Immune Regulation News Volume 3.13 | Apr 8 2011

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    Immune Regulation News 3.13, April 8, 2011.

         In this issue: Science News | Current Publications | Industry News | Policy News | Events
     

    TOP STORY

    T Cells Outpace Virus by Getting a Jump-Start on Division
    Killer T cells begin to divide en route to virus-infected tissue, allowing them to hit the ground running when they arrive, according to a
    study. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Experimental Medicine]

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    SCIENCE NEWS

    UCSF Team Discovers New Way to Predict Breast Cancer Survival and Enhance Effectiveness of Treatment
    A team of researchers has discovered a new way to predict breast cancer survival based on an “immune profile” – the relative levels of three types of immune cells within a tumor. [Press release from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) discussing online prepublication in Cancer Discovery]

    Karmanos Researchers Couple Tumor Cryoablation with Immunotherapy to Improve Tumor Immunity
    Scientists presented data at the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) 102nd Annual Meeting 2011 showing that when tumor cryoablation is coupled with immune system modulation, the procedures have the potential to initiate or amplify tumor immunity. [Press release from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit discussing data presented at AACR 2011]

    Clinical Trial Success for Crohn’s Disease Cell Therapy
    Researchers have used patient’s own immune system cells derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells to treat patients with chronic inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s disease. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing research presented at the UK National Stem Cell Network 2011 Annual Science Conference]

    Immune System May Guide Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
    A study showed how evaluating the immune response in the tumor microenvironment may help researchers better target therapy in breast cancer. [Press release from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) discussing research presented at the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011]

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    CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

    Dampening of Death Pathways by Schnurri-2 is Essential for T-Cell Development
    Here researchers show in mice that repression of TCR-induced death pathways is critical for proper interpretation of positive selecting signals in vivo, and identify schnurri-2 (Shn2; also known as Hivep2) as a crucial death dampener. [Nature]

    Neuronal GPCR Controls Innate Immunity by Regulating Noncanonical Unfolded Protein Response Genes
    Here, researchers found that the nervous system controlled the activity of a noncanonical unfolded protein response pathway required for innate immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans. [Science]

    The Transcription Factor E4BP4 Regulates the Production of IL-10 and IL-13 in CD4+ T Cells
    Here researchers observed plasticity in the expression of IL-10 and IL-13 after chronic TH1 stimulation; furthermore, the expression of Il10 and Il13 was regulated by the transcription factor E4BP4. [Nat Immunol]

    CXCL12 Secretion by Bone Marrow Stromal Cells is Dependent on Cell Contact and Mediated by Connexin-43 and Connexin-45 Gap Junctions
    Here researchers report that secretion of functional CXCL12 from human bone marrow stromal cells was a cell contact–dependent event mediated by connexin-43 (Cx43) and Cx45 gap junctions. [Nat Immunol]

    An Unexpected Role for Uric Acid as an Inducer of T Helper 2 Cell Immunity to Inhaled Antigens and Inflammatory Mediator of Allergic Asthma
    Researchers here have shown that uric acid is released in the airways of allergen-challenged asthmatic patients and mice, where it was necessary for mounting T helper 2 (Th2) cell immunity, airway eosinophilia, and bronchial hyperreactivity to inhaled harmless proteins and clinically relevant house dust mite allergen. [Immunity]

    Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem and Progenitor Cells Induce Monocyte Emigration in Response to Circulating Toll-like Receptor Ligands
    Researchers demonstrated that low concentrations of Toll-like receptor ligands in the bloodstream drive CCR2-dependent emigration of monocytes from bone marrow. [Immunity]

    Structure of a Domain-Swapped FOXP3 Dimer on DNA and Its Function in Regulatory T Cells
    Researchers have solved the crystal structure of the FOXP3 forkhead domain as a ternary complex with the DNA-binding domain of the transcription factor NFAT1 and a DNA oligonucleotide from the interleukin-2 promoter. [Immunity]

    Migration of Cytotoxic Lymphocytes in Cell Cycle Permits Local MHC I–Dependent Control of Division at Sites of Viral Infection
    Researchers demonstrate that antiviral cytotoxic T lymphocytes remain in cell cycle while transiting to infected tissues. [J Exp Med]

