Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 7.10 | Mar 20 2019

TOP STORY

Infection Drives Meningeal Engraftment by Inflammatory Monocytes that Impairs CNS Immunity

Researchers showed that, following lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection, resident meningeal macrophages acquired viral antigen and interacted directly with infiltrating cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which led to macrophage depletion. [Nat Immunol] Abstract | Press Release

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Lymph Node Conduits Transport Virions for Rapid T Cell Activation

CD8⁺ T cells rapidly and preferentially associated with vaccinia virus-infected cells in the lymph node (LN) paracortex, which led to T cell activation in the LN interior. [Nat Immunol] Abstract

Immunoproteasome Activation Enables Human TRIM5α Restriction of HIV-1

Using small interfering RNA-based library screening in interferon-α-treated cells, the authors sought to characterize further interferon-stimulated genes that target the pre-integration phases of HIV-1 infection, and identified human tripartite-containing motif 5α (TRIM5α) as a potent anti-HIV-1 restriction factor. [Nat Microbiol] Abstract

Circulating (1→3)-β-D-Glucan Is Associated with Immune Activation during HIV Infection

Cross-sectional and longitudinal assessment of plasma D-glucan (DG) levels were conducted along with markers of HIV disease progression, epithelial gut damage, bacterial translocation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and DG-specific receptor expression on monocytes and NK cells. [Clin Infect Dis] Abstract

Repeated Clinical Malaria Episodes Are Associated with Modification of the Immune System in Children

Scientists sought to understand how frequent clinical malaria, which elicits a strong inflammatory response, affects the immune system and whether these modifications are observable in the absence of detectable parasitemia. [BMC Med] Full Article

HIPK2 Is Necessary for Type I Interferon-Mediated Antiviral Immunity

Researchers demonstrated that homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) was required for the production of type I interferons in response to RNA virus infection. [Sci Signal] Abstract

Kinetics of Early Innate Immune Activation during HIV-1 Infection of Humanized Mice

Investigators showed that very early in infection, HIV-1 suppresses peripheral type I interferon and interferon-stimulated gene responses, including the HIV-1 restriction factor IFI44. At the peak of innate immune activation, prior to CD4 T cell loss, HIV-1 infection differentially affects peripheral and lymphoid TLR expression profiles in T cells and macrophages. [J Virol] Abstract | Full Article

NK Cell-Mediated Processing of Chlamydia psittaci Drives Potent Anti-Bacterial Th1 Immunity

Scientists demonstrated that chlamydia-infected natural killer (NK) cells prevent the intracellular establishment and growth of the bacteria. Upon infection, they display functional maturation characterized by enhanced IFN-γ secretion, CD146 induction, PKCϴ activation, and granule secretion. [Sci Rep] Full Article

A Systems Vaccinology Approach Reveals the Mechanisms of Immunogenic Responses to Hantavax Vaccination in Humans

The authors conducted a cohort study in which 20 healthy subjects were administered four doses of Hantavax during a 13-month period. Pre- and post- vaccinated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and sera were analysed by transcriptomic and metabolomic profilings, respectively. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Cell Wall Skeleton of Mycobacterium bovis BCG Enhances the Vaccine Potential of Antigen 85B against Tuberculosis by Inducing Th1 and Th17 Responses

Significant Ag85B-specific Th1 and Th17 responses were induced in Ag85B-bacillus Calmette- Guérin (BCG) cell-wall skeleton-immunized mice before infection with M. tuberculosis and maintained after infection. [PLoS One] Full Article

Down‐Selecting Circumsporozoite Protein‐Based Malaria Vaccine: A Comparison of Malaria Sporozoite Challenge Model

Scientists down‐selected Escherichia coli‐produced full‐length PfCSP (PfCSP‐F), and its three truncated PfCSPs based on their abilities to elicit immune response and protection in mice against two challenge models. They showed that immunization with three‐dose of PfCSP‐F elicited high anti‐PfCSP antibody titers and 100% protection against the bites of infected mosquitoes. [Parasite Immunol] Abstract

