Human Immunology News

Human Immunology News is an online publication and email newsletter for researchers studying the human immune system.

Microbe Capture by Splenic Macrophages Triggers Sepsis via T Cell-Death-Dependent Neutrophil Lifespan Shortening

August 9, 2022

[Nature Communications] The authors showed that by controlling fungi and bacteria captured by splenic macrophages, neutrophil-derived myeloperoxidase attenuated sepsis by suppressing histone release.

Lymphocyte to Monocyte Ratio and Serum Albumin Changes Predict Tacrolimus Therapy Outcomes in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

August 9, 2022

[Scientific Reports] Scientists examined the ability of serum albumin levels and leukocyte subtypes to predict the therapeutic efficacy of tacrolimus in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Early B Cell Factor 4 Modulates FAS-Mediated Apoptosis and Promotes Cytotoxic Function in Human Immune Cells

August 9, 2022

[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America] Researchers identified early B cell factor 4 (EBF4), a little-studied member of the EBF family of transcription factors, in a whole-genome CRISPR screen for regulators of Fas/APO-1/CD95-mediated T cell death.

A Multi-Omic Single Cell Sequencing Approach to Develop a CD8 T Cell Specific Gene Signature for Anti-PD1 Response in Solid Tumors

August 9, 2022

[International Journal of Cancer] Investigators showed across multiple human malignancies and syngeneic murine tumor models that neither pretreatment T cell receptor clonality nor changes in clonality after immune checkpoint blockade correlated with response.

Off-The-Shelf Third-Party HSC-Engineered iNKT Cells for Ameliorating GvHD While Preserving GvL Effect in the Treatment of Blood Cancers

August 8, 2022

[iScience] Scientists reported the successful generation of third-party hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-engineered human invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, using a method combining HSC gene engineering and in vitro HSC differentiation.

Generation of T Cell-Receptor-Negative CD8αβ-Positive CAR T Cells from T Cell-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

August 8, 2022

[Nature Biomedical Engineering] Investigators showed that the premature expression of the T cell receptor (TCR) or a constitutively expressed CAR in T cell-derived induced pluripotent stem cells promoted the acquisition of an innate phenotype, which could be averted by disabling the TCR and relying on the CAR to drive differentiation.

EZH1 Repression Generates Mature iPSC-Derived CAR T Cells with Enhanced Antitumor Activity

August 8, 2022

[Cell Stem Cell] Coupling a stroma-free T cell differentiation system with EZH1-knockdown-mediated epigenetic reprogramming, the authors generated iPSC-derived T cells, termed EZ-T cells, which displayed a highly diverse T cell receptor repertoire and mature molecular signatures similar to those of TCRαβ T cells from peripheral blood.

Preclinical Assessment of Antigen-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells for Use in Solid Organ Transplantation

August 5, 2022

[Gene Therapy] Scientists reported the preclinical characterization of Tregs transduced with a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02 CAR lentiviral vector designated to induce immunosuppression of allograft-specific effector T cells in HLA-A*02-negative recipients of HLA-A*02-positive transplants.

Pituitary Hormone α-MSH Promotes Tumor-Induced Myelopoiesis and Immunosuppression

August 5, 2022

[Science] Researchers revealed a neuroendocrine pathway which suppressed tumor immunity, and suggested MC5R as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy.

The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Multiple Sclerosis

August 5, 2022

[Nature Reviews Neurology] Scientists examine the influence that the gut microbiota have on immune function via modulation of serotonin production in the gut and through complex interactions with components of the immune system, such as T cells and B cells.

Late to the CAR-T Game, AstraZeneca Quietly Works on Its Own Off-the-Shelf Therapies

August 4, 2022

[Fierce Biotech] While AstraZeneca may be a major player in the oncology space, the company has been noticeably absent as the first wave of CAR-T therapies hit the market over the past five years. But movement is happening behind the scenes.

UF Brain Cancer Researcher Awarded St. Baldrick’s Foundation Grant

August 4, 2022

[University of Florida Health] University of Florida (UF) brain cancer researcher Dr. Lan Hoang-Minh has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for a preclinical research project seeking to advance adoptive T cell therapy for pediatric brain tumors.

Each issue of Human Immunology News provides up-to-date coverage of the latest news in immunology research performed using human cells or subjects. Our expert editors hand-pick recent research papers and review articles from relevant high-impact peer-reviewed journals on topics including immunotherapy, autoimmunity, adaptive, and innate immunity in humans. We also feature news on clinical trials, award announcements, and funding opportunities.