    Disruption of Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan Conformation Perturbs B Cell Maturation and APRIL-Mediated Plasma Cell Survival
    Here researchers show that glucuronyl C5-epimerase-deficiency impairs B cell maturation, resulting in decreased plasma cell numbers and immunoglobulin levels. [Blood]

    Apoptosis of regulatory T lymphocytes is increased in chronic inflammatory bowel disease and reversed by anti-TNFa treatment
    This study was conducted to investigate whether increased apoptosis contributes to regulatory T cell (Treg) deficiency in inflammatory bowel disease and whether successful treatment with antitumour necrosis factor a is achieved by reducing of Treg cell apoptosis. [Gut]

    Phase I/II Trial of a Dendritic Cell Vaccine Transfected with DNA Encoding Melan A and gp100 for Patients with Metastatic Melanoma
    This trial tested a dendritic cell (DC) therapeutic cancer vaccine in which antigen is loaded using a novel non-viral transfection method enabling the uptake of plasmid DNA condensed with a cationic peptide. [Gene Ther]

    INDUSTRY NEWS

    Walk Away with a RoboSep™ Facebook Photo Contest Winners
    STEMCELL Technologies has announced the Grand Prize Winner and Finalists of the “Walk Away With A RoboSep™” Facebook photo contest. [STEMCELL Technologies Inc. Press Release]

    Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to Lead Immunotherapy Clinical Trials Network
    Research institutions at 27 sites in the U.S. and Canada have been selected to participate in the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network, a new initiative in immunotherapy funded by the National Cancer Institute and headquartered at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. [Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Press Release]

    Immunomedics Presents New DNL-Derived Antibodies for Mantle Cell Lymphoma at AACR Annual Meeting
    Immunomedics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of monoclonal antibody-based products for the targeted treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases, reported the development of 2 new antibodies produced by the Company’s proprietary Dock-and-Lock (DNL) technology for the potential treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and other B-cell lymphomas. [GlobeNewswire]

    TxCell Receives Approval for a Phase I/II Clinical Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis
    TxCell SA, a biotechnology company developing cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of severe chronic inflammatory diseases with high unmet medical need, announces the approval by AFSSAPS, the French regulatory agency, of its application to carry out a phase I/II clinical trial of its second product candidate, TX-RAD. [TxCell SA Press Release]

    MediImmune, Inserm and Inserm Transfert Announce Strategic Collaboration to Fund and Conduct Medical Science Research
    MedImmune, the global biologics business of AstraZeneca, and Inserm Transfert, the private subsidiary of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), announced a three-year strategic collaboration to advance research across a range of therapeutic areas including oncology, respiratory, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. [MedImmune Press Release]

    Idera Pharmaceuticals Presents Data from a Multiple-Dose Phase 1 Clinical Trial of IMO-3100, Lead Drug Candidate for the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases
    Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the presentation of data from its multiple-dose Phase 1 clinical trial of IMO-3100 in healthy subjects. [Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Press Release]

    W. M. Keck Foundation Awards $1 Million to Hutchinson Center to Study How Environmental Exposures Lead to Disease
    A $1 million grant from W.M. Keck Foundation will allow researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to pursue an ambitious project to sequence DNA from the human immune system to shed light on the genetic signatures of a large number of pathogenic exposures, starting with 17 common viruses and bacteria. [Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Press Release]

    POLICY NEWS

    National Institutes of Health (United States)

    Food and Drug Administration (United States)

    Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

    European Medicines Agency (European Union)

    Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

    Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

    EVENTS

    NEW B Cells and Protection: Back to Basics
    June 12-17, 2011
    Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain

    NEW Herrenhausen Symposium on Autoimmunity
    June 20-23, 2011
    Seeon, Germany

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

    JOB OPPORTUNITIES

    Lab Technologist – Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies)

    Assistant Professor (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering)

    Scientist – Human Monoclonal Antibody Discovery (Arsanis Biosciences)

    Implementation Coordinator – Maternity Leave Contract (STEMSOFT Software Inc.)

    Postdoctoral Research Position – Mucosal Immunology (Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University)

    Research Officer Antibody Engineering (Glenmark Pharmaceuticals S.A.)

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