A gene variant has been discovered that could explain susceptibility to disease among First Nations people in Oceania. The variation affects the natural killer cells, which play a vital role in the first line of immune defence. It's a discovery that could have implications for the treatment of diseases like tuberculosis and cancer. Guest Professor Andrew Brooks, immunologist at the Doherty Institute and the University of Melbourne References An archaic HLA class I receptor allele diversifies natural killer cell-driven immunity in First Nations peoples of Oceania