Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 6.20 | May 23 2018

TOP STORY

HIV Vaccine Candidate Activation of Hypoxia and the Inflammasome in CD14⁺ Monocytes Is Associated with a Decreased Risk of SIV_mac251 Acquisition

The activation of hypoxia and the inflammasome in CD14⁺CD16⁻ monocytes, gut-homing CCR5-negative CD4⁺ T helper 2 cells and antibodies to variable region 2 correlated with a decreased risk of SIV_mac251 acquisition. [Nat Med] Abstract

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Anti-Apoptotic Protein BIRC5 Maintains Survival of HIV-1-Infected CD4⁺ T Cells

BIRC5 and its upstream regulator OX40 were upregulated in productively and latently infected CD4⁺ T cells and were functionally involved in maintaining their viability. [Immunity] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

Atrophy of Skin-Draining Lymph Nodes Predisposes for Impaired Immune Responses to Secondary Infection in Mice with Chronic Intestinal Nematode Infection

Scientists showed that chronic nematode infection leads to reduced peripheral responses to vaccination because of a generalized reduction in the available responsive lymphocyte pool. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Zinc-Finger Nucleases Induced by HIV-1 Tat Excise HIV-1 from the Host Genome in Infected and Latently Infected Cells

The authors showed that functional expression of zinc-finger nucleases induced by Tat excise the integrated proviral DNA of HIV-NL4-3-eGFP in approximately 30% of the population of HIV-1-infected cells. [Mol Ther Nucleic Acids] Full Article

Autophagy Diminishes the Early Interferon-β Response to Influenza A Virus Resulting in Differential Expression of Interferon-Stimulated Genes

Researchers confirmed that influenza A virus induced autophagosome formation and p62 accumulation in infected cells and demonstrated that perturbation of autophagy did not impact viral infection or replication in ATG5-stabilized cells. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Schistosomiasis Induces Persistent DNA Methylation and Tuberculosis-Specific Immune Changes

To understand the epigenetic alterations induced by helminth coinfections, the authors evaluated the longitudinal effect of ascariasis and schistosomiasis infection on CD4⁺ T cell DNA methylation and the downstream tuberculosis-specific and bacillus Calmette-Guérin-induced immune phenotype. [J Immunol] Abstract

Mosquito Saliva Alone Has Profound Effects on the Human Immune System

Investigators describe the numerous effects that mosquito bites have on human immune cells in mice engrafted with human hematopoietic stem cells. They used flow cytometry and multiplex cytokine bead array assays, with detailed statistical analyses, to detect small but significant variations in immune cell functions after four mosquitoes fed on humanized mice footpads. [PLoS Negl Trop Dis] Full Article | Press Release

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

The frequency of CD4⁺CD8⁺ T cells was higher in chronic Chagas disease patients compared with healthy donors. Furthermore, a higher ratio of CD4⁺CD8^low/CD4⁺CD8^high subpopulations was observed in chronic Chagas disease patients than in healthy donors. [PLoS Negl Trop Dis] Full Article

Plasmodium yoelii Infection Inhibits Murine Leukemia WEHI-3 Cell Proliferation In Vivo by Promoting Immune Responses

Investigators found that P. yoelii infection significantly attenuated the growth of WEHI-3 cells in mice. In addition, tumor cell infiltration into the murine liver and spleen was markedly reduced. [Infect Dis Poverty] Full Article

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A Review of the Ongoing Research on Zika Virus Treatment

The authors review the molecules that have been described to interfere with Zika virus (ZIKV) life cycle and discuss their potential use in ZIKV therapy. [Viruses] Abstract

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

Inovio Opens Phase II Trial for VGX-3100 in Third Indication To Treat HPV

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has commenced a Phase II clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of VGX-3100 in adult men and women with human papilloma virus (HPV)-related anal dysplasia. [Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

Pfizer Begins a Phase I/II Study to Evaluate Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine

Pfizer Inc. announced that it has started a Phase I/II trial of its RSV vaccine candidate in healthy adult volunteers. [Pfizer Inc.] Press Release

Janssen Announces European Commission Approval of JULUCA^® (Dolutegravir/Rilpivirine), the First Two-Drug Regimen, Once-Daily, Single-Pill for the Treatment of HIV-1

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for JULUCA^®. [Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.] Press Release

Experimental Drugs Poised for Use in Ebola Outbreak

Aid workers responding to the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo are seeking approval to treat patients with experimental drugs. These include three potential treatments—ZMapp, favipiravir and GS-5734—that were given to patients during the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. [Nature News] Editorial

Despite Spread to Port City, Congo Ebola Outbreak Isn’t an International Emergency Yet, WHO Says

The Ebola outbreak underway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is still too limited in scope to warrant a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, a special status that would allow the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue far-reaching recommendations to stop it. That was the conclusion today of a high-level WHO advisory group. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

FDA Plans to Speed Path to Approval for Some Gene Therapies, Starting with Hemophilia

The FDA will soon be alerting companies that certain gene therapies in development can qualify for less arduous review at the agency. Gottlieb said that hemophilia is the first disease the FDA will target with its new policy. [STAT News] Editorial

Plans for £100M Nobel Centre Blocked by Swedish Court

A Swedish court has blocked the construction of a major new Nobel Centre in Stockholm intended as the future venue for the world’s most prestigious arts and science awards. [The Guardian] Editorial

PM Will Pay to Have ‘Full Association’ with EU Research

The Prime Minister made the strongest commitment yet to “fully associate” the UK with the EU’s £68bn research program post-Brexit. Theresa May said the UK would be willing to make “an appropriate contribution” and in return it would expect a “suitable level of influence”. [BBC News] Editorial

NEW Keystone Symposia: B Cell-T Cell Interactions
February 10-14, 2019
Keystone, Colorado, United States

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NEW Assistant Professor – Microbial Pathogenesis (University of Maryland School of Dentistry)

Research Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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

Clinical Research Fellow – Adult Vaccinology (University of Oxford)

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)

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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