Immune Regulation News Volume 11.42 | Nov 8 2019

TOP STORY

Immunity to Commensal Papillomaviruses Protects against Skin Cancer

Scientists showed that T cell immunity against commensal papillomaviruses suppressed skin cancer in immunocompetent hosts, and the loss of this immunity—rather than the oncogenic effect of human papillomaviruses—caused markedly increased risk of skin cancer in immunosuppressed patients. [Nature] Abstract

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Clonally Expanded T Cells Reveal Immunogenicity of Rhabdoid Tumors

Comprehensive evaluation of the immune infiltrates of human and mice rhabdoid tumors, including immunohistochemistry, bulk RNA sequencing and DNA methylation profiling studies showed a high rate of tumors infiltrated by T and myeloid cells. [Cancer Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

4-Octyl Itaconate Inhibits Aerobic Glycolysis by Targeting GAPDH to Exert Anti-Inflammatory Effects

4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) downregulated aerobic glycolysis in activated macrophages, which was required for its anti-inflammatory effects. The anti-inflammatory effects of 4-OI were replicated by heptelidic acid, 2-DG and reversed by increasing wild-type GAPDH expression. [Nat Commun] Full Article

ATM Activity in T Cells Is Critical for Immune Surveillance of Lymphoma In Vivo

The authors showed that Atm reactivation in initially Atm-deficient B- and T cell lymphomas induced tumor regression. They found a reduced T cell abundance in B cell lymphomas from Atm-defective mice and ataxia-telangiectasia patients. [Leukemia] Abstract

Neutrophils Promote VLA-4-Dependent B Cell Antigen Presentation and Accumulation within the Meninges during Neuroinflammation

Using a new experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis system that incorporated temporal regulation of MHCII expression by myelin-specific B cells, investigators observed the rapid formation of large B cell clusters in the spinal cord subarachnoid space. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article

Sterile Activation of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells by ER-Stressed Antigen-Presenting Cells

Scientists report that endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stressed myeloid cells, via signaling events modulated by the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase pathway, increased CD1d-mediated presentation of immunogenic endogenous lipid species, which resulted in enhanced invariant NKT cell activation both in vitro and in vivo. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article

The Splicing Factor hnRNP M Is a Critical Regulator of Innate Immune Gene Expression in Macrophages

Researchers demonstrated that the splicing factor hnRNP M is a critical repressor of innate immune gene expression and that its function is regulated by pathogen sensing cascades. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

LILRB4 ITIMs Mediate the T Cell Suppression and Infiltration of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

Investigators analyzed how the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIMs) of leukocyte Ig-like receptor 4 (LILRB4) in acute myeloid leukemia cells mediated its function. In vitro and in vivo data showed that Y412 and Y442, but not Y360, of LILRB4 were required for T-cell inhibition, and all three ITIMs were needed for leukemia cell infiltration. [Cell Mol Immunol] Abstract

Docosahexaenoyl Ethanolamide Mitigates IgE-Mediated Allergic Reactions by Inhibiting Mast Cell Degranulation and Regulating Allergy-Related Immune Cells

Researchers found that docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide (DHEA), a metabolite of docosahexaenoic acid produced in the human body, exerted anti-allergic activity in vitro and in vivo. DHEA suppressed degranulation of rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells and bone marrow-derived mast cells in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Calcipotriol and Betamethasone Dipropionate Synergistically Enhances the Balance between Regulatory and Proinflammatory T Cells in a Murine Psoriasis Model

The authors investigated whether the combination of calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate in a topical medication had a synergistic effect on psoriasis-like dermatitis and explored the underlying immunological mechanisms in a murine psoriasis model induced by application of imiquimod. [Sci Rep] Full Article

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The Cytokine Network Involved in the Host Immune Response to Periodontitis

In this review, scientists begin with an up-to-date etiological hypothesis of periodontal disease and summarize the roles of cytokines in the host immune response. [Int J Oral Sci] Full Article

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

Affimed Announces FDA Clearance of IND to Commence First-in-Human Phase I/IIa Study of AFM24 for the Treatment of EGFR-Expressing Cancers

Affimed N.V. announced that its Investigational New Drug application (IND) has cleared the required 30-day review by the FDA and is in effect for a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of AFM24, a tetravalent, bispecific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)- and CD16A-binding innate cell engager, in patients with advanced cancers known to express EGFR. [Affimed N.V.] Press Release

Cofactor Genomics Opens Early Access to New T Cell Exhaustion Models through Predictive Immune Modeling Platform

Cofactor Genomics announced they will provide early access to a new feature in their Predictive Immune Modeling platform which enables cell-state characterization within FFPE tissue samples. [Cofactor Genomics] Press Release

Harbour BioMed Announces Initiation of First-in-Human Study of Next Generation Anti-CTLA-4 Antibody for Treatment of Solid Tumors

Harbour BioMed announced the start of the first clinical trial of its next-generation fully human anti-CTLA-4 antibody for the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors. This trial is the first with a fully human antibody based on heavy chain only antibody technology. [Harbour BioMed] Press Release

Cartesian Initiates CAR-T Clinical Trial in Myasthenia Gravis

Cartesian Therapeutics announced that it has initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial of its lead CAR-T candidate, Descartes-08, in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis. [Cartesian Therapeutics] Press Release

Report Sketches Vision for UK Research after Brexit

An eagerly awaited external report, commissioned by the government, lays out research priorities and options if those relationships with Europe are severed. It calls for increased spending on R&D nationwide, a new research fellowship program, and larger chunks of money for universities to quickly target research opportunities. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Science Chief at NIH Drug Abuse Institute Resigned After Sexual Misconduct Probe

In August, Antonello Bonci, scientific director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, resigned, and the agency’s director told employees in an email that Bonci would be running an addiction institute in Florida. Science has learned that Bonci’s departure followed an investigation spurred by an internal complaint, which alleged that he sexually targeted a trainee and later directed resources to another trainee with whom he was in an intimate relationship. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

South Korea Clamps Down on Academics Attending ‘Weak’ Conferences

South Korea’s education ministry wants to stop academics from participating in conferences that it considers “weak” and of little academic value. The ministry announced on 17 October that it will require all universities to adopt measures to vet academics’ travel to overseas conferences so as to “prevent researchers from engaging in poor academic activities”. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW European Congress of Rheumatology 2020
June 3-6, 2020
Frankfurt, Germany

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NEW Research Associate – Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

NEW Doctoral Student Position – Human Immune Development (Karolinska Institutet)

Scientist – Human Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Position – Pro-Inflammatory B Cells (Institut Necker Enfants Malades)

Postdoctoral Researcher – CAR T-Cell Immunology (Washington University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Neuro-Immune Control of Metabolism (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Translational Immuno-Oncology (Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology and Vaccines (University of Maryland)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Innate Immune Signaling Pathways and Mechanisms (University of Utah)

Chief – Laboratory of Allergic Diseases (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Immunology (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

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