Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 4.27 | Jul 13 2016

TOP STORY

Natural Killer-Like B Cells Prime Innate Lymphocytes against Microbial Infection

Scientists showed that a lymphocyte subpopulation natural killer-like B (NKB) cells existed in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes. NKBs had unique features that differed from T and B cells, and produced interleukin-18 (IL-18) and IL-12 at an early phase of infection. [Immunity] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Continuous Effector CD8⁺ T Cell Production in a Controlled Persistent Infection Is Sustained by a Proliferative Intermediate Population

Researchers examined the cellular mechanisms that maintain ongoing T effector responses using a mouse model for persistent Toxoplasma gondii infection. In mice expressing the protective MHC-I molecule, H-2L^d, a dominant T effector response against a single parasite antigen was maintained without a contraction phase, correlating with ongoing presentation of the dominant antigen. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

IL-17A–Producing Resident Memory γδ T Cells Orchestrate the Innate Immune Response to Secondary Oral Listeria monocytogenes Infection

Investigators used a recombinant strain of L. monocytogenes that efficiently invades the intestinal epithelium to show that Vγ4⁺ memory γδ T cells represent a resident memory population in the mesenteric lymph nodes. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract

Trypanosoma brucei Co-Opts NK Cells to Kill Splenic B2 B Cells

Investigators showed that T. brucei infection-induced splenic B cell depletion results from natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Efficient Inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus Infection by a preS1-Binding Peptide

The authors report that by means of concatenation of B10, they identified a quadruple concatemer 4B10 that displayed a markedly increased preS1-binding activity. The main binding site of 4B10 in preS1 was mapped to the receptor binding enhancing region. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Tuberculosis Therapy Modifies the Cytokine Profile, Maturation State, and Expression of Inhibitory Molecules on Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Specific CD4⁺ T-Cells

Cryopreserved PBMCs from HIV-tuberculosis (TB) co-infected and TB mono-infected patients with untreated and treated TB disease were stimulated for six hours with PPD and stained. Using polychromatic flow cytometry, researchers characterized the differentiation state, cytokine profile, and inhibitory molecule expression on PPD-specific CD4 T-cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

Partial Recovery of Senescence and Differentiation Disturbances in CD8⁺ T Cell Effector-Memory Cells in HIV-1 Infection after Initiation of ART

Frequencies of CD57⁺CD8⁺ T cells decreased after initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in central (Tcm) but not in effector memory (TemRO and TemRA) populations. The frequency of CD127⁺CD8⁺ cells increased in Tcm and TemRO. [Clin Exp Immunol] Abstract

HIV

CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ Memory CD4 T Cells Are Frequent Targets of HIV Infection In Vivo

CD25⁺FoxP3⁺CD4⁺ T cell frequencies, absolute numbers and the expression of CCR5 and cell cycle marker Ki67 were studied in peripheral blood from HIV⁺ and HIV^– study volunteers. [J Virol] Abstract

Understanding Factors that Modulate the Establishment of HIV Latency in Resting CD4⁺ T-Cells In Vitro

Researchers examined the effects of donor variability, HIV titre and co-receptor usage on establishing HIV latency in vitro using two models of HIV latency. Using the CCL19 model of HIV latency, they found that in up to 50% of donors, CCL19 enhanced latent infection of resting CD4⁺ T-cells by CXCR4-tropic HIV in the presence of low dose IL-2. [PLoS One] Full Article

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Immune Responses and Immunopathology in Acute and Chronic Viral Hepatitis

The authors discuss the similarities and differences in immune responses to and immunopathogenesis of hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections, which may explain the distinct courses and outcomes of each hepatitis virus infection. [Nat Rev Immunol] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the immunology of infectious disease research field.

2016/17 Formulation of Flublok^® Influenza Vaccine Receives FDA Approval

Protein Sciences Corporation announced that FDA has approved the 2016/17 formulation of Flublok^® influenza vaccine. [Protein Sciences Corporation (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

European Commission Grants Marketing Authorization for Gilead’s Epclusa^® (Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir) for the Treatment of All Genotypes of Chronic Hepatitis C

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Epclusa^®, the first pan-genotypic, single tablet regimen for the treatment of adults with genotype 1-6 chronic hepatitis C virus infection. [Gilead Sciences, Inc.] Press Release

Beat It, Impact Factor! Publishing Elite Turns against Controversial Metric

A paper posted to the preprint server bioRxiv, authored by senior employees at several leading science publishers (including Nature’s owner, SpringerNature), calls on journals to downplay the figure in favour of a metric that captures the range of citations that a journal’s articles attract. [Nature News] Editorial | Article

Brexit Watch: Scientists Grapple with the Fallout

Two weeks after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the future remains opaque. Concerns within the research community are particularly intense for those who rely on the EU for funding, or who have the right to work in the United Kingdom only because they are citizens of other EU countries. [Nature News] Editorial

The Past, Present and Future of the PhD Thesis

According to one of those often-quoted statistics that should be true but probably isn’t, the average number of people who read a PhD thesis all the way through is 1.6. And that includes the author. More interesting might be the average number of PhD theses that the typical scientist — and reader of Nature — has read from start to finish. [Nature News] Editorial

Major Funders Launch International Repository of Cutting-Edge Cancer Models

U.S. and European funding agencies are launching the Human Cancer Models Initiative, which aims to give the research community tumor cells that behave more like actual human tumors. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW 6^th European Congress of Virology
October 19-22, 2016
Hamburg, Germany

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Malaria Genetics (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

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

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Bioengineering (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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

Resource Technologist (The University of Pennsylvania)

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

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Modeling 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)

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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