Human Immunology News Volume 7.15 | Apr 23 2019

TOP STORY

A Safe and Potent Anti-CD19 CAR T Cell Therapy

Scientists performed a Phase I trial of CD19-BBz(86) CAR T cell therapy in patients with B cell lymphoma. Complete remission occurred in 6 of 11 patients who each received a dose of 2×10⁸–4×10⁸ CD19-BBz(86) CAR T cells. [Nat Med] Abstract | Press Release

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Multifunctional CRISPR-Cas9 with Engineered Immunosilenced Human T Cell Epitopes

Researchers detected antibodies to Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 in at least 5% of 143 healthy individuals. They also report pre-existing human CD8⁺ T cell immunity in the majority of healthy individuals screened. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Characterizing Pre-Transplant and Post-Transplant Kidney Rejection Risk by B Cell Immune Repertoire Sequencing

Investigators characterized the peripheral blood immune repertoire of individuals before and after kidney transplant using B cell receptor sequencing in a longitudinal clinical study. Individuals who developed rejection after transplantation had a more diverse immune repertoire before transplant, suggesting a predisposition for post-transplant rejection risk. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Single-Cell Whole-Genome Sequencing Reveals the Functional Landscape of Somatic Mutations in B Lymphocytes across the Human Lifespan

The authors provide genome-wide mutation frequencies and spectra of human B lymphocytes from healthy individuals across the entire human lifespan using a highly accurate single-cell whole-genome sequencing method. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Stimulates Effector-Driven Rapid Caspase-4 Activation in Human Macrophages

Researchers showed that enteropathogenic E. coli induced type 3 secretion system-dependent rapid non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human macrophages. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Human Cytomegalovirus IL‐10 Augments NK Cell Cytotoxicity

The authors investigated the effects of short‐term cmvIL‐10 exposure on human NK cells and found it substantially enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity through natural cytotoxicity receptors NKp30 and NKp46 as well as through C‐type lectin‐like receptors NKG2C and NKG2D. [J Leukoc Biol] Abstract

Effect of Chemotherapy on Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor-Associated Macrophages in a Prospective Study of Preoperative Chemotherapy in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Macrophages represented a prominent component in viable tumor areas in pre-treatment soft tissue sarcoma biopsies, ranging from < 5 to > 50%. Furthermore, macrophages expressed CD44 and ALDH1. [J Transl Med] Full Article

Polysialic Acid Is Expressed in Human Naïve CD4⁺ T Cells and Is Involved in Modulating Activation

Scientists confirmed that human CD4⁺ T cells express both polysialyltransferases and synthesize polysialic acid (PSA), as assessed with the anti-PSA monoclonal antibody 12E3. [Glycobiology] Abstract

The Combination of Neoantigen Quality and T Lymphocyte Infiltrates Identifies Glioblastomas with the Longest Survival

Investigators found that the neoantigen quality fitness model stratified glioblastoma (GBM) patients with more favorable clinical outcome and, together with CD8⁺ T lymphocyte tumor infiltration, identified a GBM subgroup with the longest survival, which displayed distinct genomic and transcriptomic features. [Commun Biol] Full Article

Subscribe to our sister publications: Immunology of Infectious Disease News & Immune Regulation News.

The Role of Invariant T Cells in Inflammation of the Skin and Airways

Invariant and semi-invariant T cells are emerging as important regulators of host environment interactions at barrier tissues such as the airway and skin. In contrast to conventional T cells, invariant natural killer T cells and mucosal associated invariant T cells express T cell receptors of very limited diversity. [Semin Immunopathol] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the human immunology research field.

Celyad to Present Update on Allogeneic and Autologous NKG2D-Based CAR-T Candidates in Refractory mCRC

Celyad announced that clinical data from the SHRINK and alloSHRINK Phase I trials, evaluating the safety of NKG2D-based autologous and allogeneic CAR-T candidates, CYAD-01 and CYAD-101, respectively, will be presented. [Press release from Celyad discussing research to be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 21^st World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (WCGIC), Barcelona] Press Release

Precision BioSciences Announces Dosing of First Patient in Off-the-Shelf CAR T Cell Therapy Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial

Precision BioSciences announced it has dosed the first patient in the Phase I/IIa clinical trial of PBCAR0191, its first gene-edited allogeneic anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell product candidate. [Precision BioSciences] Press Release

Gracell Bio Announces FasT CAR-T, a Breakthrough Technology for Hematological Malignancies

Gracell Biotechnologies, Co., Ltd. announced it has developed FasT CAR-T, a revolutionary platform that shortens the manufacturing time of CAR-T treatments from two weeks to one day. [Gracell Biotechnologies, Co., Ltd. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Autolus Therapeutics Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for AUTO3 for Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Autolus Therapeutics plc announced that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to autologous enriched T-cells genetically modified with a retroviral vector to express two chimeric antigen receptors targeting CD19 and CD22 (AUTO3) for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [Autolus Therapeutics plc] Press Release

US Patent & Trademark Office Issues Patent on Anixa Biosciences CAR-T Cancer Treatment Technology

Anixa Biosciences, Inc. announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent No. 10,259,855. This is the first patent covering Anixa’s CAR-T cancer treatment technology. [Anixa Biosciences, Inc.] Press Release

$17 Million Grant Will Explore Immune Cells in Inaccessible Tissues of the Human Body

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers will receive $17.8 million in federal funding to attack a key “knowledge gap” in human immunology — how the B cells and antibody-secreting cells that reside in tissues and organs differ from those found in blood. [University of Alabama at Birmingham] Press Release

Three Researchers Ousted from MD Anderson

MD Anderson Cancer Center has ousted three researchers for violating granting agency policies, reports The Houston Chronicle. Last year, the National Institutes of Health notified the center of five grantees there who were under investigation, reports the Chronicle. The senior researchers violated confidentiality of peer review and disclosure of connections to foreign countries, specifically China, according to Science. [The Scientist] Editorial

Indian Scientists Launch Preprint Repository to Boost Research Quality

Researchers in India will soon have their own preprint repository where they can post manuscripts from any discipline. The founders of IndiaRxiv hope it will improve the quality of science in the country. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Neuro-Immune Axis: Reciprocal Regulation in Development, Health, and Disease
September 22-24, 2019
Long Beach, California, United States

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

NEW Postdoctoral Opportunities – Tumor Microenvironment/Immunology (Oregon Health & Science University)

NEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Mucosal Immunology and the Microbiome (Massachusetts General Hospital)

NEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Immunology and Bioengineering (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Research Technologist – Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Position – Immunology of Enteric Infections (University of Utah)

Postdoctoral Associate – Cancer Biology/Tumor Immunology (Weill Cornell Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Analyzing Innate Immune Regulation (Umea University)

Director of Research – Division of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics (University of Pennsylvania)

Faculty Position – Immunology (Fox Chase Cancer Center)

Research Fellow – Protective and Aberrant Immunity (Monash University)

Computational Biologist – Aging (NIH National Institute on Aging)

Chief Scientific Officer – Immunology, Infection and Tissue Injury/Repair (Weill Cornell Medical College)

Assistant/Associate or Professor – Cancer Immunotherapy/Tumor Immunology (University of California, Irvine)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Human Immunology News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.