Immune Regulation News Volume 2.31 | Aug 20 2010

Stem Cells from the Thymus Reprogrammed to Become Skin Stem Cells 
The study shows that stem cells from the thymus can function as hair follicle stem cells and contribute to the long-term maintenance of the skin. [Press release from the Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine discussing online prepublication in Nature]

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Immune System Gene Linked with Parkinson’s: Study
A gene linked with the immune system may play a role in developing Parkinson’s disease, researchers said, marking a possible advance in the search for effective treatments. [Press release from Reuters discussing online prepublication in Nature Genetics]

A Pharmacy on the Back of a Cell
Engineers have devised a way to deliver drugs by smuggling them on the backs of the cells sent in to fight the tumor. [Press release from Massachusetts Institute of Technology discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine]

Obesity and Diabetes: Immune Cells in Fat Tissue Explain the Link
Inflammation-causing cells in fat tissue may explain the link between obesity and diabetes, a team of researchers has shown. [Press release from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research discussing online prepublication in Diabetes]

Researchers Develop New Cancer Vaccine Mobilizing Immune Cells
Japanese researchers have developed a cancer immunotherapy vaccine that mobilizes two types of immune cells. The vaccine activates killer T cells and helper T cells at the same time, which is said to boost patients’ immunity. [Press release from The Mainichi Daily News discussing research presented at the 14th International Congress of Immunology]

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Microenvironmental Reprogramming of Thymic Epithelial Cells to Skin Multipotent Stem Cells
Researchers show that the thymus of the rat contains a population of clonogenic thymic epithelial cells that can be extensively cultured while conserving the capacity to integrate in a thymic epithelial network and to express major histocompatibility complex class II molecules and Aire. [Nature]

Common Genetic Variation in the HLA Region is Associated with Late-Onset Sporadic Parkinson’s Disease
The genetic association with HLA supports the involvement of the immune system in Parkinson’s disease and offers new targets for drug development. [Nat Genet]

Therapeutic Cell Engineering with Surface-Conjugated Synthetic Nanoparticles
Researchers describe a strategy to enhance cell therapy via the conjugation of adjuvant drug-loaded nanoparticles to the surfaces of therapeutic cells. [Nat Med]

MicroRNAs Modulate the Noncanonical Transcription Factor NF-KappaB Pathway by Regulating Expression of the Kinase IKKAlpha During Macrophage Differentiation
Researchers show that during human monocyte-macrophage differentiation, expression of the microRNAs miR-223, miR-15a and miR-16 decreased considerably, which led to higher expression of the serine-threonine kinase IKKalpha in macrophages. [Nat Immunol]

Lipid-Cytokine-Chemokine Cascade Drives Neutrophil Recruitment in a Murine Model of Inflammatory Arthritis
Researchers have uncovered a complex sequential relationship involving unique contributions from the lipid mediator leukotriene B₄, the cytokine IL-1, and CCR1 and CXCR2 chemokine ligands that are all absolutely required for effective neutrophil recruitment into the joint. [Immunity]

The Phosphatase PTP-PEST Promotes Secondary T Cell Responses by Dephosphorylating the Protein Tyrosine Kinase Pyk2
PTP-PEST controls Pyk2 activity and is a positive regulator of secondary T cell activation. [Immunity]

Differentiation and Persistence of Memory CD8+ T Cells Depend on T Cell Factor 1
Researchers showed that T cell factor 1 deficiency limited proliferation of CD8+ effector T cells and impaired their differentiation toward a central memory phenotype. [Immunity]

Lysosomal Alpha-Galactosidase Controls the Generation of Self Lipid Antigens for Natural Killer T Cells
Researchers present Toll-like receptor-dependent negative regulation of alpha-galactosidase A as a mechanistic link between pathogen recognition and self lipid antigen induction for Natural Killer T cells. [Immunity]

The B-Cell Tumor Associated Antigen ROR1 Can Be Targeted with T-Cells Modified to Express a ROR1-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor
Researchers analyzed receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 ( ROR1)-expression in normal nonhematopoietic and hematopoietic cells including B-cell precursors, and in hematopoietic malignancies. [Blood]

Pro-Inflammatory CD11c+CD206+ Adipose Tissue Macrophages Are Associated with Insulin Resistance in Human Obesity
Findings identify proinflammatory CD11c+ adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) as markers of insulin resistance in human obesity. In addition, the machinery of CD11c+ ATMs indicates they metabolize lipid and may initiate adaptive immune responses. [Diabetes]

International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) Joins Forces with Roche and Genzyme to Launch Cell Therapy Industry Partnership
Many companies in the cell therapy regenerative medicine market including Roche, Genzyme, Athersys, Miltenyi Biotec, Hospira, Lonza and Life Technologies will join ISCT to launch a series of new initiatives that will create greater strategic alignment within the industry and drive late stage clinical development. [International Society for Cellular Therapy Press Release]