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Factors that Influence the Immune Response to Vaccination

The authors provide an overview of the plethora of studies that have investigated factors that influence humoral and cellular vaccine responses in humans. These include intrinsic host factors, perinatal factors, and extrinsic factors. [Clin Microbiol Rev] Abstract

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AbCellera Signs Agreement with Global Health Foundation to Fight Infectious Disease

AbCellera announced a two-year agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help accelerate global health research. The funding, totaling $4.8 M, will support a series of scientific collaborations between AbCellera and Gates Foundation-funded scientists working on the prevention and treatment of high-priority infectious diseases. [AbCellera Biologics Inc.] Press Release

China National Biotec Group (CNBG) and ImmunoBiology Ltd Enter Licensing Agreement to Co-Develop Next Generation Vaccine against Pneumococcal Disease in Greater China

ImmunoBiology Ltd has recently signed a licensing agreement with LIBP (Lanzhou Institute of Biological Product) a subsidiary company under CNBG. This partnership will enable ImmBio and LIBP to co-develop ImmBio’s proprietary PnuBioVax vaccine against pneumococcal disease and launch the pneumococcal vaccine in the Greater China area upon completion of successful clinical studies. [ImmunoBiology Ltd (Business Wire, Inc.)] Press Release

Emergent BioSolutions Initiates Phase III Clinical Study to Evaluate AV7909 for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis of Anthrax

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced the initiation of a Phase III trial to evaluate the lot consistency, immunogenicity, and safety of AV7909 following a two-dose schedule administered intramuscularly in healthy adults. [Emergent BioSolutions Inc.] Press Release

Enanta Pharmaceuticals Completes Enrollment in Two Ongoing Phase II Studies

Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has completed enrollment in two Phase II studies. [Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

Altimmune Announces Positive Results from NasoVAX Extension Study

Altimmune, Inc. announced additional positive data from a Phase II extension study of its NasoVAX intranasal influenza vaccine candidate. [Altimmune, Inc.] Press Release

Vaxart Announces Initiation of Bivalent Norovirus Vaccine Phase Ib Clinical Trial

Vaxart, Inc. announced the initiation of a Phase Ib bivalent norovirus vaccine clinical trial. [Vaxart, Inc.] Press Release

EU’s Biggest Research Program Yet Takes Shape

The European Union’s three governing institutions — the Parliament, Council and Commission — reached agreement in the small hours of 20 March on the outline of the EU’s next seven-year research-funding program. [Nature News] Editorial

Canada Budget Overlooks Basic Research

What a difference a year makes. Canada’s 2019 budget, released on 19 March, includes modest increases for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government priorities, including neuroscience and genomics research ― nothing like the historic five-year, Can$4-billion boost for basic science and research unveiled in 2018. [Nature News] Editorial

U.S. Researchers Hope Congress Will Dig NSF Out of a $1 Billion Budget Hole

For the second time in three years, President Donald Trump has recommended deep cuts to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Alexandria, Virginia. And scientists are hoping Congress will again come to the agency’s rescue. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Australian Society for Parasitology (ASP) Annual Conference
July 8-11, 2019
Adelaide, Australia

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

NEW Research Associate – Role of PI3Kδ in Immunity and Infection (University of Cambridge)

NEW Associate Professor – Infection Biology (The Arctic University of Norway)

NEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Infection and Immunity (University of Southern California)

Research Technologist – Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology, Infection and Tissue Injury (Hospital for Special Surgery/Weill Cornell Medicine)

Postdoctoral Researcher – HIV Related to Antiretroviral Therapy and Cure (Karolinska Institutet)

Staff Scientist – Infection Biology and Immunity (Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens)

Professor Position – Infection, Inflammation or Cancer Epigenetics (Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd.)

Research Chairs – Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (University of Ottawa)

Postdoctoral Position – Bacterium-Host Interaction (Universitätsklinikum Münster)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Virology/Cell Biology (Feinberg School of Medicine)

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