Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 4.37 | Sep 21 2016

TOP STORY

UNC Researchers Identify How Hepatitis A Virus Causes Liver Injury

Hepatitis researchers have long thought that immune cells – sent to attack virus-infected cells in the liver – cause the acute liver injury associated with hepatitis A virus (HAV) and other hepatitis viruses. Yet, investigators discovered that it is an immediate, intrinsic response of the HAV-infected cell that results in liver inflammation. [Press release from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in Science] Press Release | Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Characterization of the Specificity, Functionality and Durability of Host T-Cell Responses against the Full-Length Hepatitis E Virus

Investigators characterized the specificity, functionality and durability of host T-cell responses against the full-length hepatitis E virus (HEV) virus and assessed a novel “Quantiferon” assay for the rapid diagnosis of HEV infection. [Hepatology] Abstract

The Breadth of Synthetic Long Peptide Vaccine-Induced CD8⁺ T Cell Responses Determines the Efficacy against Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection

Scientists explored synthetic long peptide vaccination as a platform modality to protect against mouse CMV (MCMV) infection in preclinical mouse models. In both C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse strains, prime-booster vaccination with SLPs containing MHC class I restricted epitopes of MCMV resulted in the induction of strong and polyfunctional CD8⁺ T cell responses, equivalent in magnitude to those induced by the virus itself. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

T Cell Immunoglobulin- and Mucin-Domain-Containing Molecule-3 (Tim-3) Signaling Blockade Improves Cell-Mediated Immunity against Malaria

Scientists found that the expression of Tim-3 expression on key populations of lymphocytes was significantly increased in both Plasmodium falciparum-infected patients and Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected C57BL/6 mice. [J Infect Dis] Abstract

Direct IL-6 Signals Maximize Protective Secondary CD4 T Cell Responses against Influenza

Researchers identified a dramatic and selective requirement for IL-6 to achieve optimal memory CD4 T cell recall following heterosubtypic influenza A virus (IAV) challenge of mice primed previously with wild-type or attenuated IAV strains. [J Immunol] Abstract

Long-Lived CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺ T Cells rather than Short-Lived CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺IL-10⁺ T Cells Initiate Rapid IL-10 Production To Suppress Anamnestic T Cell Responses during Secondary Malaria Infection

Utilizing IFN-γ–yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and IL-10–GFP dual reporter mice, the authors showed that primary malaria infection–induced CD4⁺YFP⁺GFP⁺ T cells have limited memory potential, do not stably express IL-10, and are disproportionately lost from the Ag-experienced CD4⁺ T cell memory population during the maintenance phase postinfection. [J Immunol] Abstract

Aspects of T Cell-Mediated Immunity Induced in Mice by a DNA Vaccine Based on the Dengue-NS1 Antigen after Challenge by the Intracerebral Route

A DNA vaccine based on the dengue virus (DENV) non-structural protein 1 (pcTPANS1) was evaluated, focusing on the induced T cell-mediated immunity against intracerebral (i.c.)-DENV infection. Immunophenotyping assays by flow cytometry revealed that immunization with pcTPANS1 promotes a sustained T cell activation in spleen of i.c.-infected mice. [PLoS One] Full Article

HIV

HIV Suppression Restores Lung Mucosal CD4⁺ T-Cell Viral Immunity and Resolves CD8⁺ Alveolitis in Patients at Risk for HIV-Associated COPD

Researchers evaluated the impact of viral suppression following initiation of antiretroviral therapy on HIV-specific immunity and lung CD4:CD8 balance. [J Infect Dis] Abstract

HIV Envelope gp120 Alters T-Cell Receptor Mobilization in the Immunological Synapse of Uninfected CD4 T Cells and Augments the T Cell Activation

Researchers sought to evaluate how the presence of the HIV envelope in the CD4 T cell immunological synapse affects synapse formation and intracellular signaling to impact the downstream T cell activation events. [J Virol] Full Article

Nonhuman TRIM5 Variants Enhance Recognition of HIV-1-Infected Cells by CD8⁺ T Cells

Investigators investigated whether the expression of two nonhuman TRIM5 orthologs, rhesus TRIM5α and TRIM-cyclophilin A, both of which are potent restrictors of HIV-1, could enhance immune recognition of infected cells by CD8⁺ T cells. [J Virol] Abstract

