The intricate, lifelong conversation between blood vessels and immune system is fundamental to health, and its breakdown is pathogenic to many diseases. A review, published on February 10, 2026, in Immunity & Inflammation by Prof. Yihai Cao at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, provides a systematic and mechanistic framework for understanding this dynamic crosstalk, offering a unified perspective on how vascular endothelial cells orchestrate immune responses and how their dysfunction leads to pathology.

A research team led by Drs. Choong-Min Ryu and Hwi Won Seo at the Infectious Disease Research Center of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) has proposed a new infection-prevention strategy based on the proactive activation of innate immunity using a compound already widely used in pharmaceuticals. The study focused on n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside(DDM), a substance previously known primarily as an excipient that stabilizes active ingredients during drug formulation. The researchers investigated whether DDM could also function as an immune-modulating agent capable of activating the body’s innate immune system.