Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 6.19 | May 16 2018

TOP STORY

Dietary Fiber Confers Protection against Flu by Shaping Ly6c^– Patrolling Monocyte Hematopoiesis and CD8⁺ T Cell Metabolism

High-fiber diet-fed mice exhibited altered bone marrow hematopoiesis, characterized by enhanced generation of Ly6c^– patrolling monocytes, which led to increased numbers of alternatively activated macrophages with a limited capacity to produce the chemokine CXCL1 in the airways. Diet-derived short-chain fatty acids boosted CD8⁺ T cell effector function by enhancing cellular metabolism. [Immunity] Full Article | Editorial | Graphical Abstract

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Hepatitis B Virus-Specific T Cell Responses after Stopping Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Therapy in HBeAg Negative Chronic Hepatitis B

Researchers characterized T cell responses during the early phase of virological relapse following discontinuation of nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy in HBeAg-negative patients. [J Hepatol] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Vaccine-Elicited Receptor-Binding Site Antibodies Neutralize Two New World Hemorrhagic Fever Arenaviruses

Scientists isolated, from the blood of a recipient of the live attenuated Junin virus vaccine, two antibodies that cross-neutralize Machupo virus with varying efficiency. Structures of GP1-Fab complexes explained the basis for efficient cross-neutralization, which involved avoiding receptor mimicry and targeting a conserved epitope within the receptor-binding site. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Early Changes in CD4⁺ T Cell Activation following Blood-Stage Plasmodium falciparum Infection

The authors examined transcriptional changes in CD4⁺ T cells during blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum infection in individuals without a history of previous parasite exposure. CD4⁺ T cell CXCL8 gene transcription was identified as an early biomarker of sub-microscopic P. falciparum infection, with predictive power for parasite growth. [J Infect Dis] Abstract

Overarching Immunodominance Patterns and Substantial Diversity in Specificity and Functionality in the Circulating Human Influenza A and B CD4 T Cell Repertoire

ELISPOT assays were used to examine circulating CD4 T cell influenza specificities directly ex vivo in healthy adults. Scientists revealed CD4 T cell reactivity to multiple influenza proteins, including hemagglutinins, NA, M1 and NP. [J Infect Dis] Abstract

CD82 Hypomethylation Is Essential for Tuberculosis Pathogenesis via Regulation of RUNX1-Rab5/22

Researchers identified a previously unrecognized role of CD82 hypomethylation in the regulation of phagosome maturation, enhanced intracellular survival, and the innate host immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. [Exp Mol Med] Full Article

Transcriptional Gene Silencing Limits CXCR4-Associated Depletion of Bone Marrow CD34⁺ Cells in HIV-1 Infection

Investigators determined whether transcriptional gene silence can help to preserve the hosts’ hematopoietic potential in addition to peripheral CD4⁺ T cells against CCR5-tropic HIV infection. [AIDS] Abstract

T Cells and ILC2s Are Major Effector Cells in Influenza-Induced Exacerbation of Allergic Airway Inflammation in Mice

The authors investigated CD4⁺ T cells and group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) in influenza virus‐infected mice. They found that ILC2s accumulated in the lung rapidly after influenza virus infection, but the induction of IL‐5 and IL‐13 secretion was delayed and concomitant with T cell activation. [Eur J Immunol] Abstract

Impact of Benznidazole Treatment on the Functional Response of Trypanosoma cruzi Antigen-Specific CD4⁺CD8⁺ T Cells in Chronic Chagas Disease Patients

CD4⁺CD8⁺ T cells from patients expressed and co-expressed higher levels of inhibitory receptors in direct proportion to the severity of the pathology. Benznidazole treatment reduced the frequency of CD4⁺CD8⁺ T cells and decreased the ratio of CD4⁺CD8^low/CD4⁺CD8^high subpopulations. [PLoS Negl Trop Dis] Full Article

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HIV-1 Vaccines Based on Antibody Identification, B Cell Ontogeny, and Epitope Structure

HIV-1 vaccine development has been stymied by an inability to induce broadly reactive neutralizing antibodies to the envelope (Env) trimer, the sole viral antigen on the virion surface. Epitope-based vaccine design involves the engineering of sites of Env vulnerability as defined by the recognition of broadly neutralizing antibodies, with cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies elicited in animal models. [Immunity] Abstract

Immunological Responses to Influenza Vaccination: Lessons for Improving Vaccine Efficacy

