Immune Regulation News Volume 3.24 | Jul 8 2011

SIV-Resistant Monkeys Close the Gates to Viral Infection
Researchers have identified a way some of sooty mangabeys’ immune cells resist infection: they close the gates that SIV and HIV use to get into the cell. [Press release from Emory University discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine]

Massachusetts General Hospital, Iacocca Foundation Announce Promising Results of Phase I Diabetes Trial
Promising results of a Phase I clinical trial of the generic drug BCG to treat advanced type I diabetes were announced. [Press release from Massachusetts General Hospital discussing research presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions]

Gene Therapy Stimulates Protein that Blocks Immune Attack and Prevents Type 1 Diabetes in Mice
Increasing a specific protein in areas of the pancreas that produce insulin blocks the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes, researchers reported. [Press release from the Child & Family Research Institute discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Clinical Investigation]

Results Released for Two Drug Studies Designed to Slow Progression of Type 1 Diabetes
The results of two diabetes drug studies, including one that shows promise for stopping the immune system’s attack on insulin-producing cells in people newly diagnosed with type I diabetes, were presented. [Press release from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine discussing online prepublications in The Lancet]

Inovio Pharmaceuticals’ Prostate Cancer DNA Vaccine Demonstrates Strong T Cell Responses in Monkeys; Company on Track for Phase I Clinical Trial
Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that its therapeutic DNA vaccine for prostate cancer showed remarkable immune responses in monkeys, following similarly strong, antigen-specific and sustainable T cell levels in previously reported data from earlier animal studies. [Press release from Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discussing research presented at the BIO International Convention]

Avila Therapeutics Presents Preclinical Data with AVL-292, its Btk Inhibitor, Demonstrating Suppression of Autoimmune Disease Activity
Avila Therapeutics, Inc. announced the presentation of data on AVL-292, a clinical-stage inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk). [Press release from Avila Therpeutics, Inc. discussing research presented at the 2011 Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies]

Antigen-Based Therapy with Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD) Vaccine in Patients with Recent-Onset Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial
Researchers aimed to assess whether immunization with GAD formulated with aluminum hydroxide would preserve insulin production in recent-onset type 1 diabetes. [Lancet]

Co-Stimulation Modulation with Abatacept in Patients with Recent-Onset Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
In this multicentre, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, patients aged 6—45 years recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive abatacept (10 mg/kg, maximum 1000 mg per dose) or placebo infusions intravenously on days 1, 14, 28, and monthly for a total of 27 infusions over 2 years. [Lancet]

Low Levels of SIV Infection in Sooty Mangabey Central Memory CD4⁺ T Cells Are Associated with Limited CCR5 Expression
Here researchers found that, after in vitro stimulation, sooty mangabey CD4⁺ T cells fail to upregulate CCR5 and that this phenomenon is more pronounced in CD4⁺ central memory T cells. [Nat Med]

Signaling by the Phosphatase MKP-1 in Dendritic Cells Imprints Distinct Effector and Regulatory T Cell Fates
Here researchers report that dendritic cell (DC)-expressed phosphatase MKP-1, a negative regulator of the MAP kinases, programmed reciprocal T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 cell differentiation by modulating IL-12-STAT4 and IL-6-STAT3 axes and cytokine receptor expression at the DC-T cell interface. [Immunity]

Prevention of Murine Autoimmune Diabetes by CCL22-Mediated Treg Recruitment to the Pancreatic Islets
Here, researchers demonstrate that production of CCL22 in islets after intrapancreatic duct injection of double-stranded adeno-associated virus encoding CCL22 recruits endogenous regulatory T cells (Tregs) to the islets and confers long-term protection from autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. [J Clin Invest]

Foxp3⁺ Regulatory T Cells Exert Asymmetric Control Over Murine Helper Responses by Inducing Th2 Cell Apoptosis
Researchers found that in vivo Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cell frequency had a proportionate relationship with generalized T cell activation and Th1 magnitude, but had a surprising disproportionate relationship with Th2 magnitude. [Blood]

CD31 Is Required on CD4⁺ T Cells to Promote T Cell Survival During Salmonella Infection
Using adoptive transfer experiments, researchers show that loss of CD31 on CD4⁺ T cells alone is sufficient to account for the defective CD31-deficient T cell accumulation. [J Immunol]

TNF Receptor 1 Deficiency Increases Regulatory T Cell Function in Nonobese Diabetic Mice
This study suggests that blocking TNF signaling may be beneficial in increasing the function of T regulatory cells and suppression of type 1 diabetes. [J Immunol]

Adoptive Transfer of DCs Isolated from Helminth-Infected Mice Enhanced T Regulatory Cell Responses in Airway Allergic Inflammation
In the present study, researchers examined the mechanism by which dendritic cells (DCs) contribute to inhibition of allergy. [Parasite Immunol]

Cancer Research Institute Awards $9.7 Million in Grants to Support Immunology and Tumor Immunology Research
Cancer Research Institute, Inc. announced that it has awarded $9.7 million in grants to 26 scientists in the U.S., U.K., Japan, and Sweden. [Cancer Research Institute Press Release]

Scancell Develops New Vaccine for the Treatment of Lung Cancer
Scancell Holdings Plc, announced that a treatment utilizing a DNA vaccine based on its ImmunoBody technology, in combination with Homspera, an adjuvant developed by ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc. has produced encouraging anti-tumor results in animal models. [Scancell Holdings Plc Press Release]

Coronado Biosciences Closes $25.8M in Series C Financing
Coronado Biosciences announced that it closed a $25.8 million Series C financing led by National Securities Corporation. [PR Newswire]

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)

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