Immunology of Infectious Disease News

Immunology of Infectious Disease News is an online resource dedicated to covering the latest research and developments in the field of infectious diseases.

Posttranslational Modifications Optimize the Ability of SARS-CoV-2 Spike for Effective Interaction with Host Cell Receptors

June 27, 2022

[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America] Combining homology modeling, protein-protein docking, and molecular dynamics simulations, investigators developed a full spike structure in a native membrane.

Bronchial Epithelia from Adults and Children: SARS-CoV-2 Spread via Syncytia Formation and Type III Interferon Infectivity Restriction

June 27, 2022

[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America] The authors used reconstituted primary bronchial epithelia from adult and child donors to follow the SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics.

Convergent Evolution of Antiviral Machinery Derived from Endogenous Retrovirus Truncated Envelope Genes in Multiple Species

June 27, 2022

[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America] Scientists identified the copper transporter CTR1 as the entry receptor for feline leukemia virus subgroup D and genotype I endogenous retrovirus in domestic cats.

Pfizer and BioNTech Announce Omicron-Adapted COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates Demonstrate High Immune Response Against Omicron

June 27, 2022

[Pfizer, Inc.] Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech SE announced positive data evaluating the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of two Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine candidates: one monovalent and the other bivalent, a combination of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and a vaccine candidate targeting the spike protein of the Omicron BA.1 variant of concern.

WHO Declines to Label Monkeypox a Global Emergency

June 27, 2022

[Science Insider] After two days of deliberation, an advisory panel convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded the monkeypox outbreak that has spread to more than 50 countries does not yet warrant the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, its highest alert level.

Engagement of TRAIL Triggers Degranulation and IFNγ Production in Human Natural Killer Cells

June 27, 2022

[EMBO Reports] By combining an unbiased large-scale screening approach with a functional assay, investigators identified TRAIL to be associated with NK cell degranulation against HIV-1-infected target cells.

An Epitope-Optimized Human H3N2 Influenza Vaccine Induces Broadly Protective Immunity in Mice and Ferrets

June 24, 2022

[NPJ Vaccines] The authors utilized a computational design strategy to produce epitope-optimized, broadly cross-reactive H3 hemagglutinins in order to create a universal H3N2 influenza vaccine.

Elicitation of Pneumovirus-Specific B Cell Responses by a Prefusion-Stabilized Respiratory Syncytial Virus F Subunit Vaccine

June 24, 2022

[Science Translational Medicine] Investigators used fluorescently labeled probes and flow cytometry to evaluate the antigen specificity and phenotype of respiratory syncytial virus F–specific B cells longitudinally after DS-Cav1 immunization.

A Glycine-Rich PE_PGRS Protein Governs Mycobacterial Actin-Based Motility

June 24, 2022

[Nature Communications] Scientists reported the identification and characterization of the M. marinum actin-based motility factor designated mycobacterial intracellular rockets A, which is a member of the glycine-rich PE_PGRS protein family.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Induces Pathogenic Mitochondrial ROS in Tuberculosis through Reverse Electron Transport

June 24, 2022

[Science] Mycobacteria played a critical role in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced necrosis at two distinct steps. They were required together with TNF to increase glutaminolysis and then again with the resultant mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) to induce necrosis.

Pathogenicity, Transmissibility, and Fitness of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in Syrian Hamsters

June 24, 2022

[Science] Researchers compared virological attributes of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern with those of the Delta variant in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19.

Complex Regulatory Networks of Virulence Factors in Vibrio vulnificus

June 24, 2022

[Trends in Microbiology] The authors summarize and discuss the recent discoveries of the physiological roles of virulence factors in V. vulnificus and their regulation by transcription factors in response to various environmental signals.

Immunology of Infectious Disease News was founded to keep the scientific community current with the latest developments in infectious disease research. We feature high-impact publications, news, jobs, and events focused on immune responses to and the development of treatments for infectious diseases such as COVID-19, HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, influenza, and malaria.