Human Immunology News Volume 5.06 | Feb 14 2017

TOP STORY

CD49a Expression Defines Tissue-Resident CD8⁺ T Cells Poised for Cytotoxic Function in Human Skin

Investigators identified CD49a as a marker that differentiates CD8⁺ tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells on a compartmental and functional basis. In human skin epithelia, CD8⁺CD49a⁺ Trm cells produced interferon-γ, whereas CD8⁺CD49a⁻ Trm cells produced interleukin-17. [Immunity] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

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Natural Amines Inhibit Activation of Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells through CXCR4 Engagement

Scientists showed that natural monoamines and synthetic amines inhibit plasmacytoid dendritic cells activation by RNA viruses. Furthermore, a synthetic analogue of histamine reduced type I interferon production in a mouse model of influenza infection. [Nat Commun] Full Article

IFI16 Is Required for DNA Sensing in Human Macrophages by Promoting Production and Function of cGAMP

Researchers showed that interferon-gamma inducible factor 16 (IFI16) functions in the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and stimulator of interferon genes pathway on two distinct levels. Depletion of IFI16 in macrophages impaired cGAMP production on DNA stimulation, whereas overexpression of IFI16 amplified the function of cGAS. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Integration of a CD19 CAR into the TCR Alpha Chain Locus Streamlines Production of Allogeneic Gene-Edited CAR T Cells

The authors report a streamlined strategy for generating allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells by targeting the insertion of a CAR transgene directly into the native T cell receptor (TCR) locus using an engineered homing endonuclease and an AAV donor template. [Mol Ther] Abstract | Full Article

Interleukin-33 Produced by M2 Macrophages and Other Immune Cells Contributes to Th2 Immune Reaction of IgG4-Related Disease

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) and CD68⁺/CD163⁺ macrophages were mainly distributed around ectopic germinal centers in patients with IgG4-related disease. Double immunofluorescence staining showed that IL-33 expression co-localized with CD68⁺/CD163⁺ macrophages. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Interferon-α-Inducible Dendritic Cells Matured with OK-432 Exhibit TRAIL and Fas Ligand Pathway-Mediated Killer Activity

Mature interferon dendritic cells (IFN-DCs), generated from IFN-DCs primed with OK-432, exhibited elevated expression of CD86 and human leukocyte antigen-DR as well as antigen-presenting abilities comparable with those of mature interleukin-4-DCs. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Quantifying the Sensitivity of Human Immune Cells to Chemoattractant

Researchers used human neutrophils as uniquely capable biodetectors to map out the anaphylatoxic cloud that surrounds microbes in the presence of host serum. [Biophys J] Abstract

Surfactant Protein D Delays Fas- and TRAIL-Mediated Extrinsic Pathway of Apoptosis in T Cells

Scientists aimed to determine the effects of surfactant-associated protein D (SP-D) on Jurkat T cells and human T cells dying by apoptosis. They showed that SP-D binds to Jurkat T cells and delays the progression of Fas-Fas ligand and TRAIL–TRAIL receptor induced, but not TNF–TNF receptor-mediated apoptosis. [Apoptosis] Abstract

Advances in the Quantification of Mitochondrial Function in Primary Human Immune Cells through Extracellular Flux Analysis

Investigators tested the impact of common cellular manipulations on extracellular flux outcomes, and to develop and validate a new automated tool that objectively analyzes a virtually unlimited number of samples to quantitate mitochondrial function in immune cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

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Multifaceted Roles of TRIM38 in Innate Immune and Inflammatory Responses

The authors summarize recent advances that highlight the critical roles of tripartite motif-containing (TRIM)38 in the regulation of proper innate immune and inflammatory responses. [Cell Mol Immunol] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the human immunology research field.

Epinomics to Collaborate with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Stanford University to Bring Precision Medicine to Cancer Immunotherapies

Researchers from Epinomics will collaborate with the research team led by Crystal Mackall, MD, director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Stanford, to utilize biomarkers defined by Epinomics’ immune intelligence framework to improve outcome and reduce adverse events in immunotherapy clinical trials. [Epinomics Inc (Business Wire, Inc.)] Press Release

Amgen Submits Supplemental Biologics License Application for BLINCYTO^® (Blinatumomab) in Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Amgen announced the submission of a supplemental Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for BLINCYTO^® to include overall survival data from the Phase III TOWER study, supporting the conversion of BLINCYTO’s accelerated approval to full approval. [Amgen] Press Release

FDA Grants Cellectis IND Approval to Proceed with the Clinical Development of UCART123, the First Gene Edited Off-the-Shelf CAR T-Cell Product Candidate Developed in the U.S.

Cellectis has received an Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct Phase I clinical trials with UCART123 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. [Cellectis] Press Release

Takeda Presents $1 Million Gift to the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT to Support Immuno-Oncology Research

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT jointly announced that Takeda will support groundbreaking science in immuno-oncology at the Koch Institute. [Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited] Press Release

US Science Advisers Outline Path to Genetically Modified Babies

Modified human embryos should be allowed if researchers meet strict criteria, says long-awaited National Academies report. [Nature News] Editorial

German Scientists Regain Access to Elsevier Journals

A stand-off in which dozens of German universities declined to pay for access to journals from publishing giant Elsevier has been partially resolved. [Nature News] Editorial

Debate Erupts over Plan to Create Another Online Destination for Biology Preprints

A plan to create a new repository for biomedical and biology preprints has earned the endorsement of nearly a dozen major science funders, including government agencies, major foundations, and research charities. But it also has sparked a debate about whether an existing preprint repository, bioRxiv.org, should be the natural home for such material. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Lawsuit Aims to Force USDA to Repost Scrubbed Animal Welfare Records

Put the records back on the internet. That’s the demand made in a lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by an animal law expert at Harvard University, together with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and several other animal welfare groups. The plaintiffs allege that USDA violated the federal Freedom of Information Act when it removed thousands of animal welfare inspection reports and other records from a publicly accessible website. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Keystone Symposium: Mononuclear Phagocytes in Health, Immune Defense and Disease
April 30-May 4, 2017
Austin, United States

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW Postdoctoral Position – Interaction between the Immune System and Pancreatic Cancer (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Immune Regulation and Human Diseases (The Wistar Institute)

NEW Bioinformatician – Immunology (KOTAI Biotechnologies, Inc.)

NEW Scientist – Immunology (Moderna Therapeutics)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation Automation (STEMCELL Technologies, Inc.)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation & Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies, Inc.)

Scientist – Primary Cells (STEMCELL Technologies, Inc.)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies, Inc.)

Research Scientist – CAR-T Start-Up (Leucid Bio)

Research Assistant/Associate – Infection and Immunity (University College London)

Postdoctoral Position – Immunology, Lung Biology, and Respiratory Infections (Boston University School of Medicine & Boston Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology (Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology (The University of Texas Medical School at Houston)

Scientist Positions – Immunology (New York Blood Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Molecular Immunology (University of California San Diego School of Medicine)

Assistant Associate – Cancer Immunology (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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