Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 3.38 | Oct 7 2015

Conserved Motifs within Hepatitis C Virus Envelope (E2) RNA and Protein Independently Inhibit T Cell Activation
Investigators showed that incubation of primary human CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cells with hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-containing serum, HCV-RNA containing extracellular vesicles, cell culture derived HCV particles and HCV envelope pseudotyped retrovirus particles inhibited T cell receptor-mediated signaling. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Immunodominant Epitope-Specific Th1 but Not Th17 Responses Mediate Protection against Helicobacter pylori Infection following UreB Vaccination of BALB/C Mice
Scientists demonstrated that the vaccination of BALB/c mice with recombinant urease B (UreB) subunit resulted in significant antigen-specific Th1 and Th17 immune responses. Importantly, two novel Th epitopes, UreB_317–329 and UreB_409–421, which are recognized by a major population of CD4⁺ T cells, were identified in immunized mice. [Sci Rep] Full Article

HIV

Retroviruses Use CD169-Mediated Trans-Infection of Permissive Lymphocytes to Establish Infection
Investigators visualized how retroviruses disseminate in secondary lymphoid tissues of living mice. They demonstrated that murine leukemia virus (MLV) and human immunodeficiency virus are first captured by sinus-lining macrophages. MLV-laden macrophages then form long-lived synaptic contacts to trans-infect B-1 cells. [Science] Abstract | Press Release | Video 1 | Video 2

Antiretroviral Drugs Do Not Interfere with Bryostatin-Mediated HIV-1 Latency Reversal
Scientists determined the in vitro potential effect of bryostatin-1 (BRY) in combination with currently used antiretroviral drugs. They found that BRY reactivates HIV-1 even in combination with maraviroc or Atripla. [Antiviral Res] Abstract

Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) at Different Stages of HIV-1 Disease Is Not Associated with the Proportion of Exhausted CD8⁺ T Cells
Researchers evaluated whether restoration of CD8⁺ T cell function in HIV-1-infected individuals was dependent on early initiation of ART. HIV-specific CD107a, IFNγ, IL-2, TNFα and MIP-1β expression by CD8⁺ T cells and the frequency of CD8⁺ T cells expressing PD-1, 2B4 and CD160 were measured by flow cytometry. [PLoS One] Full Article

Higher Activation in CD4⁺ T Cells but Similar Viral Control among HIV/HCV-Coinfected Patients on a Simplification Monotherapy
Investigators assessed whether HCV-coinfection would affect the clinical and immunological outcome of HIV-infected patients following a simplification strategy. Immune activation was studied as HLA-DR CD38 co-expression on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and also the quantification of plasma sCD14 levels. [AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses] Abstract

Poor Functional Immune Recovery in Aged HIV-1-Infected Patients following Successfully Treatment with Antiretroviral Therapy
Researchers evaluated the impact of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in recovering functional response of T cells to both HIV-1-specific ENV peptides and tetanus toxoid, in young and aged AIDS patients who responded to ARV therapy by controlling virus replication and elevating CD4⁺ T cell counts. [Hum Immunol] Abstract

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CDC Names Six New Medical Research Centers to Accelerate Health Care Innovations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded a total of $11 million to the six academic institutions to identify possible new and improved ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like Ebola in health care facilities. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] Press Release

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NEW Lab Aide I – Immune Responses to Herpes Simplex Virus (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Precision Vaccines (Boston Children’s Hospital)

Canadian Research Chair Tier 1 – Systems Immunology (University of Manitoba)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Membrane Structural Biology and Virus-Host Interactions (Harbin Institute of Technology)

Assistant Professor – Immunology (Erasmus University Medical Center)

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Postdoctoral Position – Immunology and Virology (Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research)

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