Human Immunology News Volume 8.00 | Jan 7 2020

TOP STORY

Helminth Infections Drive Heterogeneity in Human Type 2 and Regulatory Cells

Helminth infections induce strong type 2 and regulatory responses, but the degree of heterogeneity of such cells is not well characterized. Using mass cytometry, scientists profiled these cells in Europeans and Indonesians not exposed to helminths and in Indonesians residing in rural areas infected with soil-transmitted helminths. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract

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Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Targets B Cells in Lethal Human Infections

Investigators showed that B cells differentiating into plasmablasts and macrophages in secondary lymphoid organs were targets for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) at the end stage of lethal infection, and the majority of SFTSV-infected cells were B cell-lineage lymphocytes. [J Clin Invest] Full Article

Intratumoral Injection of the Seasonal Flu Shot Converts Immunologically Cold Tumors to Hot and Serves as an Immunotherapy for Cancer

Scientists report that unadjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccination via intratumoral, but not intramuscular, injection converted “cold” tumors to hot, generated systemic CD8⁺ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity, and sensitized resistant tumors to checkpoint blockade. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article

LACC1 Required for NOD2-Induced, ER Stress-Mediated Innate Immune Outcomes in Human Macrophages and LACC1 Risk Variants Modulate These Outcomes

All three ER-stress branches, PERK, IRE1α, and ATF6, were required for NOD2-induced signaling, cytokines, and antimicrobial pathways in human macrophages. Laccase domain containing-1 (LACC1), and its localization to the ER, is required for these outcomes. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Cross-Reactive Donor-Specific CD8⁺ Tregs Efficiently Prevent Transplant Rejection

The authors identified epitopes derived from distinct major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules, sharing a 7-amino acid consensus sequence positioned in a central mobile section in complex with MHC class I, recognized by cross-reactive CD8⁺ Tregs, enriched in the graft. Antigen-specific CD8⁺ Tregs could be induced in vivo with a 16-amino acid-long peptide to trigger transplant tolerance. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

iPSC-Derived Platelets Depleted of HLA Class I Are Inert to Anti-HLA Class I and Natural Killer Cell Immunity

Scientists developed human induced pluripotent cell-derived human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I)-deficient platelets in a clinically applicable imMKCL system by genetic manipulation and assessed their immunogenic properties including natural killer cells, which reject HLA-I downregulated cells. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Display B-Cell Dysregulation Already in the Naïve Repertoire Consistent with Defects in B-Cell Tolerance

Researchers used exploratory mass cytometry and next-generation sequencing to study B-cell repertoire shifts in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Expression of several B-cell markers were significantly different in ACPA⁺ RA compared to healthy controls, including an increase in HLA-DR across subsets, CD22 in clusters of IgM⁺ B cells and CD11c in IgA⁺ memory. [Sci Rep] Full Article

The Prognostic Importance of CD20⁺ B Lymphocytes in Colorectal Cancer and the Relation to Other Immune Cell Subsets

Patients whose tumors were highly infiltrated by CD20⁺ B lymphocytes had a significantly improved disease-specific survival, which remained significant in multivariable analysis. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Human T Cell Response to CD1a and Contact Dermatitis Allergens in Botanical Extracts and Commercial Skin Care Products

Researchers tested whether CD1a, an abundant MHC I-like protein in human skin, mediated contact allergen recognition. Using CD1a-autoreactive human αβ T cell clones to screen clinically important allergens present in skin patch testing kits, they identified responses to balsam of Peru, a tree oil widely used in cosmetics and toothpaste. [Sci Immunol] Full Article

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‘Off-The-Shelf’ Allogeneic CAR T Cells: Development and Challenges

Investigators analyze the different sources of T cells for optimal allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy and describe the different technological approaches, mainly based on gene editing, to produce allogeneic CAR T cells with limited potential for graft-versus-host disease. [Nat Rev Drug Discov] Abstract

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Gracell Initiates Investigational Study of the Technological Breakthrough TruUCAR^™ Therapy for Relapsed or Refractory T-Cell Malignancies

Gracell Biotechnologies Co., Ltd. announced the initiation of an investigational study of GC027, the first product candidate developed using TruUCAR^™ to treat relapsed or refractory T-cell malignancies. [Gracell Biotechnologies Co., Ltd. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Precigen Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for PRGN-3006 UltraCAR-T^™ in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Precigen, Inc. announced that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to PRGN-3006, a first-in-class investigational therapy using Precigen’s non-viral UltraCAR-T^™ therapeutic platform for patients with relapsed or refractory AML. [Precigen, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Submission of Biologics License Application for CAR T-Cell Therapy Lisocabtagene Maraleucel (liso-cel) to FDA

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced the submission of its Biologics License Application to the FDA for lisocabtagene maraleucel, its autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cell immunotherapy comprising individually formulated CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ CAR T cells for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after at least two prior therapies. [Bristol-Myers Squibb Company] Press Release

Neon Therapeutics Submits European Clinical Trial Authorization Application for Personal Neoantigen-Targeted T Cell Therapy NEO-PTC-01

Neon Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has filed a Clinical Trial Authorization with the Dutch Health Authority for the evaluation of NEO-PTC-01 in patients with metastatic melanoma who are refractory to checkpoint inhibitors. [Neon Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

A Year After the Midterm Elections, Where Are They Now?

November 2018 saw a wave of candidates from all walks of science-engineering, physics, medicine, and other life sciences-win first-time positions in the House, Senate, and state legislatures across the country. Of 20 STEM candidates running for Congressional seats that The Scientist counted last year, 10 won their races, the vast majority of them Democrats as well as political newcomers. [The Scientist] Editorial

From Service to Science: NIH Shifts Focus of Mentoring Network Aimed at Boosting Grantee Diversity

As co-director of graduate affairs at the University of Chicago, Nancy Schwartz spent the past four years helping faculty members at 15 major research universities become better mentors. The project was supported by the National Research Mentoring Network, a $23 million effort that the National Institutes of Health launched after discovering an embarrassing racial gap in who gets NIH grants. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Lorne Infection and Immunity Conference
February 19-21, 2020
Lorne, Victoria, Australia

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

NEW Postdoctoral Position – Tumor Immunology (University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden)

NEW Chief – Division of Immunology (Boston Children’s Hospital)

NEW Research Assistant Professor – Immunology (The University of Chicago)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellowship – Breast Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy (The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology (University of Gothenburg)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Immune Defense and HIV (Massachusetts General Hospital)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Immunology (Karolinska Institutet)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Autoimmune Pathogenesis (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)

Group Leader Position – Immunology (Research Institute of Molecular Pathology)

Postdoctoral Position – Blood Cancer Immunology (University Children’s Hospital Basel)

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