Human Immunology News Volume 3.30 | Aug 4 2015

Foxp3⁺ Regulatory T Cells Are Expanded in Severe Atopic Dermatitis Patients
Scientists measured circulating regulatory T cell (Treg) frequencies of adult patients and detected a positive correlation with disease severity. Subsequent surface marker analysis revealed higher frequencies of CD45RA⁺CCR7^– tissue-homing Tregs in the patient group with a tendency of reduced expression of CD39 compared to healthy donors, a marker for the highly suppressive T_REM subtype. [Allergy] Abstract

Transcriptional Profiling of Macrophages Derived from Monocytes and iPS Cells Identifies a Conserved Response to LPS and Novel Alternative Transcription
Investigators compared the transcriptomes of naïve and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated monocyte-derived macrophages and macrophages differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) using RNA-Seq. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Exclusive Transduction of Human CD4⁺ T Cells upon Systemic Delivery of CD4-Targeted Lentiviral Vectors
Researchers describe novel lentiviral vectors (CD4-LV) that have been rendered selective for human or simian CD4⁺ cells by surface engineering. When applied to PBMCs, CD4-LV transduced CD4⁺ but not CD4⁻ cells. [J Immunol] Abstract

Regulatory B Cells in CVID Patients Fail to Suppress Multifunctional IFN-γ⁺TNF-α⁺CD4⁺ T Cells Differentiation
The authors demonstrate a relationship in the production of pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines and regulatory B cells producing IL-10 between common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) patients and healthy controls. [Clin Immunol] Abstract

The Crohn’s Disease-Associated Polymorphism in ATG16L1 (rs2241880) Reduces SHIP Gene Expression and Activity in Human Subjects
Scientists analyzed SH2 domain-containing inositolpolyphosphate 5′-phosphatase (SHIP) mRNA expression and activity in biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from control and treatment-naive subjects with ileal Crohn’s disease (CD), and demonstrated that SHIP mRNA and activity were lower in hematopoietic cells in ileal biopsies and PBMCs from subjects with CD. [Genes Immun] Abstract

Differential Influence of Maternal and Fetal Pregnancy Factors on the In Vitro Induction of Human Regulatory T Cells: A Preliminary Study
Given the important role of regulatory T cells (Treg) for successful pregnancy, the ability of soluble maternal and fetal pregnancy factors to induce human Treg was investigated. [Swiss Med Wkly] Full Article

Individuality and Variation of Personal Regulomes in Primary Human T Cells
Investigators applied Assay of Transposase Accessible Chromatin with sequencing to map chromatin accessibility in primary CD4⁺ T cells isolated from standard blood draws from 12 healthy volunteers over time, from cancer patients, and during T-cell activation. Over 4,000 predicted regulatory elements showed reproducible variation in accessibility between individuals. [Cell Syst]
Full Article | Graphical Abstract | Press Release

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Formula Pharmaceuticals and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine Enter into an Exclusive Licensing Agreement and Strategic Collaboration to Develop C.I.K. CAR™ Immunotherapies
Formula Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) announced the establishment of an exclusive licensing agreement and strategic collaboration for the development of Cytokine Induced Killer (C.I.K.) cell-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapies, using MDC’s proprietary SB100X transposase, a component of the non-viral, Sleeping Beauty transposon-based gene transfer system. [Formula Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

VF Funds New Study: Immune Regulation by IL-6 in Giant Cell Arteritis
The Vasculitis Foundation (VF) is funding a new, one-year study led by principal investigator, Jonathan Choy, Ph.D., from Simon Fraser University. The $50,000 study, “Immune regulation by IL-6 in giant cell arteritis”, will focus on the way in which cytokine IL-6 activates T cell responses in giant cell arteritis [Vasculitis Foundation (Newswise, Inc.)] Press Release

Immunomedics Announces Orphan Drug Designation for Veltuzumab for the Treatment of Immune Thrombocytopenia
Immunomedics, Inc. announced that the Office of Orphan Products Development of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan status for the use of veltuzumab, the company’s humanized anti-CD20 antibody, for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenia. [Immunomedics, Inc. (GlobeNewswire, Inc.)] Press Release

Sorrento In-Licenses Four Late-Stage Clinical Biobetter and Biosimilar Antibodies
Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement to develop and commercialize multiple prespecified and undisclosed biosimilar or biobetter antibodies from Mabtech Limited, a holding company for premier antibody development and manufacturing companies in China. [Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

Arena Pharmaceuticals Initiates a Phase II Clinical Trial of APD334, its S1P1 Receptor Modulator for Autoimmune Diseases
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the initiation of patient screening in a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial of APD334 in ulcerative colitis. Discovered by Arena, APD334 is an oral, investigational, Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Subtype 1 (S1P1) receptor modulator with therapeutic potential in ulcerative colitis as well as other autoimmune diseases. [Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

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