Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 5.49 | Dec 13 2017

TOP STORY

Researchers Discover How Cells Remember Infections Decades Later

A perplexing question in immunology has been, how do immune cells remember an infection or a vaccination so that they can spring into action decades later? Scientists have found an answer: A small pool of the same immune cells that responded to the original invasion remain alive for years, developing unique features that keep them primed and waiting for the same microbe to re-invade the body. [Press release from the University of California, Berkeley discussing online prepublication in Nature] Press Release | Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Transcription Factor IRF4 Promotes CD8⁺ T Cell Exhaustion and Limits the Development of Memory-Like T Cells during Chronic Infection

Researchers transcriptionally profiled antigen-specific T cells from mice infected lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus strains that cause acute or chronic disease. T cell exhaustion during chronic infection was driven by high amounts of T cell receptor-induced transcription factors IRF4, BATF, and NFATc1. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

A Randomized Controlled Safety/Efficacy Trial of Therapeutic Vaccination in HIV-Infected Individuals Who Initiated Antiretroviral Therapy Early in Infection

The authors report the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of a therapeutic vaccine regimen in patients in whom antiretroviral therapy was initiated during the early stage of HIV infection and whose immune system was anticipated to be relatively intact. [Sci Transl Med] Full Article | Press Release

Malaria Parasite DNA-Harbouring Vesicles Activate Cytosolic Immune Sensors

As Plasmodium falciparum infects red blood cells and not leukocytes, how parasite DNA reaches such host cytosolic DNA sensors in immune cells is unclear. Scientists showed that malaria parasites inside red blood cells can engage host cytosolic innate immune cell receptors from a distance by secreting extracellular vesicles containing parasitic small RNA and genomic DNA. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Migratory Dendritic Cells Acquire and Present Lymphatic Endothelial Cell-Archived Antigens during Lymph Node Contraction

The authors showed that the exchange of archived antigens between lymphatic endothelial cells and antigen-presenting cells is mediated by migratory dendritic cells (DCs). After vaccination, both migratory basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor 3 (BatF3)-dependent and BatF3-independent DCs were responsible for antigen exchange and cross-presentation. [Nat Commun] Full Article

STAT4 and T-Bet Control Follicular Helper T Cell Development in Viral Infections

Researchers showed that the T helper type 1 cell transcriptional regulators T-bet and STAT4 are coexpressed with Bcl6 in follicular helper T (Tfh) cells after acute viral infection, with a temporal decline in T-bet in the waning response. T-bet was important for Tfh cell production of IFN-γ, but not IL-21, and for a robust germinal center reaction. [J Exp Med] Abstract

CD36 Deficiency Attenuates Immune-Mediated Hepatitis in Mice by Modulating the Proapoptotic Effects of CXCL10

Concanavalin A-induced liver injury is a well-established experimental T cell-mediated hepatitis. To understand the role of CD36 in hepatitis, investigators tested the susceptibility of CD36-deficient mice to this model, evaluated by a liver enzyme test, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay, histological analysis, mononuclear cell infiltration, and hepatic proinflammatory factor production. [Hepatology] Abstract

Aging Impairs Both Primary and Secondary RIG-I Signaling for Interferon Induction in Human Monocytes

Scientists found that monocytes from older adults exhibited decreased abundance of the adaptor protein tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factor 3 because of its increased proteasomal degradation with age, thereby impairing the primary retinoic acid–inducible gene I signaling pathway for the induction of type I interferons. [Sci Signal] Abstract | Press Release

In Vitro Model of Fully Differentiated Human Nasal Epithelial Cells Infected with Rhinovirus Reveals Epithelium-Initiated Immune Responses

Investigators established a model of human rhinovirus (HRV) infection of in vitro differentiated human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs) derived from multiple individuals. Through HRV infection of hNECs, they found that HRV mainly targets ciliated cells and preferentially induced type I and III interferon antiviral pathways. [J Infect Dis] Full Article

