Human Immunology News Volume 3.38 | Sep 29 2015

Glycolysis Controls the Induction of Human Regulatory T Cells by Modulating the Expression of FOXP3 Exon 2 Splicing Variants
Researchers found that the induction and suppressive function of induced human regulatory T cells tightly depended on glycolysis, which controlled Foxp3 splicing variants containing exon 2 through the glycolytic enzyme enolase-1. [Nat Immunol] Abstract

Tumor PD-L1 Expression, Immune Cell Correlates and PD-1⁺ Lymphocytes in Sentinel Lymph Node Melanoma Metastases
Scientists aimed to characterize, in sentinel lymph nodes, the subpopulations of lymphocytes that interact with metastatic melanoma cells and analyze their associations with outcome, and to determine tumor PD-L1 expression as this may provide a rational scientific basis for the administration of adjuvant anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in sentinel lymph node positive metastatic melanoma patients. [Mod Pathol] Abstract

Discarded Human Thymus Is a Novel Source of Stable and Long-Lived Therapeutic Regulatory T Cells
Researchers investigated the potential of discarded human thymuses, routinely removed during pediatric cardiac surgery, to be used as a novel source of therapeutic regulatory T cells. [Am J Transplant] Abstract

Expression of IL-37 Contributes to the Immunosuppressive Property of Human CD4⁺CD25⁺ Regulatory T Cells
Cell surface molecules and secretory cytokines were analyzed in order to determine the function of interleukin-37 (IL-37) in regulating inhibitory effect of human CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Inhibition of IL-1β-mediated IRAK4 Phosphorylation by Zinc Leads to Repression of Memory Th17 Response in Humans
Scientists examined antibody responses against JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) major capsid protein viral protein 1 variants in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy donors, JCPyV-positive multiple sclerosis patients treated with the anti-VLA-4 monoclonal antibody natalizumab (NAT), and patients with NAT-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. [Immunology] Abstract

Long Noncoding RNA Expression during Human B-Cell Development
Researchers analyzed long noncoding RNA expression during human B-cell development by array-based expression profiling of eleven distinct flow-sorted B-cell subsets, comprising pre-B1, pre-B2, immature, naive, memory, and plasma cells from bone marrow biopsies, and naive, centroblast, centrocyte, memory, and plasmablast cells from tonsil tissue samples, respectively. [PLoS One] Full Article

Elevated Concentrations of Serum Immunoglobulin Free Light Chains in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients in Relation to Disease Activity, Inflammatory Status, B Cell Activity and Epstein-Barr Virus Antibodies
Scientists examined the concentration of serum immunoglobulin free light chains (FLCs) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and investigated its association with various disease parameters in order to evaluate the role of FLCs as a potential biomarker in SLE. [PLoS One] Full Article

The Imbalance between Tregs, Th17 Cells and Inflammatory Cytokines Among Renal Transplant Recipients
Investigators aimed to determine the number of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ Treg, CD4⁺IFN-γ^–IL-17⁺ Th17, CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺IL-17^– Th1 and CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺IL-17⁺ Th1/17 cells in renal transplant recipients. [BMC Immunol] Full Article

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NewLink Genetics Corporation Announces Promising Clinical Data
NewLink Genetics Corporation announced promising early-stage clinical data from a Phase Ia study of GDC-0919, an IDO checkpoint inhibitor being developed in collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. [Press release from NewLink Genetics Corporation discussing research presented at the European Cancer Congress (ECC) 2015, Vienna] Press Release

NewLink Genetics Corporation Announces Promising Phase Ib Data from the Combination of Indoximod and Ipilimumab in Melanoma
NewLink Genetics Corporation presented promising early-stage clinical data from a Phase Ib study of indoximod, its wholly owned indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) pathway inhibitor, in combination with ipilimumab for the treatment of patients with unresectable stage 3 or 4 melanoma. [Press release from NewLink Genetics Corporation discussing research presented at the European Cancer Congress (ECC) 2015, Vienna] Press Release

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RuiYi Announces the First Human Dosing of a Novel Antibody, Gerilimzumab, for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and other Autoimmune Disorders
RuiYi, Inc. announced the first human dosing of Gerilimzumab, a novel monoclonal antibody that is directed against the IL-6 cytokine, for the treatment of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis. [RuiYi, Inc.] Press Release

Neovacs Initiates Phase IIb Trial of IFNα-Kinoid for the Treatment of Lupus
Neovacs announced it has begun enrolling patients in IFN-K-002, a Phase IIb clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of IFNα-Kinoid, Neovacs’ lead active immunotherapy product candidate, to treat systemic lupus erythematosus. [Neovacs, Inc.] Press Release

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NEW Postdoctoral Researcher – Adverse Immune Signatures and their Prevention in Corneal Transplantation (NUI Galway)

Scientist – Human T Cell Immunology (Innate Pharma S.A.)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Systems Immunology/Bioinformatics (Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI))

Scientist – Cancer Immunotherapy Discovery (F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG)

Principal Scientist – Translational Medicine (Celgene Corporation)

Tenure Track or Early Career/Tenured Investigator – Immunology (National Institutes of Health – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Postdoctoral Position – Neuroimmunology (Brain and Spine Institute (ICM))

Faculty Positions – Stem Cell/Immunology/Medical Virology (Hallym University Medical Center)

Research Associate – Cell Biology (Editas Medicine)

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