Immune Regulation News Volume 3.29 | Aug 12 2011

Genetically Modified “Serial Killer” T Cells Obliterate Tumors in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Researchers Report
Researchers have shown sustained remissions of up to a year among a small group of advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients treated with genetically engineered versions of their own T cells. [Press release from Penn Medicine discussing online prepublication in the New England Journal of Medicine and Science Translational Medicine]

Protein Unmasks Pathogenic Fungi to Activate Immune Response
Scientists describe a mechanism by which immune cells can distinguish between pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi and modulate the immune response accordingly. [Press release from the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research discussing online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA]

A Novel Mechanism That Regulates Pro Inflammatory Cells Is Identified
New research has identified a novel sensory pathway that modulates the potency of Th17 cell responses. [Press release from the New York University Langone Medical Center discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Experimental Medicine]

New Genetic Links to MS Also Play Roles in Other Autoimmune Diseases
Results of the largest genomics study of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients ever undertaken have identified more than two dozen new genetic variants linked to disease risk, including some previously implicated in other autoimmune diseases. [Press release from the Yale School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in Nature and PLoS Genetics]

Professor Researches Drama Queen of Immune System
The researcher is using a $140,000 grant from the American Heart Association to identify the molecule responsible for the overreaction that can cause cell death in the intestines after trauma. [Kansas State University Press Release]

Chimeric Antigen Receptor–Modified T Cells in Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia
Scientists designed a lentiviral vector expressing a chimeric antigen receptor with specificity for the B-cell antigen CD19, coupled with CD137 (a costimulatory receptor in T cells [4-1BB]) and CD3-zeta (a signal-transduction component of the T-cell antigen receptor) signaling domains. [N Engl J Med]

Genetic Risk and a Primary Role for Cell-Mediated Immune Mechanisms in Multiple Sclerosis
Immunologically relevant genes are significantly overrepresented among those mapping close to the identified loci and particularly implicate T-helper-cell differentiation in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. [Nature]

The Ca_V1.4 Calcium Channel Is a Critical Regulator of T Cell Receptor Signaling and Naive T Cell Homeostasis
Here, researchers have demonstrated that the L-type “voltage-dependent” Ca²⁺ channel Ca_V1.4 plays a cell-intrinsic role in the function, development, and survival of naive T cells. [Immunity]

The Signaling Adaptor Eps8 Is an Essential Actin Capping Protein for Dendritic Cell Migration
Here, researchers have shown that dendritic cells require the actin capping activity of the signaling adaptor Eps8 to polarize and to form elongated migratory protrusions. [Immunity]

Cytokine Signals Through PI-3 Kinase Pathway Modulate Th17 Cytokine Production by CCR6⁺ Human Memory T Cells
Researchers show that common γ chain–using cytokines, namely IL-2, IL-7, and IL-15, potently induce Th17-signature cytokine expression (Il17a, Il17f, Il22, and Il26) in CCR6⁺, but not CCR6⁻, human memory T cells, even in CCR6⁺ cells lacking IL-17 expression ex vivo. [J Exp Med]

Fungal Recognition Is Mediated by the Association of Dectin-1 and Galectin-3 in Macrophages
Here researchers use sortase-mediated transpeptidation, a technique that allows placement of a variety of probes on a polypeptide backbone, to monitor the behavior of labeled functional dectin-1 in live cells with and without fungal challenge. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA]

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Deficiency in T Cells Suppresses the Development of Collagen-Induced Arthritis
The findings indicate that the development of experimental autoimmune arthritis depends on the presence of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in T cells, and that Th1/Th17 balance may be particularly important for this process. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA]

Pervasive Sharing of Genetic Effects in Autoimmune Disease
In this work researchers evaluated the extent of genetic risk factor sharing for 107 immune disease-risk single nucleotide polymorphisms in seven diseases: celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and type 1 diabetes. [PLoS Genet]

Autocrine Regulation of Pulmonary Inflammation by Effector T-Cell Derived IL-10 During Infection with Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Here, researchers examined the role of IL-10 in a murine model of primary respiratory syncytial virus infection and found that high levels of IL-10 are produced in the respiratory tract by anti-viral effector T cells at the onset of the adaptive immune response. [PLoS Pathog]

T Cells with Chimeric Antigen Receptors Have Potent Antitumor Effects and Can Establish Memory in Patients with Advanced Leukemia
Researchers report that chimeric antigen receptor T cells that target CD19 and contain a costimulatory domain from CD137 and the T cell receptor ζ chain have potent non–cross-resistant clinical activity after infusion in three of three patients treated with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia. [Sci Transl Med]

Genesis Biopharma Signs Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Cancer Institute to Develop Cancer Immunotherapies
Genesis Biopharma, Inc. announced it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Cancer Institute. [Genesis Biopharma, Inc. Press Release]

MolMed Signs an Agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to Develop a Production Process for a Gene Therapy
MolMed S.p.A. announced that it has signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline under which MolMed will develop a production process for an investigational gene therapy for ADA-SCID (Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency – Severe Combined Immune Deficiency). [MolMed S.p.A. 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 9th Joint Meeting of the International Cytokine Society (ICS) and the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research (ISICR)
October 9-12, 2011
Florence, Italy

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

Have we missed an important article or publication in Immune Regulation News? Click here to submit!

Comments or Suggestions? Email info@connexoncreative.com with your feedback.