Chinen J et al. – In this article, the authors reviewed the advances in basic immunology in the year 2016 by discussing studies that characterized the role of different proteins in effector T and B–cell differentiation, regulation of granule formation and secretion in cytotoxic cells, and function of prenylation in mevalonate kinase deficiency that led to inflammation. The authors also discussed advances in clinical immunology, along with novel approaches for whole genome sequencing and genes associated with immunodeficiency (eg, linker of activation of T cells, B cell lymphoma 11B, moesin and Janus kinase 1). The use of autologous viral specific cytotoxic T cells was shown to be effective during the trials of hematopoietic stem cells and gene therapy. New medications such as pioglitazone are being evaluated for enhancing oxidative burst in chronic granulomatous disease and development of vaccines for HIV infection continues to provide insights on immune response against virus with very high mutation rate.