Human Immunology News Volume 3.12 | Mar 31 2015

CD14-Expressing Cancer Cells Establish the Inflammatory and Proliferative Tumor Microenvironment in Bladder Cancer
Using bladder cancer as a model, scientists found that CD14-high cancer cells expressed higher levels of numerous inflammation mediators and form larger tumors compared with CD14-low cells. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Full Article

Characterization of Macrophage – Cancer Cell Crosstalk in Estrogen Receptor Positive and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Researchers performed whole transcriptome sequencing of human monocytes that were co-cultured with estrogen receptor positive or triple-negative breast cancer cell lines and studied the biological responses related to the differential gene activation in both monocytes and cancer cells by pathway analysis. [Sci Rep] Full Article

FoxP3⁺ and IL-17⁺ Cells Are Correlated with Improved Prognosis in Cervical Adenocarcinoma
To study whether the infiltration of T cell subpopulations was correlated with cervical adenocarcinoma patient survival, similar to squamous cell carcinoma, the tumor-infiltrating T cells, Tregs, Th17 cells and IL-17⁺ cell frequencies were analyzed in a cohort of cervical adenocarcinoma patients. [Cancer Immunol Immunother] Full Article

High Peripheral Blood Th17 Percent Associated with Poor Lung Function in Cystic Fibrosis
Scientists hypothesized that cystic fibrosis (CF)-related T cell regulatory defects could be detected by analyzing CD4⁺ lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood. They observed higher proportions of FOXP3⁺, IL-10⁺ and TGF-β⁺ CD4⁺ cells in CF adults, but not children/adolescents, compared with controls. [PLoS One] Full Article

Human Malignant Melanoma-Derived Progestagen-Associated Endometrial Protein Immunosuppresses T Lymphocytes In Vitro
Researchers investigated the role of melanoma cell-secreted progestagen-associated endometrial protein (PAEP) in regulating T cell function. Upon the enrichment of CD3⁺, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, each subset was then mixed with either melanoma-derived PAEP protein or PAEP-poor supernatant of gene-silenced tumor cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

A Change in Inflammatory Footprint Precedes Plaque Instability: A Systematic Evaluation of Cellular Aspects of the Adaptive Immune Response in Human Atherosclerosis
Scientists systematically evaluated cellular components of the adaptive immune response in a biobank of human aortas covering the full spectrum of atherosclerotic disease. [J Am Heart Assoc] Full Article

Adoptive T-Cell Immunotherapy for Ganciclovir-Resistant CMV Disease after Lung Transplantation
Investigators demonstrated successful expansion and adoptive transfer of autologous cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T cells from a seronegative recipient of a seropositive lung allograft with ganciclovir-resistant CMV disease, resulting in the long-term reconstitution of protective anti-viral immunity, CMV infection, disease-free survival and no allograft rejection. [Clin Transl Immunology] Full Article

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Adoptive Cellular Therapy: A Race to the Finish Line
Using the principles of synthetic biology, advances in cell culture and genetic engineering have made it possible to generate human T cells that display desired specificities and enhanced functionalities compared with the natural immune system. The authors discuss some of the challenges and opportunities that face the field of adoptive cellular therapy. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract

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BioInvent and CRT Expand Collaboration with University of Southampton Scientists to Develop New Immunotherapy Treatments for Cancer
BioInvent International and Cancer Research Technology Ltd. (CRT), the commercialization and development arm of Cancer Research UK, announced the start of a two-year research collaboration with leading antibody researchers at the University of Southampton. [BioInvent International] Press Release

UofL Researchers to Examine Asthma Triggers in Older Adults
Understanding the personal and environmental influences of asthma in older adults is the focus of a $2.3 million National Institute on Aging grant awarded to Barbara Polivka, Ph.D., and her interdisciplinary team. [University of Louisville] Press Release

Medigene Starts Phase I/II Study with DC Vaccine to Treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Medigene AG announced that the company’s Phase I/II clinical trial with its dendritic cell (DC) vaccine for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia has started. Oslo University Hospital, the main trial center, has begun to identify potentially eligible patients for enrollment. [Medigene AG] Press Release

Merck’s Pivotal KEYNOTE-006 Study in First-Line Treatment for Advanced Melanoma Met Co-Primary Endpoints and Will Be Stopped Early
Merck announced that the randomized, pivotal Phase III study (KEYNOTE-006) investigating KEYTRUDA^® (pembrolizumab) compared to ipilimumab in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced melanoma has met its two primary endpoints of progression-free survival and overall survival. [Merck and Co. Inc.] Press Release

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NEW Postdoctoral Position – Immunology (Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute)

NEW Postdoctoral Position – Immunology (New York University School of Medicine)

Research Officer – Immunology (Glenmark Pharmaceuticals S.A.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (University of Leeds)

Manufacturing Manager – Cell Therapy (Opexa Therapeutics)

Senior Research Officer – Immunology (Glenmark Pharmaceuticals S.A.)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Human Immunology (University of Pennsylvania)

Postdoctoral Position – Immunology (The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

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