Immune Regulation News Volume 10.06 | Feb 16 2018

TOP STORY

Researchers Develop Novel Immunotherapy to Target Colorectal Cancer

Researchers developed an antibody that blocks tumors in animal models of colorectal cancer. If the finding is confirmed in clinical trials, the antibody-based treatment could become an effective weapon against colorectal cancer, and possibly other cancers, that resist current immunotherapies. [Press release from Yale University discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine] Press Release | Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CD150^high Bone Marrow Tregs Maintain Hematopoietic Stem Cell Quiescence and Immune Privilege via Adenosine

The authors describe a Treg subpopulation that controls hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) quiescence and engraftment. These Tregs highly expressed an HSC marker, CD150, and localized within the HSC niche in the bone marrow. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

E3 Ligase VHL Promotes Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cell Maturation and Function via Glycolysis Inhibition and Induction of Interleukin-33 Receptor

The authors report that conditional deletion of the E3 ubiquitin ligase VHL in innate lymphoid progenitors minimally affected early-stage bone marrow group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) but caused a selective and intrinsic decrease in mature ILC2 numbers in peripheral non-lymphoid tissues, resulting in reduced type 2 immune responses. [Immunity] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

Transcription Factor Hoxb5 Reprograms B Cells into Functional T Lymphocytes

The authors found that the transcription factor Hoxb5, which is expressed in uncommitted hematopoietic progenitor cells but is not present in cells committed to the B cell or T cell lineage, was able to reprogram pro-pre-B cells into functional early T cell lineage progenitors. [Nat Immunol] Abstract

CD1d-Dependent Immune Suppression Mediated by Regulatory B Cells through Modulations of iNKT Cells

Scientists showed, using chimeric mice, cell depletion and adoptive cell transfer, that CD1d-lipid presentation by regulatory B cells induces invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells to secrete interferon-γ to contribute, partially, to the downregulation of T helper (Th) 1 and Th17-adaptive immune responses and ameliorate experimental arthritis. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Non-Equivalent Antigen Presenting Capabilities of Dendritic Cells and Macrophages in Generating Brain-Infiltrating CD8⁺ T Cell Responses

Researchers generated a transgenic mouse that enables cell-specific deletion of the H-2K^b MHC class I molecule. By deleting H-2K^b on dendritic cells and macrophages, they compared the effect of each antigen-presenting cell in three distinct models of neuroinflammation: picornavirus infection, experimental cerebral malaria, and a syngeneic glioma. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Educated Natural Killer Cells Show Dynamic Movement of the Activating Receptor NKp46 and Confinement of the Inhibitory Receptor Ly49A

Investigators developed a refined version of the image mean square displacement method and used it in combination with single-particle tracking to characterize the dynamics of the activating receptor NKp46 and the inhibitory receptor Ly49A on resting educated versus hyporesponsive murine NK cells. [Sci Signal] Abstract

Chitotriosidase Inhibits Allergic Asthmatic Airways via Regulation of TGF-β Expression and Foxp3⁺ Treg Cells

Wild type and chitotriosidase (Chit1)-deficient mice and cells in culture were used to define the roles of Chit1 in models of allergic adaptive Th2 inflammation. In addition, the levels of sputum Chit1 were evaluated in pediatric asthma patients and compared to control. [Allergy] Abstract

Norisoboldine, a Natural AhR Agonist, Promotes Treg Differentiation and Attenuates Colitis via Targeting Glycolysis and Subsequent NAD⁺/SIRT1/SUV39H1/H3K9me3 Signaling Pathway

The authors explored the deep mechanisms for norisoboldine (NOR)-promoted Treg differentiation in hypoxia and its subsequent anti-ulcerative colitis action from the angle of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)/miR or AhR/glycolysis axis. They showed that NOR promoted Treg differentiation in hypoxia and the effect was stronger relative to normoxia. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase during the Late Phase of Sepsis Is Associated with Hypothermia and Immune Cell Migration

Researchers investigated the quantity and type of bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) in the lung. The number of BMDCs in the lung of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-knockout (KO) mice was less than that in the lung of wild-type (WT) mice. The major BMDCs populations were CD11b-positive, iNOS-negative cells in WT mice, and Gr-1-positive cells in iNOS-KO mice that expressed iNOS. [Lab Invest] Abstract

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Regulation of T Cell Signaling by Membrane Lipids

New studies have started to unveil important functions for plasma membrane lipids in regulating T cell signaling. Importantly, it has been shown that the modulation of membrane lipids can be used to harness T cell activity to treat cancer and autoimmunity. [Nat Rev Immunol] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the immune regulation research field.

