Immune Regulation News Volume 3.27 | Jul 29 2011

Specialized Regulatory T Cell Stifles Antibody Production Centers
A regulatory T cell that expresses three specific genes shuts down the mass production of antibodies launched by the immune system to attack invaders. [Press release from the The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine]

Fault in Immune Memory Causes Atopic Eczema and Psoriasis
The findings of a research study show that both atopic eczema and psoriasis are caused by impaired immunological memory. [Press release from the German Research Center for Environmental Health discussing online prepublication in the New England Journal of Medicine]

Researchers May Have Discovered Key to Help Women Fight Infections During Pregnancy
Using a mouse pregnancy model, researchers have developed a method to dissociate the beneficial and detrimental impacts of maternal regulatory T cells. [Press release from the University of Minnesota discussing online prepublication in Cell Host & Microbe]

Mutual Antagonism of T Cells Causing Psoriasis and Atopic Eczema
Here, researchers describe three patients with co-occurring psoriasis and atopic eczema with an antagonistic course and distinct T-cell infiltrates in lesions from psoriasis and those from atopic eczema. [N Engl J Med]

Oxysterols Direct Immune Cell Migration via EBI2
Data demonstrates that cholesterol 25-hydroxylase generates Epstein–Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2) biological activity in vivo and indicates that the EBI2–oxysterol signalling pathway has an important role in the adaptive immune response. [Nature]

Second Messenger Role for Mg²⁺ Revealed by Human T-Cell Immunodeficiency
Here researchers identify mutations in the magnesium transporter gene, MAGT1, in a novel X-linked human immunodeficiency characterized by CD4 lymphopenia, severe chronic viral infections, and defective T-lymphocyte activation. [Nature]

Oxysterols Direct B-Cell Migration Through EBI2
Results show an unexpected causal link between the Epstein–Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2), an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor controlling B-cell migration, and the known immunological effects of certain oxysterols, thus uncovering a previously unknown role for this class of molecules. [Nature]

The MicroRNA miR-29 Controls Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to Intracellular Bacterial Infection by Targeting Interferon-γ
Here researchers show that infection of mice with Listeria monocytogenes or Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin downregulated miR-29 expression in interferon-γ-producing natural killer cells, CD4⁺ T cells and CD8⁺ T cells. [Nat Immunol]

Foxp3⁺ Follicular Regulatory T Cells Control the Germinal Center Response
Researchers describe a population of Foxp3⁺Blimp-1⁺CD4⁺ T cells constituting 10–25% of the CXCR5^highPD-1^highCD4⁺ T cells found in the germinal center after immunization with protein antigens. [Nat Med]

Follicular Regulatory T Cells Expressing Foxp3 and Bcl-6 Suppress Germinal Center Reactions
Here researchers identify a subset of regulatory T cells expressing CXCR5 and Bcl-6 that localize to the germinal centers in mice and humans. [Nat Med]

Lysosomal Trafficking, Antigen Presentation, and Microbial Killing Are Controlled by the Arf-like GTPase Arl8b
Here, using a lysosome-dependent immunological screen of a trafficking shRNA library, scientists identified the Arf-like GTPase Arl8b as a critical regulator of cargo delivery to lysosomes. [Immunity]

Foxp3⁺ Regulatory T Cell Expansion Required for Sustaining Pregnancy Compromises Host Defense Against Prenatal Bacterial Pathogens
Herein, researchers demonstrate that expansion of immune-suppressive Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells which occurs physiologically during pregnancy or when experimentally induced in transgenic mice caused enhanced susceptibility to prenatal pathogens including Listeria and Salmonella species. [Cell Host Microbe]

The E3 Ligase c-Cbl Regulates Dendritic Cell Activation
Investigators have identified the E3 ligase c-Cbl, known for its roles in regulating lymphocyte signalling, as a modulator of dendritic cell activation. [EMBO Rep]

Adaptimmune Announces Opening of Pilot Clinical Trial in Synovial Sarcoma
Adaptimmune announced that it has opened a Pilot, open-label clinical trial in synovial sarcoma at the National Cancer Institute testing its enhanced T cell receptor T cell therapy. [Adaptimmune Limited Press Release]

Genethon and Children’s Hospital Boston Get FDA Approval for a Wiskott Aldrich Gene Therapy Trial
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the launching in the U.S. of a clinical trial for gene therapy for a rare immunodeficiency, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. [Children’s Hospital Boston Press Release]

Visionary Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Announces Initial Seed Round Investments and the Launch of TH17 Autoimmune Disease Research Activities
Visionary Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced that the company has raised seed round investments from a consortium of Angel Investors. The company is using the capital to develop novel small molecule retinoic acid related orphan receptor modulators targeting TH17 T-lymphocytes for the treatment of various autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and COPD. [PR Newswire]

Cancer Research Institute Announces New Programs
Cancer Research Institute, Inc. (CRI) announced new changes and additions to its research funding programs. The changes reflect a strategic shift in CRI’s mission to bring safe and effective immune system-based therapies to cancer patients sooner. [Cancer Research Institute, Inc. Press Release]

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)

NEW American Society for Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics 37th Annual Meeting
October 17-21, 2011
New Orleans, United States

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