Human Immunology News Volume 3.25 | Jun 30 2015

Epigenetic Therapy Overcomes Treatment Resistance in T Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia
Investigators report seven complete and one partial remission in eight patients receiving alemtuzumab and cladribine with or without a histone deacetylase inhibitor. These data showed that administration of epigenetic agents can overcome alemtuzumab resistance. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract | Press Release

Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Common Variable Immunodeficiency Reveal Impaired DNA Demethylation during Naïve-to-Memory B-Cell Transition
The authors performed a high-throughput DNA methylation analysis of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) using a pair of CVID-discordant MZ twins and showed predominant gain of DNA methylation in CVID B cells with respect to those from the healthy sibling in critical B lymphocyte genes, such as PIK3CD, BCL2L1, RPS6KB2, TCF3 and KCNN4. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Metabolic Plasticity of Human T Cells: Preserved Cytokine Production under Glucose Deprivation or Mitochondrial Restriction, but 2-Deoxy-Glucose Affects Effector Functions
Investigators analyzed glycolytic and mitochondrial activity in correlation to function in activated human CD4 and CD8 T cells. Glycolysis was barely detectable upon stimulation but accelerated beyond 24 hours, whereas mitochondrial activity was elevated immediately in both T-cell populations. [Eur J Immunol] Abstract

The BMP Pathway Participates in Human Naive CD4⁺ T Cell Activation and Homeostasis
Scientists demonstrated that canonical bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is necessary during two critical events that regulate the size and function of human naive CD4⁺ T cell population: activation and homeostasis. [PLoS One] Full Article

Development of Depressive Symptoms Post Hip Fracture Is Associated with Altered Immunosuppressive Phenotype in Regulatory T and B Lymphocytes
Researchers assessed the frequency of regulatory T cells and IL10 production by CD4 T cells, and the frequency and IL10 production by regulatory B cells in 101 hip fracture patients six weeks after injury and 43 healthy age-matched controls. [Biogerontology] Full Article

Regulatory T Lymphocytes and Transforming Growth Factor Beta in Epithelial Ovarian Tumors-Prognostic Significance
Scientists aimed to answer the question whether the percentage of regulatory T lymphocytes affects the time of survival in patients with ovarian cancer. [J Ovarian Res] Abstract | Full Article

B Cell-Derived Circulating Granzyme B Is a Feature of Acute Infectious Mononucleosis
Researchers showed that patients with recently diagnosed infectious mononucleosis caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have high circulating levels of granzyme B (GzmB) that may be derived from infected B cells early in course of disease. They found that infecting B cells with EBV greatly amplified GzmB secretion in response to the same stimuli, but the expression was terminated once the infection had become latent. [Clin Transl Immunol] Full Article

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TapImmune Reports Robust Immune Responses Generated in 19 of 20 Evaluable HER2/neu Breast Cancer Patients
TapImmune Inc. reported the completion of data analysis from patients treated in a Phase I clinical trial. In this Phase I trial, women diagnosed with HER2⁺ breast cancer that had completed standard treatment at least 90 days prior to enrollment were declared disease free and were treated with a multi-peptide HER2/neu vaccine. [TapImmune Inc.] Press Release

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Celgene and Juno Announce Ten-Year Collaboration to Advance Potentially Groundbreaking Immunotherapies for Patients with Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases
Celgene Corporation and Juno Therapeutics, Inc. announced a global collaboration for the development and commercialization of immunotherapies. The two companies will leverage T cell therapeutic strategies to develop treatments for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases with an initial focus on chimeric antigen receptor technology and T cell receptor technologies. [Juno Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

Amarna Therapeutics Teaming Up with Austrian CBmed in the Development of Immunotherapies
Amarna Therapeutics announced that it has entered into a cooperation with Austrian Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), for the development of immunotherapies against acute lymphoblastic leukemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus type 2 and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. [Amarna Therapeutics] Press Release

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Establishes Agreement with Pure MHC for Novel Quality Control Assay for ICT-107 Phase III Registrational Trial
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. announced an agreement with Pure MHC for development of a novel assay for quality control that will be an important component of ImmunoCellular’s ICT-107 Phase III registrational clinical program in newly diagnosed glioblastoma, anticipated to begin in the second half of 2015. [ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd.] Press Release

Aduro Biotech Announces Immunotherapy Regimen Successfully Passes Futility Analysis in Phase IIb ECLIPSE Trial in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
Aduro Biotech, Inc. announced that an independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended that the Phase IIb ECLIPSE trial of its novel LADD and GVAX immunotherapies continue as planned without modification based on the successful outcome of a pre-specified futility analysis. [Aduro Biotech, Inc.] Press Release

CBMG Completes Acquisition of CD40LGVAX Vaccine
Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc. (CBMG) announced it has completed the acquisition of Blackbird Bio Finance and University of South Florida’s next generation GVAX vaccine’s related technologies and technical knowledge. [Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc.] Press Release

STEMCELL Technologies Launches Innovative Products to Support CAR T Cell Research
STEMCELL Technologies Inc. announced the launch of ImmunoCult™ Human T Cell Activator reagents and ImmunoCult™-XF T Cell Expansion Medium to support T cell researchers in their goal to develop CAR T cell immunotherapeutics. The products provide significant benefits compared to existing technologies. [STEMCELL Technologies Inc.] Press Release

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Scientist – Immunology and Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Associate – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientific Marketing Specialist – Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Scientist (Shenzhen Children’s Hospital)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Antibody Engineering/Immuno-Oncology (California Institute for Biomedical Research)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immune Reconstitution in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immune Tolerance (Stanford University)

Research Scientist – Immunology (Gilead Sciences)

PhD Position – Microbial Immunology (Hans Knöll Institute)

Process Facilitator (Opexa Therapeutics)

Scientist – Immunology Discovery (Genentech, Inc.)

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