, D., Sachidanandam, R.2026-05-14
🛡️ immunology

cGAS-STING induced IFN-β acts as a dual regulator of osteoclastogenesis via direct and osteoblast-mediated mechanisms

This study reveals that cGAS-STING signaling acts as a dual regulator of osteoclastogenesis by directly suppressing macrophage differentiation and indirectly inhibiting bone resorption through osteoblast-derived IFN-β, which shifts the OPG-RANKL axis toward increased osteoprotegerin production.

Simonis, H. F., Middha, S., Graf, L., Naibi, R., Polenz, V., Kubatzky, K. F., Seebach, E.2026-05-13
🛡️ immunology

Large-Scale Assessment of NF1 Single Amino Acid Variants as HLA Class I Neoantigens

This study evaluates the therapeutic potential of NF1-derived single amino acid variants as HLA-A*02:01 neoantigens by combining computational prediction with experimental validation in U87-MG cells, revealing that while only a fraction of predicted candidates are endogenously presented, the findings support the feasibility of NF1-targeted immunotherapies while highlighting the critical need for experimental verification to overcome limitations in current in silico prediction models.

Jung, S. Y., Babaei, A., Tzatsos, A., Ma, J., Yu, Y., Chong, W. C., Zhang, H., Graham, R. T., Cruz, C. R., Nazarian, J. (…)2026-05-13
🛡️ immunology

Replaying germinal center evolution on a quantified affinity landscape

By replaying over a hundred monoclonal germinal center reactions on a quantified affinity landscape, this study reveals that predictable antibody affinity maturation results from noisy but persistent selection constrained by somatic hypermutation biases, while demonstrating that common observations like permissiveness to low-affinity lineages are artifacts of survivorship bias.

DeWitt, W. S. S., Vora, A. A., Araki, T., Galloway, J. G., Alkutkar, T., Bortolatto, J., Castro, T. B., Dumm, W., Jennin (…)2026-05-12
🛡️ immunology

The lipid A acylation pattern of Coxiella burnetii prevents detection and clearance by the non-canonical inflammasome in primary murine macrophages

The study reveals that *Coxiella burnetii* evades immune clearance in murine macrophages by utilizing a tetra-acylated lipid A structure to avoid activating the non-canonical inflammasome, while also demonstrating that oxygen limitation can suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Szperlinski, M., Asghar, F., Csicsay, F., Schermuly, E., Lang, R., Skultety, L., Berens, C., Mertens-Scholz, K., Luehrma (…)2026-05-11
🛡️ immunology

An autologous cell-based therapeutic vaccine expressing IL6/1 fusokine drives robust anti-tumor response against ovarian cancer.

This study demonstrates that an autologous cell-based therapeutic vaccine engineered to express an IL-6/IL-1β\beta fusokine drives robust anti-tumor immunity and significantly improves survival in a pre-clinical mouse model of ovarian cancer by enhancing T cell survival, proliferation, and memory responses.

Sharma, S., Das, R., Pennati, A., Hedican, C., Barroilhet, L., Patankar, M. S., Galipeau, J.2026-05-08