Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 4.25 | Jun 29 2016

TOP STORY

Dengue Virus Exposure May Amplify Zika Infection

Early-stage laboratory findings suggest the recent explosive outbreak of Zika may have been driven in part by previous exposure to the dengue virus. The study also suggests the Zika virus uses the body’s own defenses as a ‘Trojan horse’, allowing it to enter a human cell undetected. Once inside the cell, it replicates rapidly. [Press release from Imperial College London discussing online prepublication in Nature] Press Release | Abstract

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MAIT Cells Are Activated during Human Viral Infections

Scientists demonstrated that Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are also activated during human viral infections in vivo. MAIT cells activation was observed during infection with dengue virus, hepatitis C virus and influenza virus. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Regulation of EBV LMP1-Triggered EphA4 Downregulation in EBV-Associated B Lymphoma and Its Impact on Patients’ Survival

Researchers found that EphA4, which belongs to the largest receptor tyrosine kinase Eph family, was downregulated in primary B cells post-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection at the transcriptional and translational levels. [Blood] Abstract

Microbiota-Regulated IL-25 Increases Eosinophil Number to Provide Protection during Clostridium difficile Infection

Scientists investigated the role of the microbiota-linked cytokine IL-25 during infection. Intestinal IL-25 was suppressed during Clostridium difficile infection in humans and mice. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract | Press Release

Association of γδ T Cell Compartment Size to Disease Activity and Response to Therapy in SLE

Investigators characterized the γδT cell compartment in SLE and correlate its status to disease severity and response to therapy. [PLoS One] Full Article

Surface Expression of Inhibitory (CTLA-4) and Stimulatory (OX40) Receptors by CD4⁺ Regulatory T Cell Subsets Circulating in Human Malaria

The authors provide a detailed phenotypic characterization of immunoregulatory CD4⁺ T cell populations in uncomplicated human malaria. They found an increased proportion of CD4⁺ T cells expressing CTLA-4, OX40, GITR, TNFRII, and CD69 in acute-phase single-species infections with Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium falciparum, or both. [Microbes Infect] Abstract

HIV

Uncleaved Prefusion-Optimized gp140 Trimers Derived From Analysis of HIV-1 Envelope Metastability

The trimeric HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) is critical for host immune recognition and neutralization. Despite advances in trimer design, the roots of Env trimer metastability remain elusive. Researchers investigated the contribution of two Env regions to metastability. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

HIV-Specific Th2 and Th17 Responses Predict HIV Vaccine Protection Efficacy

Scientists showed that a recently developed analytical tool, the polyfunctionality index, not only enables prediction of protection after vaccination against HIV, but also allows identification of the immunological pathways involved. [Sci Rep] Full Article

P-Glycoprotein (ABCB1) Activity Decreases Raltegravir Disposition in Primary CD4⁺P-gp^high Cells and Correlates with HIV-1 Viral Load

Researchers evaluated the role of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug-resistant-protein 1 on raltegravir intracellular drug disposition in CD4⁺ T cells, investigate the effect of HIV-1 infection on P-gp expression and correlate HIV-1 viremia with P-gp activity in primary CD4⁺ T cell subsets. [J Antimicrob Chemother] Full Article

Human T_h17 Cells Lack HIV-Inhibitory RNases and Are Highly Permissive to Productive HIV Infection

Scientists showed that T helper 17 (T_h17) cells also exhibit heightened permissiveness to productive Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Primary human CD4⁺ T cells were sorted, activated in T_h17- or T_h0-polarizing conditions and infected, then analyzed by flow cytometry. [J Virol] Abstract

CD4-Induced Antibodies Promote Association of the HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein with CD4-Binding Site Antibodies

Investigators observed that, at a fixed total concentration, mixtures of the CD4-induced antibodies and the CD4 binding site antibody VRC01 neutralized the HIV-1 isolates 89.6, ADA, SG3, and SA32 more efficiently than either antibody alone. [J Virol] Abstract

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Antibody-Guided Vaccine Design: Identification of Protective Epitopes

The authors illustrate, with relevant examples, the power of this approach that can rapidly lead to the identification of protective antigens in complex pathogens, such as human cytomegalovirus and Plasmodium falciparum, and of conserved sites in highly variable antigens, such as influenza hemagglutinin and HIV-1 Env. [Curr Opin Immunol] Full Article

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First Patients Enrolled in Extension Phase of the HIV Study TEACH

MOLOGEN AG announced that its partner, the Danish Aarhus University Hospital, treated the first patients in the extension phase of the TEACH study. In the trial with MOLOGEN’s TLR9 agonist, the Immune Surveillance Reactivator lefitolimod, is tested in HIV positive patients. [MOLOGEN AG] Press Release

New Four-Strain Influenza Vaccine, VaxigripTetra™, Regulatory Dossier from Sanofi Pasteur Now Approved in Europe

Sanofi Pasteur announced that its quadrivalent influenza vaccine VaxigripTetra™ obtained a positive end of procedure from the German Reference Member State Paul Ehrlich Institute, as a conclusion of the European Decentralized Procedure. VaxigripTetra™ is a four-strain influenza vaccine, containing two A strains (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2) and two B strains (B/Victoria and B/Yamagata), for use in individuals aged 36 months or older. [Sanofi Pasteur] Press Release

Regulus Reports Clinical Hold of RG-101

Regulus Therapeutics Inc. announced it received verbal notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that its Investigational New Drug for RG-101 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection has been placed on clinical hold. [Regulus Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

Researchers Reeling as UK Votes to Leave EU

The United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union has plunged it into political and economic uncertainty — and left researchers worried over the future of their funding and collaborations, the UK’s participation in major European research programs, and the freedom of movement and employment status of thousands of scientists. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW HIV Glasgow
October 23-26, 2016
Glasgow, United Kingdom

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the immunology of infectious disease community.

NEW Research in HIV-Host DNA Repair Interactions – HIV-1 Infection of Macrophages and Monocytes (Johns Hopkins University)

Research Associate – Immunology and Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – T Cell Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Bioengineering (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Senior Scientist – Immunology and Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Modelling of the Immune Response to Ebola Vaccine (Inserm)

Research Associate – Smart Phone-Connected Tests for Emerging Infectious Diseases (University College London)

Two Postdoctoral Positions – Viral Hepatitis (Inserm)

Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor – Infectious Diseases (University of Washington)

Research Associate – Molecular and Cellular Biology of Inflammation (King’s College London)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Immune Focused In Vitro Research (King’s College London)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – HIV Vaccine Research (Universitätsklinikum Essen)

Pharmacologist/Toxicologist (The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Immune Response to Infection (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Principal Investigators – Infectious Diseases (CCID)

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