Cytotoxic CD8+ T Cells Stimulate Hematopoietic Progenitors by Promoting Cytokine Release from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Results indicate that during an acute viral infection, Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (CTLs) indirectly modulate early multipotent hematopoietic progenitors via mesenchymal stromal cells in order to trigger the temporary activation of emergency myelopoiesis and promote clearance of the infection. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract | Press Release Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37 Promotes Bacterial Phagocytosis by Human Macrophages Scientists investigated the effect of LL-37 on bacterial phagocytosis by macrophages and demonstrate that LL-37 enhances phagocytosis of IgG-opsonized Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in a dose- and time-dependent manner by dTHP-1 cells. [J Leukoc Biol] Abstract An Unbalanced PD-L1/CD86 Ratio in CD14++CD16+ Monocytes Is Correlated with HCV Viremia during Chronic HCV Infection Researchers analyzed the distributions and phenotypic characteristics of three circulating monocyte subsets-CD14++CD16−, CD14++CD16+ and CD14+/dimCD16+-in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients, HCV spontaneous resolvers and healthy controls, and they evaluated the possible link between HCV viremia and disease progression. [Cell Mol Immunol] Abstract Building and Optimizing a Virus-Specific T Cell Receptor Library for Targeted Immunotherapy in Viral Infections T cell receptor (TCR) gene therapy can reconstitute CD8 T cell immunity in chronic patients. The authors cloned ten virus-specific TCRs targeting five different viruses, causing chronic and acute infection. All ten TCR genetic constructs were optimized for expression using a P2A sequence, codon optimization and the addition of a non-native disulfide bond. [Sci Rep] Full Article HIV CD4+ Memory Stem Cells (TSCM) Are Infected by HIV-1 in a Manner Regulated in Part by SAMHD1 Expression Whether CD4+ TSCM are infected by HIV was investigated using a combination HIV reporter virus system in vitro and by direct staining for HIV p24 antigen ex vivo. A proportion of TSCM were found to express the HIV coreceptors CCR5 and CXCR4 and were infected by HIV both in vitro and in vivo. [J Virol] Abstract High Avidity CD8+ T Cells Efficiently Eliminate Motile HIV-Infected Targets and Execute a Locally Focused Program of Anti-Viral Function Using a 3D in vitro model of tissue, researchers visualized dynamic interactions between HIV-infected or peptide-pulsed CD4+ T-cells and HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells. CTLs engaged motile HIV-infected targets, but ~50% of targets broke contact and escaped. [PLoS One] Full Article Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Treatment during Human Monocyte Differentiation Reduces Macrophage Susceptibility to HIV-1 Infection Ex vivo studies were designed to investigate effects on HIV-1 infection in macrophages exposed to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) during or following differentiation. THC treatment of primary human monocytes during differentiation reduced HIV-1 infection of subsequent macrophages by replication competent or single cycle CCR5 using viruses. [J Neuroimmune Pharm] Abstract SAHA (Vorinostat) Induces CDK9 Thr186 (T-Loop) Phosphorylation in Resting CD4+ T-Cells – Implications for Reactivation of Latent HIV Investigators found that suberoylanilide hydroxyamic acid (SAHA) treatment of isolated resting CD4+ T-cells induced CDK9 Thr186 phosphorylation in six of eight healthy donors and increased Cyclin T1 expression in one donor; Thr186 phosphorylation is required for P-TEFb function. [AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses] Abstract |