Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 5.11 | Mar 22 2017

TOP STORY

Discovery of an HIV Reservoir Marker: A New Avenue toward Eliminating the Virus

Researchers have identified a marker that makes it possible to differentiate “dormant” HIV-infected cells from healthy cells. This discovery will make it possible to isolate and analyze reservoir cells which, by silently hosting the virus, are responsible for its persistence even among patients receiving antiviral treatment, whose viral load is undetectable. [Press release from CNRS discussing online prepublication in Nature] Press Release | Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Lactobacillus johnsonii Supplementation Attenuates Respiratory Viral Infection via Metabolic Reprogramming and Immune Cell Modulation

The authors examine the effect of oral L. johnsonii supplementation on metabolic and immune response dynamics during respiratory syncytial virus infection. L. johnsonii supplementation reduced airway T helper type 2 cytokines and dendritic cell function, increased regulatory T cells, and was associated with a reprogrammed circulating metabolic environment, including docosahexanoic acid enrichment. [Mucosal Immunol] Abstract

An RNA Nanoparticle Vaccine against Zika Virus Elicits Antibody and CD8⁺ T Cell Responses in a Mouse Model

Scientists deployed RNA nanoparticle technology to create a vaccine candidate that elicited Zika virus E protein-specific IgG responses in C57BL/6 mice as assayed by ELISA. Using this tool, they identified a unique H-2D_b-restricted epitope to which there was a CD8⁺ T cell response in mice immunized with their modified dendrimer-based RNA nanoparticle vaccine. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Efficient Control of Chronic LCMV Infection by a CD4 T Cell Epitope-Based Heterologous Prime-Boost Vaccination in a Murine Model

Researchers developed a CD4⁺ T cell epitope-based heterologous prime-boost immunization strategy and examined the efficacy of this strategy using a mouse model of chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. [Cell Mol Immunol] Abstract

Cutting Edge: Innate Immune Augmenting Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Expressing Zika Virus Proteins Confers Protective Immunity

Investigators generated recombinant vesicular stomatitis viruses (rVSVs) that express either the full length Zika virus (ZIKV) envelope protein (ZENV) alone or include the ZENV precursor to the membrane protein upstream of the envelope protein, and their rVSV-ZIKV constructs showed efficient immunogenicity in murine models. [J Immunol] Abstract

The Interaction of Pneumocystis with the C-Type Lectin Receptor Mincle Exerts a Significant Role in Host Defense against Infection

The authors examined the potential role of macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) for host defense against Pneumocystis. Mouse macrophages overexpressing Mincle displayed increased binding to P. carinii life forms and enhanced protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The binding of P. carinii to Mincle resulted in activation of FcRγ-mediated cell signaling. [J Immunol] Abstract

Oral Prion Disease Pathogenesis Is Impeded in the Specific Absence of CXCR5-Expressing Dendritic Cells

Novel compound transgenic mice were created in which CXCR5-deficiency was specifically restricted to CD11c⁺ cells. These mice were used to determine whether CXCR5-expressing conventional dendritic cells propagate prions towards follicular dendritic cells after oral exposure. [J Virol] Full Article

DNA Vaccine Encoding Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus S1 Protein Induces Protective Immune Responses in Mice

Researchers showed that a DNA vaccine encoding the first 725 amino acids (S1) of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike protein induces antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. [Vaccine] Abstract

Enhancing Immune Responses to a DNA Vaccine Encoding Toxoplasma gondii GRA14 by Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles as an Adjuvant

The authors constructed the plasmid encoding T. gondii dense granule 14 (GRA14) and investigated the immunological properties of calcium phosphate nanoparticles as nano-adjuvant to enhance the protective efficacy of pcGRA14. [Immunol Lett] Abstract

HIV

Poly-γ-Glutamic Acid/Chitosan Nanogel Greatly Enhances the Efficacy and Heterosubtypic Cross-Reactivity of H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Vaccine

Researchers determined the relationship between CCR5 promoter polymorphisms and CD4 decline and other immunopathological features like immune activation and CD4⁺ T cell apoptosis in HIV patients. [Sci Rep] Full Article

