Immune Regulation News Volume 8.30 | Aug 17 2016

TOP STORY

Immune-Cell Population Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Melanoma

The abundance of a subtype of white blood cells in melanoma tumors can predict whether or not patients will respond to a form of cancer immunotherapy known as checkpoint blockade. [Press release from University of California, San Francisco discussing online prepublication in Journal of Clinical Investigation] Press Release | Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

reChIP-Seq Reveals Widespread Bivalency of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 in CD4⁺ Memory T Cells

Researchers describe a novel reChIP-seq approach and tailored bioinformatic analysis tool, normR that allows for the sequential enrichment and detection of co-localizing DNA-associated proteins in an unbiased and genome-wide manner. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Exogenous TNFR2 Activation Protects from Acute GvHD via Host Treg Cell Expansion

Scientists present a novel strategy for inhibiting graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) that is based on the in vivo expansion of recipient regulatory T cells (Treg cells) before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, exploiting the crucial role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) in Treg cell biology. [J Exp Med] Abstract | Press Release

Scavenging Nucleic Acid Debris to Combat Autoimmunity and Infectious Disease

Investigators demonstrated that nucleic acid scavengers can limit pathological inflammation and nucleic acid-associated autoimmunity in lupus-prone mice. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Press Release

CCL2 Produced by the Glioma Microenvironment Is Essential for the Recruitment of Regulatory T Cells and Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells

Scientists report that macrophages and microglia within the glioma microenvironment produce CCL2, a chemokine that is critical for recruiting both CCR4⁺ regulatory T cells and CCR2⁺Ly-6C⁺ monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells in this disease setting. [Cancer Res] Abstract

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Enhance CD4 T Cell Susceptibility to NK Cell Killing but Reduce NK Cell Function

Investigators studied the impact of different histone deacetylase inhibitors on both natural killer (NK) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes targeting of HIV-1 infected cells. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Short-Term Intratracheal Use of PEG-Modified IL-2 and Glucocorticoid Persistently Alleviates Asthma in a Mouse Model

Researchers showed that short-term intratracheal use of IL-2 combined with glucocorticoid alleviates antigen-induced airway inflammation and reduces airway hyperresponsiveness by expanding antigen-nonspecific regulatory T cells, with a decrease in T helper 2 (Th2) cells and Th2-associated cytokines. [Sci Rep] Full Article

IL-35 Decelerates the Inflammatory Process by Regulating Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion and M1/M2 Macrophage Ratio in Psoriasis

Scientists assessed IL-35 in three well-known psoriasis models: a human keratinocyte cell line, a keratin 14-vascular endothelial growth factor A-transgenic mouse model, and an imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse model. [J Immunol] Abstract

Enhanced Immunosuppression of T Cells by Sustained Presentation of Bioactive Interferon-γ within Three-Dimensional Mesenchymal Stem Cell Constructs

Researchers investigated whether microparticle-mediated presentation of bioactive interferon-γ within three-dimensional spheroidal mesenchymal stem/stromal cell aggregates could precisely regulate and induce sustained immunomodulatory activity. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Abstract | Press Release

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TNF Activity and T Cells

The authors review old and new data on the importance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) produced by T cells and how TNF signaling via TNFR2 may directly impact alternate aspects of T cell biology. [Cytokine] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the immune regulation research field.

Mount Sinai and Stony Brook Announce Affiliation

Stony Brook Medicine and the Mount Sinai Health System announced that they are entering into an affiliation agreement that includes collaboration on research, academic programs and clinical care initiatives, effective immediately. The institutions launched the partnership to heighten academic and research synergies and to promote discovery, provide expanded clinical trials for both institutions, and achieve breakthroughs in understanding and treating disease. [Stony Brook Medicine] Press Release

CAR T-Cells Targeting the CD4 Protein Granted Orphan Drug Designation for the Treatment of Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma (PTCL)

iCell Gene Therapeutics announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted Orphan Drug Designation for its chimeric antigen receptor engineered T-cells directed against the target protein CD4 for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. [iCell Gene Therapeutics] Press Release

EMA Adopts New Biologic, Biosimilar Pharmacovigilance Guidance

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced new recommendations for monitoring the safety of biologics and biosimilars. The guidance will take effect on August 16^th 2016. [Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society] Editorial | Guideline

A Tale of Two Governments: The Politician Behind Argentina’s Science Growth

Lino Barañao, the only minister to stay in power after last year’s elections, lays out his plans. [Nature News] Editorial

Spiking Genomic Databases with Misinformation Could Protect Patient Privacy

Large genomic databases are indispensable for scientists looking for genetic variations associated with diseases. But they come with privacy risks for people who contribute their DNA. A 2013 study showed that hackers could use publicly available information on the Internet to identify people from their anonymized genomic data. [Nature News] Editorial

UK Government Gives Brexit Science Funding Guarantee

British scientists say they’re relieved by a government promise to guarantee them funding for existing EU research projects, even after the country leaves the European Union. But the reassurance only partly allays concerns about Brexit’s effect on UK science. [Nature News] Editorial

Candidate Cancer Drug Suspected After Death of Three Patients at an Alternative Medicine Clinic

A new type of cancer drug developed at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, but not yet tested in clinical trials may have triggered the deaths of three patients who were undergoing an alternative cancer treatment by a nonmedical practitioner in Germany. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

US Personalized-Medicine Industry Takes Hit from Supreme Court

Rejections for US patents related to personalized medicine have spiked after recent Supreme Court decisions tightened the rules for such claims, an analysis of more than 39,000 patent applications reveals. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Keystone Symposium: TGFβ in Immunity, Inflammation and Cancer
January 9-13, 2017
Taos, United States

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW Postdoctoral Researcher – Translational Immunology (University of Eastern Finland)

Technical Sales Representative (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Senior Scientist – Immunology and Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Faculty Position – Immunology (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Mucosal Immunology (University of Utah)

Postdoctoral Position – Tumor Immunology and T Cell Differentiation (University of Lausanne)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist (National Taiwan University)

Lecturer – Immunology (University of Edinburgh)

Postdoctoral Position – Tumor Immunology (Roswell Park Cancer Institute)

Postdoctoral Position – Immunology (Inserm)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Biology and Cancer Immunology (Fox Chase Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Molecular/Cellular Immunology (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Senior Faculty Leadership Position – Immunology (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Immunology (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Cancer Immunology (University of Virginia)

Postdoctoral Research – Fellow Thymic and Immune Regeneration (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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