Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 6.13 | Apr 4 2018

TOP STORY

Interleukin-15 Complex Treatment Protects Mice from Cerebral Malaria by Inducing Interleukin-10-Producing Natural Killer Cells

During experimental cerebral malaria (ECM), mice inoculated with Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected red blood cells develop a fatal CM-like disease caused by CD8⁺ T cell-mediated pathology. Researchers found that treatment with IL-15 complex prevented ECM, whereas IL-2C treatment had no effect. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Small Interfering RNA-Mediated Control of Virus Replication in the CNS Is Therapeutic and Enables Natural Immunity to West Nile Virus

Using a rabies virus-derived neuron-targeting peptide and an intranasal route for delivering siFvE^JW to the CNS, scientists demonstrated that treatment of West Nile virus (WNV)-infected mice at late stages of neuroinvasive disease results in recovery. CNS virus clearance was achieved by humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to WNV infection in peripheral tissues, which also engendered sterilizing immunity against subsequent WNV infection. [Cell Host Microbe] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

Oncofetal Gene SALL4 Reactivation by Hepatitis B Virus Counteracts miR-200c in PD-L1-Induced T Cell Exhaustion

Investigators showed a close negative correlation between SALL4 or programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and miR-200c in tumors from 98 patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Active Maintenance of T Cell Memory in Acute and Chronic Viral Infection Depends on Continuous Expression of FOXO1

Researchers showed that active and continuous programming by FOXO1 is required for the functional maintenance of a memory population. Upon Foxo1 deletion following resolution of an infection, memory cells rapidly lost their characteristic gene expression, gradually declined in number, and were impaired in self-renewal. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Local Stimulation of Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells with a NOD1 Agonist Activates T Cells and Suppresses Hepatitis B Virus Replication in Mice

The authors investigated the role of diaminopimelic acid-stimulated liver sinusoidal endothelial cell maturation during hepatitis B virus infection and its potential mechanism in a hydrodynamic injection mouse model. [J Immunol] Abstract

Transcriptomic Analysis of CD4⁺ T Cells Reveals Novel Immune Signatures of Latent Tuberculosis

Researchers applied a cell population transcriptomics strategy to sorted memory CD4 T cells to define novel immune signatures of latent tuberculosis infection and gain insight into the phenotype of tuberculosis-specific CD4 T cells. [J Immunol] Abstract

Tim-3 Blockade Promotes iNKT Cell Function to Inhibit HBV Replication

Scientists showed that the expression of T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain‐3 (Tim‐3) was up‐regulated on hepatic invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells from hepatitis B virus‐transgenic mice or iNKT cells stimulated with α‐galactosylceramide. Compared with Tim‐3−iNKT cells, Tim‐3⁺iNKT cells expressed more IFN‐γ, IL‐4 and CD107a, indicating a strong relationship between Tim‐3 and iNKT cell activation. [J Cell Mol Med] Full Article

Variation at Extra-Epitopic Amino Acid Residues Influences Suppression of Influenza Virus Replication by M158-66 Epitope-Specific CD8⁺ T Lymphocytes

The authors investigated the effect of naturally occurring variation at residues outside the conserved immuno-dominant and HLA*0201 restricted M158-66 epitope located in the influenza virus M1 protein on the extent of virus replication in the presence of CD8⁺ T lymphocytes specific for the epitope. [J Virol] Abstract

Epigenetic Alterations Are Associated with Monocyte Immune Dysfunctions in HIV-1 Infection

Scientists investigated the immune dysfunction in monocytes from untreated and treated HIV + patients and associated these findings with epigenetic changes. Monocytes from HIV patients showed dysfunctional ability of phagocytosis and killing, and exhibited dysregulated cytokines and reactive oxygen species production after M. tuberculosis challenge in vitro. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Silent Infection of Human Dendritic Cells by African and Asian Strains of Zika Virus

With the aim to identify virus lineage-dependent factors, investigators compared cell susceptibility, virus replication, cell death and innate immune responses following infection with two African and three contemporary Asian lineage strains of Zika virus. [Sci Rep] Full Article

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T-Cell Responses against Malaria: Effect of Parasite Antigen Diversity and Relevance for Vaccine Development

The authors take a comprehensive look at the available literature on T cell-mediated immunity against all human stages of the malaria parasite and the effect of antigen diversity on these responses. The implications of these interrelationships for the development of an effective vaccine for malaria are also highlighted. [Vaccine] Abstract

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Vivaldi Biosciences Presents Data Demonstrating Potential of deltaFLU as Universal Influenza Vaccine