AVEO Oncology and EUSA Pharma Announce Encouraging Preliminary Results from Phase II Portion of the TiNivo Study in Renal Cell Carcinoma

AVEO Oncology and EUSA Pharma announced the presentation of preliminary results from the Phase II portion of the TiNivo study, a Phase Ib/II multicenter trial of oral tivozanibin combination with intravenous nivolumab, an immune checkpoint, or PD-1, inhibitor, for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. [Press release from AVEO Oncology discussing research presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, San Francisco] Press Release

Phase II Trial Demonstrates Activity of Durvalumab in Patients with Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

Results from the randomized Phase II CONDOR trial suggest the immune checkpoint blocker is safe and shows encouraging anti-tumor activity as second-line treatment in tumors with low/negative PD-L1; no difference in clinical activity observed between durvalumab alone or in combination with tremelimumab. [Press release from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASCO) discussing research presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, San Francisco] Press Release

Kura Oncology Provides Update on Phase II Trial of Tipifarnib in HRAS Mutant Head and Neck Cancer

Kura Oncology, Inc. announced the presentation of updated preliminary results from its Phase II clinical trial of its lead product candidate, tipifarnib, in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas with HRAS mutations. [Press release from Kura Oncology, Inc. discussing research presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, San Francisco] Press Release

Servier and ImmunoQure AG Enter into Strategic Partnership for the Development of an Interferon-α Human Autoantibody

Servier and ImmunoQure announced the establishment of a worldwide, exclusive partnership for the development of a therapeutic autoantibody neutralizing interferon-α. [ImmunoQure AG] Press Release

Amgen Announces FDA Advisory Committee Meeting to Review Potential New Use of BLINCYTO^® (Blinatumomab)

Amgen announced that the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA will review data supporting the BLINCYTO^® supplemental Biologics License Application for the treatment of patients with minimal residual disease-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [Amgen Inc.] Press Release

Trump’s Science Advisor, Age 31, Has a Political Science Degree

A job that’s been held by some of the nation’s top scientists is now occupied by a 31-year-old politics major from Princeton University. And it’s unlikely to change soon, observers say, leaving President Trump without a science advisor as the administration wrestles with a severe outbreak of the flu, lead-poisoned drinking water and record-breaking disasters that many scientists say are sharpened by rising temperatures. [Scientific American] Editorial

Trump Science Budget Sows Confusion

US president makes last-minute decision to abandon proposal for major cuts to National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Department of Energy’s science office. [Nature News] Editorial

Researchers Debate Whether Journals Should Publish Signed Peer Reviews

Scientific journals should start routinely publishing the text of peer reviews for each paper they accept, said attendees at a meeting last week of scientists, academic publishers, and funding organizations. But there was little consensus on whether reviewers should have to publicly sign their critiques, which traditionally are accessible only to editors and authors. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Aegean Conferences: 15^th International Conference on Innate Immunity
June 18-23, 2018
Crete, Greece

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

NEW Postdoctoral Associate Position – Tumor Immunology/Immunotherapy (Duke Cancer Institute)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Scientist Opportunities – Biomedical Research (Cedars-Sinai)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Immune Checkpoint Therapy (Canadian Nuclear Laboratories)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Myeloid Cells and Type I Interferon Responses (The Wistar Institute)

Laboratory Head – In Vivo Pharmacology (Boehringer Ingelheim)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Regulation of Platelet Mediated Complications (NYU School of Medicine)

Research Scientist – Cellular and Translational Immunology (University of Virginia)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Immunology (Pennsylvania State University)

Postdoctoral Training Opportunity – Infection and Immunity (Institut Pasteur of Shanghai – Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Assistant, Associate, or Full Member – Cancer Immunology (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Research Fellow Position – Immunology Research (ShanghaiTech University)

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