Cells of the innate immune system are key players at initiating and regulating adaptive immune responses, such as those elicited against pathogens and cancer, but also at modulating tolerance to autoantigens to prevent autoimmune diseases. While some of these cells are considered exclusively innate, as natural killer (NK) cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), others are positioned at the interface of innate and adaptive immune responses, such as dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, monocytes, and natural killer T (NKT) cells. The role of these cells in different immune responses has led to the design of targeted immunotherapies to control diseases, such as cancer, autoimmunity, and allergy, as well as potentiating immune responses against pathogens.

We invite investigators to submit original research and review articles describing the role of innate cells in immune responses against pathogens and cancer and their role in autoimmunity and allergy, as well as work describing innovative strategies to target these cells to treat different immune-related diseases.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Role of innate immune cells in cancer and infectious diseases
• Role of innate immune cells in autoimmunity and allergy
• Modulation of dendritic cell maturation and phenotype
• Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy for cancer and autoimmune diseases
• Glycolipid targeting of NKT cells for immunotherapy
• Emerging roles in innate lymphoid cells in immune-related diseases
• Natural Killer cells in cancer immunity
• Novel NKT cell-based vaccine adjuvants
• Socioeconomic benefits of novel immune cell-targeted immunotherapies
• Innate immune cell-targeted therapies in clinical trials