Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 5.01 | Jan 11 2017

TOP STORY

What Does it Take for an AIDS Virus to Infect a Person?

Scientists examined the characteristics of HIV-1 strains that were successful in traversing the genital mucosa that forms a boundary to entry by viruses and bacteria. Studying viral isolates from the blood and genital secretions of eight chronically HIV-1 infected donors and their matched recipients, they identified a sub-population of HIV-1 strains with biological properties that predispose them to establish new infections more efficiently. [Press release from Penn Medicine discussing online prepublication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] Press Release | Abstract | Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Axl Mediates ZIKA Virus Entry in Human Glial Cells and Modulates Innate Immune Responses

Scientists showed that Axl is expressed in human microglia and astrocytes in the developing brain and that it mediates ZIKA virus (ZIKV) infection of glial cells. Axl-mediated ZIKV entry requires the Axl ligand Gas6, which bridges ZIKV particles to glial cells. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract | Press Release

HCMV Specific CD4⁺ T Cells Are Poly-Functional and Can Respond to HCMV Infected Dendritic Cells In Vitro

Researchers screened the IFNγ and IL-10 response to 6 human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) peptide pools in 84 donors, aged 23 – 74 years. Predominantly the HCMV specific CD4⁺ T cell response to pp65, IE1, IE2 and gB was Th1 biased with neither loss nor accumulation of these responses with increasing age. [J Virol] Abstract

A Single, Low Dose of a cGMP Recombinant BCG Vaccine Elicits Protective T Cell Immunity against the Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and Prevents Lung Pathology in Mice

Investigators described that a recombinant Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine expressing the nucleoprotein of human respiratory syncytial virus formulated under current good manufacture practices confers protective immunity to the virus in mice. [Vaccine] Abstract

Immunization with Salmonella Enteritidis Secreting Mucosal Adjuvant Labile Toxin Confers Protection against Wild Type Challenge via Augmentation of CD3⁺CD4⁺ T-Cell Proliferation and Enhancement of IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-10 Expressions in Chicken

Four-week-old chickens were inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE)-double mutant heat labile enterotoxin (dmLT) strain JOL1641, parental SE strain JOL1087 or phosphate buffered saline control. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of SE-dmLT inoculated birds showed significant proliferation upon stimulation with SE antigens as compared to the control and JOL1087 groups. [Vaccine] Abstract

Regulation of Viral Replication, Apoptosis and Pro-Inflammatory Responses by 17-AAG during Chikungunya Virus Infection in Macrophages

Raw264.7 cells, a mouse macrophage cell line, were infected with chikungunya virus and viral replication as well as new viral progeny release was assessed by flow cytometry and plaque assay, respectively. Host immune modulation and apoptosis were studied through flow cytometry, Western blot and ELISA. [Viruses] Full Article

Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Activity Is Associated with Regulatory T Cell Response in Acute Puumala Hantavirus Infection

The immunoregulatory effects of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase can be mediated either through metabolic control of effector T cells, caused by depletion of the essential amino acid tryptophan, or intercellular signaling and activation of regulatory T cell responses. Investigators studied 24 patients with acute PUUV infection to distinguish between these possibilities. Maximum indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity showed a significant positive correlation with FOXP3 expression levels in regulatory T cells, a quantitative surrogate marker for suppressive capability. [Pathog Dis] Abstract

HIV

Collapse of Cytolytic Potential in SIV-Specific CD8⁺ T Cells following Acute SIV Infection in Rhesus Macaques

Using the rhesus macaque SIV infection model, scientists evaluated the kinetics of SIV-specific CD8⁺ T cell cytolytic factor expression in peripheral blood, lymph node, spleen, and gut mucosa from early acute infection through chronic infection. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Increased Expression of Negative Regulators of Cytokine Signaling during Chronic HIV Disease Cause Functionally Exhausted State of Dendritic Cells

Investigators aimed to study the expression of negative regulators of cytokine signaling and correlate with dendritic cell (DC) exhaustion during chronic HIV-1 disease. Monocyte-derived DCs from 27 HIV-1 infected patients and 19 healthy controls were stimulated ex vivo with TLR4 agonist, lipopolysaccharide for 2 days to evaluate their functional fitness. [Cytokine] Abstract

Subscribe to our sister publications: Human Immunology News & Immune Regulation News.

