Luke O'Neill recounts his role in discovering key components of the TLR signaling pathway, explains how pursuing unexpected research questions keeps him motivated, and reflects on his experiences as an entrepreneur founding biotech companies.

Host: Cindy Leifer

Guest: Luke O'Neill

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• O'Neill lab
• Identification of MAL in the TLR signaling pathway (Nature, 2001)
• GDF 15, immunometabolism and anti-inflammatories (An Rev Pharmacol Tox, 2026)
• Itaconate and regulation of inflammation (Nat Metab, 2024)
• Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Music by Tatami.
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Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

George Stark from the Cleveland Clinic reflects on his early training in biochemistry and how several sabbatical leaves sparked pivotal changes in his research trajectory, eventually drawing him to interferon signaling where he helped establish the core principles of the JAK–STAT pathway and uncovered interesting roles for interferon signaling in cancer.

Host: Cindy Leifer

Guest: George Stark

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• Stark lab
• Development of the Northern blotting technique (PNAS, 1977)
• Development of Western blotting for proteins (PNAS, 1979)
• Discovery of Tyk2 as a critical kinase in interferon response (Cell, 1992)
• Topical PALA treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer (Exp Dermatol, 2023)
• Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Music by Tatami.
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The Immune team talks all about cytokines, from what they are to immunotherapies against them to treat diseases.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Cindy Leifer, and Brianne Barker

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Non-specific virus neutralization by IgM and complement (mBio 2026)
• Natural antibodies against viruses (Virology blog, 2009)
• Biologics against inflammatory cytokines (Int J Cell Bio, 2016)
• Biologics against allergic cytokines (JACI, 2022)
• Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Music by Tatami.
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Irah King from McGill University talks about his passion to understand how our immune system detects and responds to helminthic worm infections, how the worms can reprogram those responses, and how these pathways might be exploited to develop new treatments for inflammatory diseases.

Host: Cindy Leifer

Guest: Irah King

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• King lab at McGill
• Stromal cells and disease tolerance against intestinal infection (Cell, 2025)
• Helminth-Microbiome Interactions in Early Life (Cell, Host, & Microbe, 2024)
• BCL6, CD4T cells and parasitic infection (Mucoslal Immunol, 2023)
• Helminths manipulate the intestinal epithelium (Trends Parasit, 2023)
• Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Music by Tatami.
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Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

The Immune team discusses a paper describing the negative effects of old B cells on T cells and longevity and a snippet on an interesting vaccine approach to promote competition between gut commensals.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Cindy Leifer, Stephanie Langel, and Brianne Barker

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• Vaccine enhanced competition of gut bacteria (Science 2025)
• B cells drive immunosenescence and aging (Sci Immunol 2026)
• Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Music by Tatami.
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A former anti-vax mom talks about going down the rabbit hole, her mindset shift, the importance of doctors who are willing to talk with patients about vaccines, and why she is now a vaccine advocate.

Host: Cindy Leifer

Guest: Ellen Mary Woods

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• A shot at life foundation
• Voices for Vaccines information and advocacy
• What the iPhone bendgate can teach us about vaccine hesitancy
• Tips for conversations with vaccine hesitant people
• Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Music by Tatami.
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Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

Gabrielle Rizzuto from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses her work on the curious immunology of pregnancy and how a woman tolerates a genetically different baby but quickly rejects a mismatched organ donation.

Host: Cindy Leifer

Guest: Gabrielle Rizzuto

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• Rizzuto lab at MSKCC
• Tolerance at the fetal-maternal interface (Nature, 2022)
• The paradox of fetal-maternal tolerance (J Exp Med, 2022)
• Spatially resolved timeline of fetal-maternal interface (Nature, 2023)
• Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Music by Tatami.
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Immune discusses how tattoo ink accumulates in lymph nodes, promotes inflammation and influences response to two different vaccines.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Cindy Leifer, Stephanie Langel, and Brianne Barker

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• MicrobeTV Discord Server
• IL-9, CAR T cells and anti-tumor CD8 cells
• Tattoo ink, inflammation and vaccines
• Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Music by Tatami.
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Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv

Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.