Human Immunology News Volume 7.10 | Mar 19 2019

TOP STORY

A Structural Change in Butyrophilin upon Phosphoantigen Binding Underlies Phosphoantigen-Mediated Vγ9Vδ2 T Cell Activation

Analyses with chemical probes and molecular dynamic simulations demonstrated that dimerized intracellular proteins cooperate in sensing HMBPP to enhance the efficiency of γδ T cell activation. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

The Skin Commensal Yeast Malassezia Triggers a Type 17 Response that Coordinates Anti-Fungal Immunity and Exacerbates Skin Inflammation

Researchers found a CCR6⁺ Th17 subset of memory T cells to be Malassezia specific in both healthy individuals and atopic dermatitis patients, whereby the latter showed enhanced frequency of these cells. [Cell Host Microbe] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

Blocking Expression of Inhibitory Receptor NKG2A Overcomes Tumor Resistance to NK Cells

To bypass HLA-E inhibition, investigators developed a way to generate highly functional natural killer (NK) cells lacking NKG2A. Constructs containing a single-chain variable fragment derived from an anti-NKG2A antibody were linked to endoplasmic reticulum-retention domains. [J Clin Invest] Abstract | Full Article | Graphical Abstract

CD8⁺ T Cells from Patients with Narcolepsy and Healthy Controls Recognize Hypocretin Neuron-Specific Antigens

Scientists detected CD8⁺ T cells specific toward narcolepsy-relevant peptides presented primarily by narcolepsy type 1 (NT1)-associated HLA types in the blood of 20 patients with NT1 as well as in 52 healthy controls, using peptide-MHC-I multimers labeled with DNA barcodes. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

CD8⁺ T Cells Expand Stem and Progenitor Cells in Favorable but not Adverse Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Investigators characterized the molecular signature of leukemia stem/progenitor cells and paired CD8⁺ T cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. [Leukemia] Full Article

Antisense Oligonucleotide Targeting CD39 Improves Anti-Tumor T Cell Immunity

Scientists designed locked nucleic acid-modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) with specificity for human or mouse CD39 that do not need a transfection reagent or delivery system for efficient target knockdown. Knockdown efficacy of ASOs on mRNA and protein level was investigated in cancer cell lines and in primary human T cells. [J Immunother Cancer] Full Article

Circulating CD56^bright NK Cells Inversely Correlate with Survival of Melanoma Patients

Researchers characterized NK cells from peripheral blood ex vivo by flow cytometry obtained from late stage melanoma patients. Interestingly, they found that the abundance of CD56^bright NK cells negatively correlated with overall patient survival, together with distant metastases, in a multivariate cox regression analysis. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Hexamethylene Bisacetamide Impairs NK Cell-Mediated Clearance of Acute T Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells and HIV-1-Infected T Cells that Exit Viral Latency

The authors investigated the impact of hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) on the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells against acute T lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells or HIV-1-infected T cells that exit from latency. They showed that in T-ALL cells HMBA upmodulated MICB and ULBP2 ligands for the NKG2D activating receptor. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Donor-Derived CD4⁺/CCR7⁺ T-Cell Impact on Acute GvHD Incidence Following Haplo-HCT after Reduced Intensity Conditioning and Posttransplant Cyclophosphamide

Scientists investigated the impact of donor-derived CD4⁺/CCR7⁺ T cells on patient outcome in haploidentical settings where posttransplant cyclophosphamide was used. [Bone Marrow Transplant] Abstract

Clinical-Scale Production of Aspergillus-Specific T Cells for the Treatment of Invasive Aspergillosis in the Immunocompromised Host

Researchers generated Aspergillus-specific T cells from a single blood draw of healthy individuals or invasive aspergillosis patients in only 10 days, by either A. fumigatus lysate or peptide stimulation of mononuclear cells. The cells were phenotypically and functionally characterized, and safety was assessed in xenografts. [Bone Marrow Transplant] Abstract

Subscribe to our sister publications: Immunology of Infectious Disease News & Immune Regulation News.

Regulatory T Cell Adaptation in the Intestine and Skin

The authors discuss the current understanding of T_reg cell adaptation in the intestine and skin, including unique phenotypes, functions and metabolic demands, and how increased knowledge of T_reg cells at barrier sites might guide precision medicine therapies. [Nat Immunol] Abstract

Innate, Innate-Like and Adaptive Lymphocytes in the Pathogenesis of MS and EAE

Scientists review the contributions of distinct subsets of lymphocytes on the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), with an emphasis on lymphocytes other than CD4⁺ T cells. [Cell Mol Immunol] Abstract

Regulatory Cytokine Function in the Respiratory Tract

Investigators discuss the role of cytokines during respiratory infection and allergic airway disease, highlighting the critical importance of cellular source and immunological context for the effects of cytokines in vivo. [Mucosal Immunol] Full Article

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

IMV and Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval Collaboration Awarded a CQDM Grant to Develop First-in-Class Dual Target T Cell Therapy in Bladder Cancer Based on IMV’s DPX Technology

IMV Inc. announced that Canadian bioresearch consortium CQDM has awarded a grant to a collaboration among IMV, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, and La Fondation du CHU de Québec. [IMV Inc.] Press Release

NEOVIVA Project Supporting the Development of myvac™ Awarded a €5.2 Million Grant from Bpifrance’s “Investments for the Future” Program

Transgene announced that the NEOVIVA project was selected by the “Investments for the Future” Program operated by Bpifrance for the development of an industrial sector focused on Transgene’s individualized immunotherapy platform myvac™. [Transgene SA] Press Release

Trump Proposes Slashing Science Spending at the NSF

US President Donald Trump has proposed cuts across the board at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in his 2020 budget request to Congress. The biggest decreases would hit funding for research in Antarctica and the Arctic, the geosciences, maths and physical sciences. [Nature News] Editorial

Survey Highlights “Shocking” Gender Bias Among PI Pay in UK

Organizers of a survey of early-career scientists in the UK say they are shocked by the picture it paints of gender bias in British science. Women principal investigators (PIs) who have started their own lab in recent years are paid thousands of pounds a year less than men at the same stage of their career, the results show. [The Scientist] Editorial

NEW Gordon Research Conference: Staphylococcal Diseases
August 4-9, 2019
Castelldefels, Spain

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

NEW Postdoctoral Researcher – Single-Cell Immune Transcriptomics and Epigenomics (Karolinska Institutet)

Research Technologist – Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Faculty Position – Immunology (Fox Chase Cancer Center)

Research Fellow – Protective and Aberrant Immunity (Monash University)

Computational Biologist – Aging (NIH National Institute on Aging)

Chief Scientific Officer – Immunology, Infection and Tissue Injury/ Repair (Weill Cornell Medical College)

Postdoctoral Position – Tumor Immunology (University of Maryland)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Autoimmune Diseases (Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason)

Staff Scientist – Immunology (Cellzome)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Tumor Immune Evasion (Luxembourg Institute of Health)

Postdoctoral Positions – Immunity (UT Southwestern Medical Center)

Assistant/Associate or Professor – Cancer Immunotherapy/Tumor Immunology (University of California, Irvine)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Human Immunology News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.