ASH Recommends Cross-Disciplinary Engagement to Advance Regenerative Medicine
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has developed specific recommendations to the scientific community and federal agencies to help propel collaborative research in regenerative medicine in order to make real strides in improving patient care. These recommendations were released in Blood. [American Society of Hematology Press Release]

NIH Awards $21 Million Grant to Study Early Stages of HIV-1 Infection
A multi-institutional team headed by John Young, Ph.D., a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and Sumit Chanda, Ph.D., an associate professor at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, has been awarded a $21 million Program Project Grant to dissect the early innate immune response to HIV infection using a systems biology approach. [Salk Institute for Biological Studies Press Release]

NSF Awards $3 Million Stem Cell Bio-Manufacturing Program to Georgia Tech
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $3 million to the Georgia Institute of Technology to fund a unique research program on stem cell bio-manufacturing. [Georgia Institute of Technology Press Release]

ImmunoGen, Inc. Announces Orphan Drug Designation Granted to Lorvotuzumab Mertansine for Treatment of Small-Cell Lung Cancer
ImmunoGen, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to its lorvotuzumab mertansine (formerly IMGN901) product candidate when used for the treatment of small-cell lung cancer. [ImmunoGen, Inc. Press Release]

Sanofi Seeks Efficiencies with New Model
Sanofi-aventis is dividing its vast resources into decentralized disease-based units, each with its own departments for research and development, regulatory affairs, marketing, and sales — a plan designed to identify promising drugs more quickly and weed out failures before spending billions on unsuccessful clinical trials. [The Boston Globe]

Enhancing Research in Regenerative Medicine
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) convened a working group of experts from the fields of hematopoietic stem cell biology, embryonic stem cells, transplantation biology, and gene therapy at the urging of the Committee on Government Affairs with the goal of developing a “white paper” to inform recommendations to ASH and appropriate parties at the National Institutes of Health about the need for additional research in the area of regenerative medicine. [Blood]

EMA and U.S. FDA Seek Potential Candidate Companies for Joint GMP Inspection Program
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America (U.S. FDA) continue to seek potential candidate companies for a joint GMP inspection pilot programmed for manufacturers of medicinal products. [European Medicines Agency, European Union]

Correction to RFAs MH-11-020-(R01) and MH-11-021-(R21) – Viral and Host Genetic Factors Regulating HIV-Associated CNS Disease (NOT-MH-10-031) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Behavioral Mechanisms in Biomedical Strategies to Prevent HIV Infections (R34) (RFA-MH-11-092) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Identification of Immune-Mediated Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss (R21/R33) (RFA-DC-11-002) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration (EUREKA) (R01) (RFA-GM-11-003) [National Institutes of Health, United States]
 
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc. 2010-20291) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

NIH-RAID Updates on Program Scope and Procedures: Biologics Manufacture, Lead Selection, and Product Development Plans (NOT-RM-10-012) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Proposed Collection; Comment Request; NIH NCI Central Institutional Review Board (CIRB) Initiative (NCI) (FR Doc. 2010-20167) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-20287) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health; Notice of Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-20021) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

National Human Genome Research Institute; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-19939) [National Institutes of Health, United States]
 
Basic Research on Self-Regulation (R21) (RFA-AG-11-010) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

National Center for Research Resources; Notice of Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-20014) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Limited Pilot for National Institute of General Medical Sciences Legacy Community-Wide Scientific Resources (R24) (PAR-10-261) [National Institute of General Medical Sciences, United States]

7342.007 Addendum – Imported Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) [Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, United States]

Comprehensive List of Guidance Documents at the Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-1998-N-0050] (formerly Docket No. 1998N-0046) [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

CHI’s 5th Annual Immunotherapeutics and Vaccine Summit (ImVacS)
August 17-19, 2010
Cambridge, United States

14th International Congress of Immunology
August 22-27, 2010
Kobe, Japan

Select Biosciences 3rd Annual Stem Cells Europe Conference
August 24-25, 2010
Edinburgh, Scotland

Select Biosciences Inaugural Cellular Therapy Summit
August 24-25, 2010
Edinburgh, Scotland

Select Biosciences 7th Annual RNAi & miRNA Europe
September 14-15, 2010
Dublin, Ireland

Immunology & Microbiology, Genetics & Genomics, Development, Other
September 18-22, 2010
Barcelona, Spain

Cell Symposia: Inflammation and Disease
September 26-28, 2010
Lisbon, Portugal

11th International Symposium on Dendritic Cells in Fundamental and Clinical Immunology – DC2010: Forum on Vaccine Science
September 26-30, 2010
Lugano, Switzerland

5th International Conference on Gene Regulation in Lymphocyte Development
October 9-14, 2010
Chania, Greece

Autumn Immunology Conference 2010
November 19-22, 2010
Chicago, United States

Cell Symposia: Influenza – Translating Basic Insights
December 2-4, 2010
Washington, D.C., United States

Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.

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