Innate Immunity against Legionella pneumophila during Pulmonary Infections in Mice

Crosstalk between natural killer cells and dendritic cells, monocytes, and macrophages provides a major first-line defense against legionella infection, whereas activation of T and B cells resolves the infection and mounts legionella-specific memory in the host. [Arch Pharm Res] Abstract

Immune Persistence after Pertussis Vaccination

The authors present data on immune persistence after different pertussis vaccinations and compare the findings from countries with different vaccination strategies. Future aspects in serological studies are briefly discussed. [Hum Vaccin Immunother] Abstract

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

Viriom Announces Collaboration with NIH on Zika and Other Major Viral Diseases

Viriom Inc. announced that it has entered into a collaboration with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to identify new drug candidates for treatment of the Zika and other important virus infections. [Viriom Inc.] Press Release

Karmanos Cancer Institute Joins Nation’s Leading Cancer Centers to Endorse HPV Vaccine

Recognizing a critical need to improve national vaccination rates for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has joined with National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers to support recently revised recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Karmanos Cancer Institute] Press Release

Kymab Receives $9 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Fund Infectious Disease Research and Development

Kymab Group Limited announced that it has received a $9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate the development of novel vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases, including HIV. [Kymab Group Limited] Press Release

Gilead Awards More Than $22 Million in Grants to Support HIV Cure Research

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced the recipients of its HIV cure grants program, a fund totaling more than $22 million, which will support 12 new HIV cure research projects. [Gilead Sciences, Inc.] Press Release

PaxVax Partners with National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense to Develop a New Virus-Like Particle Vaccine to Fight the Spread of Chikungunya

PaxVax announced its partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and United States Department of Defense (DoD) on its chikungunya vaccine program. According to the terms of the collaboration, PaxVax has in-licensed the NIH virus-like particle vaccine technology for chikungunya with plans to bring the vaccine through full commercialization. [PaxVax Corporation] Press Release

Aridis Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive Clinical Data from Phase I/IIa Study of Human Monoclonal Antibody AR-301 for Treating Pneumonia

Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced positive clinical results from its Phase I/IIa study of AR-301, its fully human monoclonal antibody against Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin being evaluated as an adjunctive therapy in combination with standard of care antibiotics for hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia. [Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

Vir Biotechnology Launches to Cure, Treat, and Prevent Challenging Infectious Diseases Using Latest Advances in Immunology

Vir Biotechnology, Inc. announced it is launching to develop cures, treatments, and preventions for challenging infectious diseases, with former Biogen CEO George Scangos heading a team of scientific and industry leaders. [Vir Biotechnology, Inc.] Press Release

White House Announces Review Process for Risky Virus Studies

Federal officials released a plan to help U.S. agencies decide whether to fund controversial studies that make viruses more dangerous. The guidance may finally bring an end to a moratorium that has kept a handful of experiments funded by the Department of Health and Human Services on hold for more than 2 years. [Science News] Editorial

Cleveland Clinic Will Discipline Doctor Who Wrote Antivaccination Column

The Cleveland Clinic released an apology from a staff physician who published an antivaccination column on the news website Cleveland.com. The doctor, Daniel Neides, will be “appropriately disciplined,” the Ohio hospital added in its own statement, which noted that the family physician’s views do not reflect his institution’s. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW 18^th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID)
March 1-4, 2017
Buenos Aires, Argentina

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

NEW Postdoctoral Position – Immune Responses in the Controlled Human Malaria Infection Model (Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Leishmania Host Interactions (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

Academic Appointments – Infectious Diseases (Imperial College London)

Senior Scientist Virology – Infectious Diseases Unit (Sanofi)

PhD Opportunities – Infection Research (Helmholtz Association)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology/Epigenetics/Infection Biology (CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology (University of Toronto)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Vaccine Research (Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – HIV Immunotherapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Pre-Clinical In Vivo Studies and Immunology (German Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – CAR T Cell Therapy for HIV Infection (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Viral Infection Modeling (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Immunology of HIV-1 and Cancer (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Infection (Rush University Medical Center)

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

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

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Immunology of Infectious Disease News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.