Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 5.14 | Apr 12 2017

TOP STORY

The First Live-Attenuated Vaccine Candidate Completely Protects against Zika Infection

The first live-attenuated Zika vaccine still in the development stage completely protected mice against the virus after a single vaccination dose, according to new research. [Press release from The University of Texas Medical Branch discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine] Press Release | Abstract

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Therapeutic Treatment of Marburg and Ravn Virus Infection in Nonhuman Primates with a Human Monoclonal Antibody

Researchers demonstrated that a monoclonal antibody, MR191-N, can confer a survival benefit of up to 100% to Marburg or Ravn virus–infected rhesus macaques when treatment is initiated up to five days post-inoculation. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract | Press Release

CD8⁺ T Cell Evasion Mandates CD4⁺ T Cell Control of Chronic Gamma-Herpesvirus Infection

Scientists showed that acute and chronic lung infections differ in distribution: most acute infection was epithelial, whereas most chronic infection was in myeloid cells. CD8⁺ T cells controlled epithelial infection, but CD4⁺ T cells and IFNγ were required to control myeloid cell infection. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Neutrophils and Ly6C^hi Monocytes Collaborate in Generating an Optimal Cytokine Response that Protects against Pulmonary Legionella pneumophila Infection

Investigators defined the contributions of neutrophils and Ly6C^hi monocytes to cytokine production and host defense during pulmonary infection with L. pneumophila, responsible for the severe pneumonia Legionnaires’ disease. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Bcl-x_L Mediates RIPK3-Dependent Necrosis in M. tuberculosis-Infected Macrophages

The authors demonstrated that necrosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages is dependent on the action of the cytosolic receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) and the mitochondrial Bcl-2 family member protein B-cell lymphoma—extra large (Bcl-x_L). [Mucosal Immunol] Abstract

Protective Efficacy of Zika Vaccine in AG129 Mouse Model

Scientists developed an inactivated virus vaccine with the African MR 766 strain. They showed that two doses of the vaccine provided 100% efficacy against mortality and disease following challenge with homotypic MR 766 and the heterotypic FSS 13025 Zika virus strains in the Type I and Type II interferon deficient AG129 mice. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Adaptive Immune Responses to Booster Vaccination against Yellow Fever Virus Are much Reduced Compared to Those after Primary Vaccination

Researchers examined humoral and cellular immune responses in primary and booster vaccinees. After primary vaccination, they observed strong cellular immune responses with T cell activation peaking ≈2 weeks and subsiding to background levels ≈4 weeks post-vaccination. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Monocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Regulate T-Cell Responses against Vaccinia Virus

Scientists showed that monocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), but not granulocytic-MDSCs, from vaccinia virus-infected mice could directly suppress CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cell activation in vitro. [Eur J Immunol] Abstract

Robust Antibody and CD8⁺ T-Cell Responses Induced by P. falciparum CSP Adsorbed to Cationic Liposomal Adjuvant CAF09 Confer Sterilizing Immunity against Experimental Rodent Malaria Infection

The authors evaluated the immunogenicity and protective capacity of full-length recombinant Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein administered with the novel cationic liposomal adjuvant system CAF09. [npj Vaccines] Full Article

HIV

CCR5 Expression, Haplotype and Immune Activation in Protection from Infection in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Individuals in HIV Serodiscordant Relationships

In a cohort of HIV-serodiscordant heterosexual couples, researchers investigated interactions between systemic inflammation and T-cell activation in resistance to HIV infection. [Immunology] Abstract

Alterations of the NK Cell Pool in HIV/HCV Co-Infection

Natural killer (NK) cell frequency in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection was significantly lower than in healthy individuals but did not differ from HIV and HCV mono-infection. HIV/HCV co-infection was associated with significantly decreased expression of the maturation/differentiation markers CD27/62L/127 on NK cells but increased expression of CD57 compared to healthy controls. [PLoS One] Full Article

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The Yin and Yang of Regulatory T Cells in Infectious Diseases and Avenues to Target Them

CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are key players for maintaining immune tolerance. Tregs are critical for reducing the inflammation-mediated tissue damage following infection. [Cell Microbiol] Abstract

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U.S. FDA Approves New Indications for Harvoni^® and Sovaldi^® in Pediatric Patients 12 Years and Older with Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved supplemental indications for Harvoni^® tablets and Sovaldi^® tablets for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in adolescents without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis, 12 years of age and older, or weighing at least 35kg. [Gilead Sciences, Inc.] Press Release

NDRI Supports Groundbreaking Pilot HIV Donor Recovery Project

The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) has been awarded a research subcontract of $225,453 to support the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division of Clinical Research HIV Replication Study aimed at improving HIV treatment. [The National Disease Research Interchange (Business Wire, Inc.)] Press Release

U.S. Report Calls for Research Integrity Board

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine entitled Fostering Integrity in Research recommends that universities and scientific societies create, operate, and fund a new, independent, nongovernmental Research Integrity Advisory Board. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Billion-Dollar Boost Sought for Canadian Science

The Canadian government should increase its support for fundamental science by more than a third, from Can $3.5 billion per year to Can $4.8 billion, according to a long-awaited independent review of the country’s research priorities and funding. Although Canada’s three major granting agencies and a research-support fund received a record-breaking Can $95-million boost in 2016, their funding stayed flat in the 2017 budget that the government released last month. The science review recommends increases for those three agencies, as well as a handful of other programmes, that would amount to Can $325 million per year for four years. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Molecular Pathogenesis: Mechanisms of Infectious Disease
July 9-14, 2017
Snowmass Village, United States

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NEW Faculty and Postdoctoral Positions – Molecular Pathogenesis (Nankai University)

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

Postdoctoral Positions – Functional Genomics of Virus-Host Interactions (University of Strasbourg)

Postdoctoral Fellow Position – Translational Immunology (The University of Utah)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Malaria (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

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

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

Lecturer – Infectious Diseases (Virology)

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

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