HBV-Derived Synthetic Long Peptide Can Boost CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T Cell Responses in Chronic HBV Patients Ex Vivo

Researchers investigated the ability of a prototype HBV-core (HBc)-sequence-derived synthetic long peptides (SLP) to boost HBV-specific T cells in chronic HBV patients ex vivo. HBc-SLP was used to assess cross-presentation by monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) and BDCA1⁺ blood myeloid DC to engineered HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells. [J Infect Dis] Full Article

Necroptotic Signaling Is Primed in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Infected Macrophages, but Its Pathophysiological Consequence in Disease Is Restricted

Given the interest in developing inhibitors of necroptosis to treat M. tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, the authors used human pharmacologic and murine genetic models to definitively establish the pathophysiological role of necroptosis in Mtb infection. [Cell Death Differ] Full Article

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

Humanized Mouse Models to Study Pathophysiology and Treatment of HIV Infection

Recent work has shown that HIV reservoirs can be established in HIV-infected ‘human immune system’ mice after treatment with combinations of antiretroviral drugs thereby providing a model to test new approaches to eliminate latently infected cells. [Curr Opin HIV AIDS] Abstract

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

ABIVAX to Present in Plenary Session at the 8^th International Conference on HIV Persistence During Therapy

Dr. Cranston’s presentation will focus on ABX464-005, the Phase IIa clinical trial of ABIVAX’s lead anti-viral candidate, ABX464. In clinical trials, ABX464 has shown an ability to reduce the latent viral reservoir of HIV. [Press release from ABIVAX discussing research to be presented at the 8^th International Conference on “HIV Persistence During Therapy”, Miami] Press Release

IBBR Awarded NIH Grant to Investigate Body’s T-Cell Mechanism of Attack

A new research initiative by the University of Maryland’s Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR) and the University of Pittsburgh could finally uncover how T-cells—the “killer cells” that defend the body from microbes—are alerted to hazardous invaders in the body. [Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research] Press Release

Sirenas Receives Research Grant Totaling $1.68 M to Accelerate Its Drug Discovery Technology, ATLANTIS^™

Sirenas, LLC announced that it has received a new grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance ATLANTIS^™, the company’s proprietary drug discovery technology. Sirenas has now received two research grant awards from the foundation totaling $1.68 million. [Sirenas, LLC (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

As Foreign Powers Approve Ebola Vaccines, U.S. Drug Makers Lag in Development Pipeline

In the face of the West Africa Ebola crisis, U.S and Canadian government laboratories and a number of companies in Europe raced to test experimental vaccines. A year and a half after that outbreak was declared over, the world has two licensed Ebola vaccines: One was made by scientists in Russia, the other by scientists in China. And what of the vaccines devised in the U.S., Canada, and Europe? They are still meandering through the developmental pipeline. [STAT News] Editorial

Iran’s Supreme Court Confirms Death Sentence for Jailed Scholar

Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence handed to Ahmadreza Djalali, a scholar who worked in Europe, according to the human-rights group Amnesty International. [Nature News] Editorial

French Researchers Hope New Chief Will Revitalize Troubled Funding Agency

French scientists are hopeful that the newly appointed chief of a major research-funding agency will revive an organization suffering from squeezed budgets and staff discontent. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Gordon Research Conferences: Immunochemistry and Immunobiology
June 10-15, 2018
West Dover, Vermont, United States

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

NEW Postdoctoral Training Opportunity – Infection and Immunity (Institut Pasteur of Shanghai – Chinese Academy of Sciences)

NEW Postdoctoral Position – Vaccine Immunology (Simon Fraser University)

Scientist – Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Immunotherapy (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Professor – Bacterial-Host Interactions (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Innate Immunity/Host-Pathogen Interactions (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Immunology (Brigham & Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School)

Postdoctoral Position – Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Interactions with Host Cells and Tissues (Institut Pasteur)

Assistant/Associate Professor – Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Mucosal Infections (University of Utah)

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.