Vivaldi Biosciences announced that Thomas Muster, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, delivered a presentation on the company’s clinical-stage deltaFLU universal influenza vaccine candidate. [Press release from Vivaldi Biosciences discussing research presented at the 2018 World Vaccine Congress (WVC), Washington, D.C.] Press Release

Vaxart Announces Oral Presentation of Clinical Data from Oral Influenza Vaccine Program

Vaxart, Inc. announced that the complete clinical dataset from the Phase II Challenge Study of its H1 influenza oral tablet vaccine was highlighted in an oral presentation. [Press release from Vaxart, Inc. discussing research presented at the 2018 World Vaccine Congress (WVC), Washington, D.C.] Press Release

Novavax to Present Clinical Data on RSV F and NanoFlu^™ Vaccines

Novavax, Inc. announced it presented on its two lead vaccine programs. These presentations included details from the Phase III Prepare^™ trial of its RSV F vaccine for infants via maternal immunization, as well as positive results from the Phase I/II trial of NanoFlu recombinant influenza vaccine, including its proprietary Matrix-M^™ adjuvant, in older adults. [Press release from Novavax, Inc. discussing research presented at the 2018 World Vaccine Congress (WVC), Washington, D.C.] Press Release

VALNEVA to Present on Lyme and Zika

Valneva SE announces that it presented on its Lyme disease and Zika vaccine candidates. [Press release from Valneva SE (GlobeNewswire, Inc.) discussing research presented at the 2018 World Vaccine Congress (WVC), Washington, D.C.] Press Release

Orion Biotechnology Canada Announces Partnership with Nanjing University

Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd. announced a strategic partnership with the Center for Public Health Research and the State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry of Nanjing University. The partnership will focus on supporting the development of Orion’s China sourced biopharmaceutical solutions, including the company’s unique multipurpose microbicide candidate – a non-antiretroviral microbicide designed to be a contraceptive which also prevents the transmission of HIV. [Orion Biotechnology] Press Release

$3.2 Million Grant Funds Development of New Malaria Vaccine

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund has awarded the University of Florida and partners in the United States and Japan $3.2 million to advance a promising vaccine to prevent transmission of malaria. [University of Florida] Press Release

Cocrystal Pharma Receives FDA Clearance to Initiate Phase IIa Clinical Study Evaluating CC-31244 for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus

Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. announced that its Investigational New Drug application to the FDA is now open and the company is cleared to initiate its Phase IIa clinical study evaluating CC-31244 for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infected individuals. [Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.] Press Release

UMass Medical School HIV Vaccine to Be Tested in New Phase I Trial

A Phase I clinical trial testing the safety of vaccines that might have the potential to prevent HIV infection will begin at four sites in the United States, marking the latest step in a three-decade quest at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical School to harness the power of DNA vaccines in addressing a major global health threat. [University of Massachusetts Medical School] Press Release

U.S. Leprosy Budget Cut Closes Clinics, Threatens Research

Leprosy, a much feared and stigmatized scourge in history, affects a tiny number of Americans, but Congress’s decision to make a modest cut to its annual budget for care and research will have an outsize negative impact, leaders in the field warn. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

In Emotional Speech, CDC’s New Leader Vows to Uphold Science

Robert Redfield Jr., the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gave a deeply personal agency-wide address in which he repeatedly underscored the importance of science and data and said the CDC’s most critical public health mission is to protect Americans “from that which we don’t expect.” [The Washington Post] Editorial

2018 March for Science Will Be Far More than Street Protests

The March for Science has matured. It may even have outgrown its name. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

EU Copyright Reforms Draw Fire from Scientists

An influential committee of the European Parliament is due to vote on changes to copyright regulations in the European Union (EU), but the latest drafts of the rules have triggered a wave of criticism from open-science advocates. They say that the proposals will stifle research and scholarly communication. [Nature News] Editorial

French Universities Cancel Subscriptions to Springer Journals

French research organizations and universities have canceled their subscriptions to Springer journals, due to an impasse in fee negotiations between the publisher and Couperin.org, a national consortium representing more than 250 academic institutions in France. [The Scientist] Editorial

NEW European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV) 2018
September 23-26, 2018
Athens, Greece

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

NEW Director of Biomarkers & Assays – Infectious Diseases Research (Moderna Therapeutics)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Position – Zika Virus (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)

Research Associate – Vaccine Research (University of Bristol)

Senior Research Associate – Infectious Disease (Moderna Therapeutics)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Viral Vectored Vaccines for Hepatitis Infections (University of Oxford)

Assistant/Associate Professor – Virology (Saint Louis University)

Associate Senior Lecurer – Tissue Repair in Infectious Diseases (Lund University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Host-Pathogen Interactions (The University of Tennessee Health Science Center)

Faculty Position – Immunology (Northwestern University)

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

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