Lack of Response to HBHA in HIV-Infected Patients with Latent Tuberculosis Infection

The authors evaluated the immune response to heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) in HIV-infected subjects with LTBI or active TB in comparison with the immune response to additional Mycobacterium tuberculosis or HIV and CMV antigens. [Scand J Immunol] Abstract

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The Role of MAIT Cells in Infectious Diseases

Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are donor-unrestricted lymphocytes that are surprisingly abundant in humans, representing 1-10% of circulating T cells and further enriched in mucosal tissues. MAIT cells recognize and are activated by small molecule ligands produced by microbes and presented by MR1, a highly conserved MHC-related antigen presenting protein that is ubiquitously expressed in human cells. [Immunology] Abstract

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

Takeda and Zydus Cadila Partner to Address the Global Threat of Chikungunya

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Zydus Cadila announced a partnership to tackle chikungunya, an emerging infectious disease in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. [Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited] Press Release

Mymetics and Texas Biomedical Research Institute Continue Collaboration on HIV Vaccine Development

Mymetics Corporation announced the continuation of the collaboration with the Texas Biomedical Research Institute related to the Mymetics’ HIV vaccine candidate. [Mymetics Corporation] Download Press Release

ABL Awarded NIAID Contract to Develop Biotherapeutics to Address Infectious Disease

ABL, Inc. announced it is one of four prime contractors awarded a ten-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract #HHSN272201600004I “Preclinical Services for Biopharmaceutical Product Development” by the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). [ABL, Inc.] Press Release

The Medicines Company Awarded up to $132 Million to Develop Portfolio of New Antibiotics Targeting Drug-Resistant Infections under Strategic Partnership with BARDA

The Medicines Company announced that it has entered into a new strategic partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) that will provide the company with up to $132 million to support the development of new antibiotics to fight drug-resistant, gram-negative infections. [The Medicines Company] Press Release

Titanic Clash over CRISPR Patents Turns Ugly

Much of the focus is on the teams centred at Berkeley and the Broad Institute, whose ‘foundational’ patents cover a wide swathe of CRISPR–Cas9 applications. Although Berkeley’s team filed for a patent first, the Broad opted for an expedited review process, and its patents were granted earlier. [Nature News] Editorial

Spain Joins Bandwagon for ‘Openness’ About Animal Research

The Spanish scientific community has pledged to become more transparent about animal research. Ninety research centers, universities, scientific societies, and companies around Spain have adopted a set of standards, launched by the Confederation of Spanish Scientific Societies, on how research organizations should open up communication channels about their use of laboratory animals. [Science Insider] Editorial

New Fellowship Aims to Increase Diversity in the Life Sciences

A new program aims to launch the careers of life scientists from underrepresented groups by providing up to 8 years of support, covering both the postdoctoral training and junior faculty stages. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program will award up to 15 recipients with $60,000 of salary support and $20,000 in flexible funds paid to their institutions for each of up to 4 years of postdoc training. [Science Insider] Editorial

NEW British Society for Immunology Congress
December 6-9, 2016
Liverpool, United Kingdom

NEW Keystone Symposium: New Developments in Our Basic Understanding of Tuberculosis
January 14-18, 2017
Vancouver, Canada

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

NEW Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

NEW Faculty Positions – Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation Biology (Weill Cornell Medicine)

NEW Faculty Position – Senior Immunologist (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

NEW Research Position – Immunotherapy Approach to Treat HIV Infection (California Institute of Technology)

NEW Post Doctoral Research Fellow – Thymic and Immune Regeneration (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Infectious Disease Dynamics (University of Cambridge)

Faculty Positions – Microbiology (University of Pennsylvania)

Postdoctoral Position – B Regulatory Cells (Inserm)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Translational Immunology (University of Eastern Finland)

Postdoctoral Fellow(s) – Biomedical Diagnostics and Global Health Technologies (Cornell University)

Faculty Position – Immunology (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Mucosal Immunology (University of Utah)

PhD Positions – Infection Biology and Immunology (ZIBI Graduate School)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Quantitative Infectious Disease Methods (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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