Human Immunology News Volume 6.23 | Jun 12 2018

TOP STORY

A Transcriptionally and Functionally Distinct PD-1⁺ CD8⁺ T Cell Pool with Predictive Potential in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated with PD-1 Blockade

Researchers compared transcriptional, metabolic and functional signatures of intratumoral CD8⁺ T lymphocyte populations with high, intermediate and no PD-1 expression from non-small-cell lung cancer patients. [Nat Med] Abstract | Press Release

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The Human Heart Contains Distinct Macrophage Subsets with Divergent Origins and Functions

The authors demonstrated that the human myocardium contains distinct subsets of CCR2⁻ and CCR2⁺ macrophages. Analysis of sex-mismatched heart transplant recipients revealed that CCR2⁻ macrophages are a tissue-resident population exclusively replenished through local proliferation, whereas CCR2⁺ macrophages are maintained through monocyte recruitment and proliferation. [Nat Med] Abstract

Human CD30⁺ B Cells Represent a Unique Subset Related to Hodgkin Lymphoma Cells

Scientists performed a comprehensive analysis of human CD30⁺ B cells. Phenotypic and IgV gene analyses indicated that CD30⁺ germinal center (GC) B lymphocytes represent typical GC B cells, and that CD30⁺ extrafollicular B cells are mostly post-GC B cells. [J Clin Invest] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Irreversibly Impacts Human Natural Killer Cell Repertoire Diversity

Investigators studied natural killer (NK) cell functional diversification in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. High-dimensional flow cytometer assays combined with stochastic neighbor embedding analysis reveal that chronic HCV infection induces functional imprinting on human NK cells that is largely irreversible and persists long after successful interventional clearance of the virus. [Nat Commun] Full Article

T Cell-Dependent Affinity Maturation and Innate Immune Pathways Differentially Drive Autoreactive B Cell Responses in Rheumatoid Arthritis

The authors developed antigen-tetramers to isolate anti-citrullinated protein antibody- and rheumatoid factor-producing B cells and performed single-cell RNA-sequencing on 2,349 B cells from six rheumatoid arthritis patients to analyze their immunoglobulin repertoires and transcriptional programs. [Arthritis Rheumatol] Abstract

Bcl2L12 Contributes to Th2-Biased Inflammation in the Intestinal Mucosa by Regulating CD4⁺ T Cell Activities

Researchers showed that the expression of Bcl2-like protein 12 (Bcl2L12) was detected in peripheral CD4⁺ T cells, which was significantly higher in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients than in healthy subjects. A positive correlation between the expression of Bcl2L12 and Th2 cytokines was detected in CD4⁺ T cells from UC patients. [J Immunol] Abstract

Effects of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Inhibitor TWS119 on Proliferation and Cytokine Production of TILs from Human Lung Cancer

Investigators showed that glycogen synthase kinase-3β inhibitor TWS119 has different effects on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). TWS119 preserved the expansion of naive T cell and CD8⁺ stem cell-like memory T cells, and induced CD8⁺ effector T-cell proliferation in TILs. [J Immunother] Abstract

Activated Human Foxp3⁺ Regulatory T Cells Produce Membrane-Bound TNF

The authors demonstrated that human peripheral blood CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells express membrane-bound TNF, a potent activator of the type 2 TNF receptor. [Cytokine] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

The Prevalence and Function of CD4⁺CXCR5⁺Foxp3⁺ Follicular Regulatory T Cells in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

The authors recruited thirty-five diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients and twenty-five healthy controls. Data showed that DLBCL patients presented an enrichment of circulating CD4⁺CXCR5⁺Foxp3⁺ follicular regulatory T cells compared to controls. [Int Immunopharmacol] Abstract

Expression of TIGIT and FCRL3 Is Altered in T Cells from Patients with Distinct Patterns of Chronic Autoimmune Thyroiditis

Thirty patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and ten healthy controls were recruited. FCRL3, TIGIT, HELIOS and FOXP3E2 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood T cells were measured via quantitative real-time PCR and compared to clinicopathological factors. [Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes] Abstract

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Role of Neutrophils in Allergic Asthma

The contribution of neutrophils to asthma pathogenesis has been mainly studied in the context of non-allergic neutrophilic asthma. However, neutrophils can also be rapidly recruited and are largely present in the airways of allergic eosinophilic asthmatic patients. [Curr Opin Immunol] Abstract

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Nkarta Therapeutics Announces Exclusive License to Natural Killer Cell Technology from National University of Singapore and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Nkarta Therapeutics announced that it has entered into a worldwide exclusive license agreement for proprietary Natural Killer cell engineering technology jointly owned by the National University of Singapore and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. [Nkarta Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

OncoMed Doses First Patient in Phase Ib Portion of Anti-TIGIT Clinical Trial

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that the first patient has been dosed in the company’s Phase Ib portion of the Phase Ia/Ib clinical trial of anti-TIGIT in combination with anti-PD1. [OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc.] Press Release

FDA Grants Cellectis IND Approval for UCART22 in B-ALL

Cellectis announced that the FDA has approved the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a Phase I clinical trial for UCART22, Cellectis’ second wholly controlled TALEN^® gene-edited product candidate, for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in adult patients. [Cellectis] Press Release

GE Healthcare FlexFactory Helps XPH Scale Up Industrialization of TCR T-Cell Immunotherapy Drugs

GE Healthcare will provide Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (XPH) with a FlexFactory™ for cell therapy, a semi-automated end-to-end manufacturing platform, to help scale up, digitize and accelerate manufacturing processes for their cell therapy clinical trials and future commercialization. [GE Healthcare] Press Release

Leading Salk Scientist Resigns after Allegations of Harassment

The prominent cancer biologist Inder Verma unconditionally resigned from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, California, June 6, and the research institute’s board of trustees voted unanimously to accept his resignation. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

China Introduces Sweeping Reforms to Crack Down on Academic Misconduct

China is getting tough on scientific misconduct. The country’s most powerful bodies, the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council, introduced a raft of reforms on 30 May aimed at improving integrity across the research spectrum, from funding and job applications to peer-review and publications. [Nature News] Editorial

More Restrictive U.S. Policy on Chinese Graduate Student Visas Raises Alarm

Reversing yet another policy of the previous administration, the U.S. Department of State began applying tougher restrictions on some Chinese graduate students. The new policy shortens from five years to one year the duration of visas for those planning to study aviation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW 20^th Annual John Goldman Conference on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Biology and Therapy
September 13-16, 2018
Miami, Florida, United States

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

NEW PhD Student – Cellular Immunotherapy (Glycostem Therapeutics)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunoengineering for Muscle Regeneration (Duke University)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

PhD Student Positions – Immunology (Multiple Locations)

Research Officer – Immunology (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)

PhD Position – Characterization of the Immune Pathways that Stimulate Autoimmunity Caused By ADAR1 Deficiency (VIB)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology (Boston University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Innate Immune Signaling (Houston Methodist Research Institute)

PhD Student – Cancer Immunology (German Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Researcher Positions – Rapid Identification of Autoantigens in Autoimmune Disease (BioMed X Innovation Center)

PhD Student – Immunology of Cell Death & Cancer Immunotherapy (KU Leuven)

Scientist/Senior Scientist – Lentivirus Production (Obsidian Therapeutics)

Scientist/Senior Scientist – Bioinformatics and Data Sciences (Obsidian Therapeutics)

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