A critical factor in the maturation of influenza vaccine responses is the nearly inevitable binding of vaccine antigens by exiting anti-influenza IgGs. These antigen-IgG immune complexes direct the response to immunization by modulating cellular processes that determine antibody and T-cell repertoires: maturation of dendritic cells, processing and presentation of antigens to T cells, trafficking of antigens to the germinal center, and selection of B cells for antibody production. [Curr Opin Immunol] Abstract

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Experimental Vaccine to Be Used against Ebola Outbreak in the DRC

A campaign to vaccinate people at risk of developing Ebola in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could begin very soon, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization. Tedros said the government of the DRC has formally asked to use an experimental vaccine being developed by Merck. [STAT News] Press Release | Editorial

New Research Centers Created by Rosalind Franklin University

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science announced the formation of three new disease-based research centers focused respectively on genetic disorders, cancer cell biology, and proteomics and molecular therapeutics. [Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

NIAID Sponsors ILiAD Biotechnologies BPZE1 Pertussis Vaccine Phase IIa Clinical Study at Vanderbilt University

ILiAD Biotechnologies, LLC and Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced filing of an Investigational New Drug application by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health to study the next generation pertussis vaccine BPZE1 at the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program. [ILiAD Biotechnologies, LLC. (GlobeNewswire, Inc.)] Press Release

Arrowhead Doses First Hepatitis B Patients in Multiple Dose Portion of Phase I/II Study of ARO-HBV

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has dosed the first three hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients in the multiple-ascending dose portion of its ongoing Phase I/II study of ARO-HBV, the company’s third generation subcutaneously administered RNA interference therapeutic being developed as a potentially curative therapy for patients with chronic HBV infection. [Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc.] Press Release

VBI Vaccines Announces Positive Final Phase I Study Results of Preventative CMV Vaccine

VBI Vaccines Inc. announced positive final top-line results from the randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I study of VBI-1501, the company’s prophylactic cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine candidate. [VBI Vaccines Inc.] Press Release

FluGen Begins Challenge Study

FluGen, Inc. announced that the first subject has been dosed in a clinical study in Belgium which will challenge subjects with an influenza virus genetically mismatched by six years from the influenza strain utilized in the vaccine. [FluGen, Inc.] Press Release

Journal Retracts Paper Claiming Neurological Damage from HPV Vaccine

Scientific Reports retracted a controversial paper claiming to show that mice given a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine showed signs of neurological damage. The paper was assailed by critics as being “pseudoscience” that could have “devastating” health consequences by undermining public confidence in a vaccine given to girls to prevent cervical cancer. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Huge Gender Disparity in Cancer Research Funding in U.K.

The analysis examined data on both public and philanthropic grants given to support cancer research in the U.K. Male PIs were awarded 69 percent of the grants, and their grants were on average 1.3 times as large as those given to women, so that they received 78 percent of the total money allocated. [The Scientist] Editorial

Patient Registries to Bolster Cell- and Gene-Therapy Clinical Trial Data

As the first personalized cell and gene therapies are approved from small clinical trials, researchers propose the creation of publicly accessible databases to pull together real-world results. [The Scientist] Editorial

NIH’s Plum Award for Young Scientists Skews Male, Agency’s Data Show

These prestigious grants aim to vault the most promising new Ph.D.s to independence by allowing them to bypass postdoctoral fellowships and start their own labs immediately, providing up to $250,000 annually for 5 years. But since the awards were launched by NIH Director Francis Collins in 2010, men have consistently won them in numbers exceeding their representation in the applicant pool. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Sweden Cancels Agreement with Elsevier over Open Access

A collection of Swedish universities and research institutions will not renew its current contract with Elsevier that expires at the end of June, Times Higher Education reports. The move comes not long after academic institutions in other countries have let publishers’ subscriptions lapse when fee negotiations come to an impasse. [The Scientists] Editorial

NEW 8^th Meeting of the European Club for Liver Cell Biology (ECLCB-8)
October 4-6, 2018
Bonn, Germany

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

NEW Senior Vice President – Vaccine Development and Viral Disease Programs (Infectious Disease Research Institute)

NEW Clinical Research Fellow – Adult Vaccinology (University of Oxford)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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

Faculty Positions – Infectious Disease Research (Institut Pasteur of Shanghai)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – B Cell Immunology and Vaccines (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Host-Pathogen Interactions (Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Insitute)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Junior Scientist – Pathogen Genomics (Fudan University)

Tenure-Track/Tenure-Eligible Investigator – Antiviral Therapies and Vaccines (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Postdoctoral Associate – Infectious Disease (Research Foundation for SUNY)

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

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

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