A Mutant Tat Protein Inhibits Infection of Human Cells by Strains from Diverse HIV-1 Subtypes

The authors evaluated Nullbasic-mCherry fusion protein activity against the HIV-1 strains in TZM-bl cell lines for inhibition of transactivation and virus replication. They also examined antiviral activity of Nullbasic-ZsGreen1 fusion protein against the same strains in primary CD4⁺ T cells. [Virol J] Full Article

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Development of a Vaccine against Cytomegalovirus Infection and Disease

Human cytomegalovirus causes disabling congenital disease in neonates and severe complications in immunocompromised individuals, making it a high priority for vaccine development. A prophylactic vaccine needs to outperform natural immunity and a therapeutic vaccine needs to elicit rapid protective antiviral responses. The authors highlight the three major approaches undertaken by vaccine developers—virus-derived, protein subunit, and gene-based approaches. [Curr Opin Virol] Abstract

Inhibition of Type I Interferon Induction and Signaling by Mosquito-Borne Flaviviruses

The authors discuss the strategies mosquito- borne flaviviruses have evolved to antagonise type I interferon mediated immune responses. [Cell Microbiol] Full Article

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Protein Sciences Gears Up to Combat Pandemic Influenza Due to Recent Outbreaks in China

In light of the growing concern over recent Avian Influenza outbreaks in China, Protein Sciences Corporation announced that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has requested the development of two new pandemic vaccine candidates to combat new H7N9 strains, one representing a pathogenic H7N9 virus. [Protein Sciences Corporation] Press Release

IBM Helps Fight Dengue and Zika

IBM is helping Taiwan and Panama battle dengue fever and the Zika virus, two mosquito-borne illnesses that have also caused concern in the United States. The collaborations with public health agencies in Panama and Taiwan were performed as part of IBM’s Health Corps initiative, a new, pro bono consulting program that aims to help improve public health throughout the world. [IBM] Press Release

Penn Medicine AIDS Researcher Receives $16.3 Million from National Institutes of Health to Accelerate HIV Vaccine Development

Building on earlier work in designing chimeric human-simian immunodeficiency viruses that serve as a model of HIV infection of humans, George M. Shaw, MD, PhD, a professor of Hematology/Oncology and Microbiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received $16.3 million over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop a long-sought-after HIV vaccine. [Penn Medicine] Press Release

South Korea’s Scientists Seek Change amid Political Chaos

When South Korea’s Constitutional Court removed scandal-ridden President Park Geun-hye from office on 10^th March, citizens rejoiced in the streets — and many scientists breathed a sigh of relief. Her downfall has inspired a public appetite for broad governmental reforms, including changes in how the country supports scientific research. Many in the research community hope to end South Korea’s decades-long focus on applied research and shift more resources to basic science. [Nature News] Editorial

Ethical Guidelines on Lab-Grown Embryos Beg for Revamping, Scientists Say

Researchers in the U.K. and U.S. recently succeeded for the first time in growing embryos in the lab for nearly two weeks before terminating them, showing that the so-called 14-day rule is no longer a scientific limitation — although it remains a cultural one. Now, a group of Harvard University scientists has published a paper arguing that it is time to reconsider the 14-day rule because of advances in synthetic biology. [Scientific American] Editorial

Research Is an Afterthought in First Trump Budget

The 2018 budget proposal that President Donald Trump unveiled confirms two things that U.S. scientists have long suspected: The new president is no fan of research, and his administration has no overarching strategy for funding science. Deep proposed cuts to research at the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offer evidence that Trump doesn’t see science — of any kind — as a spending priority. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Gordon Research Conferences: Tuberculosis Drug Discovery & Development
June 25-30, 2017
Barga, Italy

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NEW Postdoctoral Researcher – Infection Biology (Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology)

NEW Doctoral Researcher – Infection Biology (Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation & Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Autophagy Viral Infection & Antiviral Immunity (AstraZeneca)

Lecturer – Infectious Diseases (Virology)

Research Investigator – Immuno-Oncology (Bristol-Meyers Squibb)

Research Fellow – Immunology (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)

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)

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

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

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