Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 3.42 | Nov 4 2015

Virion-Associated Phosphatidylethanolamine Promotes TIM1-Mediated Infection by Ebola, Dengue, and West Nile Viruses
Scientists showed that a subset of phosphatidylserine receptors, including T-cell immunoglobulin mucin domain protein 1 (TIM1), efficiently bind phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). They demonstrated that PE is exposed on the surface of apoptotic cells, and promotes their phagocytic uptake by TIM1-expressing cells. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Full Article

The Salivary Gland Acts as a Sink for Tissue-Resident Memory CD8⁺ T Cells, Facilitating Protection from Local Cytomegalovirus Infection
Researchers showed that the salivary gland most-effectively induces CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ tissue-resident memory T cells (T_RM) cells against murine cytomegalovirus, which persists in and spreads from this organ. T_RM generation depended on local antigen for CD4⁺, but not CD8⁺, T_RM cells, highlighting major differences in T cell subset-specific demands for T_RM development. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

A Critical Role of IL-21-Induced BATF in Sustaining CD8-T-Cell-Mediated Chronic Viral Control
Scientists demonstrated that IL-21 causes a phenotypic switch of transcription factor expression in CD8 T cells during chronic viral infection characterized by sustained BATF expression. Importantly, BATF expression during chronic infection is both required for optimal CD8 T cell persistence and anti-viral effector function and sufficient to rescue “unhelped” CD8 T cells. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Sustains the Survival of Foxp3⁺ Regulatory Cells during Late Phase of Oropharyngeal Candidiasis Infection
Investigators studied how CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells viability is regulated in the context of mouse oropharyngeal candidiasis infection, and found that these cells show increased protection from apoptosis during late phase of infection and reinfection. [Mucosal Immunol] Abstract

HIV

Short-Term Treatment with IFNα Diminishes Expression of HIV-1 and Reduces CD4⁺ T-Cell Activation in HIV/HCV–Coinfected Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy
The short-term impact of IFNα on persistent HIV-1 and its effects on immune activation after antiretroviral therapy were studied. Researchers showed that cell-associated HIV-1 RNA, and CD4⁺ T-cell activation decreased in the IFN group. [J Infect Dis] Abstract

Reducing IRF-1 to Levels Observed in HESN Subjects Limits HIV Replication, but Not the Extent of Host Immune Activation
Researchers examined the functional consequences of reducing endogenous IRF-1 (interferon regulatory factor‑1) on HIV-1 replication and immune response to HIV in natural HIV target cells. [Mol Ther Nucleic Acids] Full Article

Combination Recombinant Simian or Chimpanzee Adenoviral Vectors for Vaccine Development
Scientists investigated the potential of low seroprevalence non-human primate rAd vectors to stimulate cellular and humoral responses using HIV Env glycoprotein as the representative antigen. [Vaccine] Abstract

Prime/ Boost Immunization with HIV-1 MPER-V3 Fusion Construct Enhances Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses
The levels of humoral and cellular immune responses were compared using MPER-V3 injection in three immunization strategies such as DNA/DNA, peptide/peptide, and DNA/ peptide (prime-boost). They showed that prime immunization with low dose of the nanoparticles followed by MPER-V3 peptide drives T cell responses towards a Th1-type similar to high dose of the naked DNA prime/ peptide boost immunization. [Immunol Lett] Abstract

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ViiV Healthcare Announces Positive Headline Results from a Study of Two Drug Injectable Regimen for HIV Maintenance Therapy
ViiV Healthcare, a global specialist HIV company with GSK, Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi Limited as shareholders, announced that the Phase IIb study LATTE 2 met its primary endpoint at 32 weeks. LATTE 2 investigated long acting cabotegravir with long acting rilpivirine as a two-drug antiretroviral (ART) regimen for suppressive maintenance therapy in ART-naïve, HIV infected adults. [ViiV Healthcare] Press Release

Immunovaccine’s Vaccine Candidate for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Is Well Tolerated in Volunteers in Phase I Clinical Trial
Immunovaccine Inc. announced that safety data from a Phase I clinical study showed that its DepoVax™ prophylactic respiratory syncytial virus vaccine candidate (DPX-RSV) was well tolerated in the Phase I study’s first 20 volunteers, of whom eight subjects received the DPX-RSV vaccine. [Immunovaccine Inc.] Press Release

Cannabis Science to Begin Its Drug Development Program with IGXBio and Its GenePro^®, DNA-Based Immunotherapeutic, FDA IND # Approved
Cannabis Science, Inc. has announced a significant collaborative drug development deal with IGXBio Inc., and its GenePro^®, a DNA-based immunotherapeutic that recently received FDA IND approval to enter into human trials. The companies intend to develop a joint protocol to demonstrate potential synergistic effects of their respective drug candidates in HIV, as well as potential new drug candidates. [Cannabis Science, Inc.] Press Release

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NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Optical Trapping of HIV (University of Michigan Ann Arbor)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – HIV/SIV Immunology (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Meningeal Immunity in Healthy and Injured CNS (University of Virginia)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Exogenous and Endogenous Retroviruses (The Francis Crick Institute)

Postdoctoral Position – Immune Responses in Influenza Virus Infection (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

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)

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