Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 2.26 | Jul 9 2014

Prophylaxis with a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Anti-G Protein Monoclonal Antibody Shifts the Adaptive Immune Response to RSV rA2-Line19F Infection from Th2 to Th1 in BALB/c Mice
Scientists investigated the effect of prophylactic treatment with the intact and F(ab’)2 forms of an anti-G protein monoclonal antibody, 131-2G, on the humoral and cellular adaptive immune response to RSV rA2-line19F challenge in BALB/c mice. [J Virol] Abstract

Chlamydia muridarum Infection Associated Host MicroRNAs in the Murine Genital Tract and Contribution to Generation of Host Immune Response
Researchers analyzed miRs in the genital tract following C. muridarum (murine strain of Chlamydia trachomatis) challenge of wild type and CD4⁺ T-cell deficient C57BL/6 mice at days 6 and 12 post-challenge. [Am J Reprod Immunol] Abstract

Increased T-Cell Responses to EBV with High Viral Load in Patients with EBV-Positive Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Immunological status of patients with EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (EBV⁺DLBCL) without obvious immunodeficiency has not been elucidated. A multi-center prospective study was conducted to assess pretreatment T-cell responses to EBV, EBV-DNA load, and anti-EBV antibody in these patients. [Leuk Lymphoma] Abstract

A Macrophage-Stimulating Compound from a Screen of Microbial Natural Products
Streptazolin increased bacterial killing and elaboration of immunostimulatory cytokines by macrophages in vitro. Researchers showed that streptazolin stimulates the macrophage nuclear factor κB pathway via phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase signaling, and that the conjugated diene moiety is essential for stimulatory activity. [J Antibiot] Abstract

HIV

Early Initiation of Combined Antiretroviral Therapy Preserves Immune Function in the Gut of HIV-Infected Patients
To better understand determinants of gut mucosal restoration, scientists performed phenotypic and gene expression analyses of the gut from HIV-infected patients, naive or treated with combined antiretroviral therapy initiated either at the early phase of the primary infection or later during the chronic phase. [Mucosal Immunol] Abstract

A CD4⁺ T Cell Antagonist Epitope Down-Regulates Activating Signaling Proteins, Up-Regulates Inhibitory Signaling Proteins and Abrogates HIV-Specific T Cell Function
In HIV infection it has been shown that peptide sequence variation can reduce CD4⁺ T cell responses to the virus, and small changes to peptide sequences can transform agonist peptides into antagonist peptides. The authors describe, at a molecular level, the consequences of antagonism of HIV p24-specific CD4⁺ T cells. [Retrovirology] Abstract | Full Article

Homeostatic Cytokines Induce CD4 Downregulation in African Green Monkeys Independent of Antigen Exposure to Generate SIV-resistant CD8αα T Cells
Scientists showed that juvenile African green monkeys (AGMs) accelerate CD4 to CD8αα conversion upon SIV infection and avoid progression to AIDS. The CD4 downregulation induced by SIV infection is not limited to SIV-specific T cells, and vaccination of an adult AGM who had a negligible number of CD4 T cells demonstrated that CD4 downregulation can occur without antigenic exposure. [J Virol] Abstract

T Cells and Intestinal Commensal Bacteria – Ignorance, Rejection, and Acceptance
For T cells, the response to commensal bacteria does not appear uniform, as certain commensal bacterial species appear to trigger effector T cells to reject and control them, whereas other species elicit Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells to accept and be tolerant of them. The authors review current knowledge of T cell differentiation in response to commensal bacteria, and how this process leads to immune homeostasis in the intestine. [FEBS Lett] Full Article

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the infectious disease research field.

CureVac Signs an Exclusive License Agreement with Sanofi Pasteur to Develop and Commercialize an mRNA-based Prophylactic Vaccine
CureVac announced the execution of an exclusive license agreement with Sanofi Pasteur S.A. to develop and commercialize an mRNA-Based vaccine against an undisclosed pathogen. [CureVac GmbH] Press Release

From our sponsor: Free human hematopoietic progenitors wallchart. Request your copy.

Food and Drug Administration (United States)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

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

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Human Immunology (University of Pennsylvania)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Sequencing Approaches with Nonhuman Primate Models of AIDS (Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc.)

Principal Investigator Positions – Systems & Synthetic Biology (Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Immune Focused In Vitro Analytics (Celentyx Ltd.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Retroviral Evolution (Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Associate – Innate Immunology/Pattern Recognition Receptor Responses and Virus-Host Interactions (Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Plasmodium/Anopheles Interactions (Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado)

Postdoctoral Associate – Bacterial Pathogenesis, Bioengineering and Cellular Biomechanics (Arizona State University, Biodesign Institute)

PhD Studentship – Microbiology & Immunology (INRS – University of Quebec)

Postdoctoral Position – Intestinal Mucosal Immunology and Inflammation (Universität Bern)

Scientist – Recombinant Molecules and Antibodies (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Media Development, High Throughput Screening (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Cell Culture Support Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Immunology/Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Associate – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach more than 50,000 potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.