Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 6.43 | Oct 31 2018

TOP STORY

Inflammation Induced by Influenza Virus Impairs Human Innate Immune Control of Pneumococcus

Scientists used a human challenge model with type 6B pneumococcus to show that acquisition of pneumococcus induced early degranulation of resident neutrophils and recruitment of monocytes to the nose. [Nat Immunol] Abstract | Press Release

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Helminth-Induced IL-4 Expands Bystander Memory CD8⁺ T Cells for Early Control of Viral Infection

Researchers showed that helminths expanded CD44^hiCD62L^hiCXCR3^hiCD49d^lo virtual memory CD8⁺ cells through direct IL-4 signaling in CD8⁺ T cells. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Lipoteichoic Acid Anchor Triggers Mincle to Drive Protective Immunity against Invasive Group A Streptococcus Infection

Scientists report that the C-type lectin receptor macrophage inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) recognized group A Streptococcus (GAS) and initiated antibacterial immunity. Gene expression analysis of myeloid cells upon GAS stimulation revealed the contribution of the caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 pathway to the antibacterial responses. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Press Release

Virtual Memory CD8 T Cells Expanded by Helminth Infection Confer Broad Protection against Bacterial Infection

A population of virtual memory CD8 T cells underwent marked expansion upon infection with the helminth Heligmosomoides polygurus by an IL-4-regulated, antigen-independent mechanism. [Mucosal Immunol] Abstract

Alteration of Flt3-Ligand-Dependent De Novo Generation of Conventional Dendritic Cells during Influenza Infection Contributes to Respiratory Bacterial Superinfection

Researchers report that influenza A virus infection caused a transient decrease of lung conventional dendritic cells peaking at day seven post-infection. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Limited Phenotypic and Functional Plasticity of Influenza Virus-Specific Memory CD8⁺ T Cells during Activation in an Alternative Cytokine Environment

Scientists investigated the potential of influenza A virus-specific memory CD8⁺ T cells from mice to alter their phenotype and function in response to reactivation in the presence of IL-4 and anti-IFN-γ Ab. [J Immunol] Abstract

Released Tryptophanyl-tRNA Synthetase Stimulates Innate Immune Responses against Viral Infection

The authors showed that full-length tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase was secreted by immune cells in the early phase of viral infection and functioned as an antiviral cytokine. [J Virol] Abstract

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Exploits CD209 Receptors for Promoting Host Dissemination and Infection

Investigators demonstrated that Y. pseudotuberculosis utilized its lipopolysaccharide core to interact with CD209 receptors, leading to invasion of human dendritic cells and murine macrophages. [Infect Immun] Abstract

Type I Interferons Differentially Modulate Maternal Host Immunity to Infection by Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium during Pregnancy

IFN-alpha receptor deficient mice exhibited decreased splenic monocyte numbers in non-pregnant and pregnant states, and an altered distribution of placental immune cell types in the non-infected state. [Am J Reprod Immunol] Abstract

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Basics of CD8 T-Cell Immune Responses after Influenza Infection and Vaccination with Inactivated or Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine

Scientists focus on the basic aspects of CD8 T-cell immune response both in human influenza virus infection and after administration of inactivated or live attenuated vaccine. [Expert Rev Vaccines] Abstract

Improving the Breadth of the Host’s Immune Response to Lassa Virus

The authors discuss what is known about the immune response to Lassa infection. They also discuss the approaches used to make broadly-protective influenza vaccines and how they could be applied to developing broad vaccine coverage against Lassa virus disease. [Pathogens] Full Article

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Inovio HIV Vaccine PENNVAX^®-GP Delivered Intradermally Generated Robust, Long-Term Best-In-Class Antibody and T Cell Immune Responses

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that its synthetic HIV vaccine PENNVAX^®-GP delivered via intradermal route demonstrated durable and robust antibody and T cell immune responses measured throughout the duration of the Phase I clinical study. [Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

FDA Says It Will Consider Approval of First Dengue Vaccine, Despite Controversy

The FDA has agreed to consider Sanofi Pasteur’s application for Dengvaxia, the world’s first licensed vaccine that protects against dengue but one that brings with it considerable controversy and concern. [STAT News] Press Release

Do Authors Comply When Funders Enforce Open Access to Research?

The first large-scale analysis of compliance with open-access rules reveals that up to one-third of articles are not free to read, report Vincent Larivière and Cassidy R. Sugimoto. [Nature News] Editorial

Hungarian Association Wins Prize for Promoting Participation of Women in Science

Last April, Eszti Varga was one of 2,400 young women to converge on 120 universities and companies across Hungary as part of Girls’ Day, a campaign aimed at drawing high-school students into science and technology careers. Sponsored by the Association of Hungarian Women in Science, the campaign has attracted some 10,000 participants across the seven years that it has run. [Nature News] Editorial

Australia Plans ‘National-Interest’ Test for Research Grants

Australia’s government is set to introduce a ‘national-interest test’ for research projects seeking grant funding from next year. The policy will require that researchers outline how their project will advance the country’s interests, said education minister Dan Tehan in a statement. [Nature News] Editorial

Research Is Often Unpaid in Sub-Saharan Africa

Unpaid research stints are the norm for scientists in sub-Saharan Africa, according to an online survey of 412 academics that spanned six countries. Eighty-five per cent of respondents report having had research positions with no pay. Of those, 33% had spent between one and five years doing research for free, and 4% had spent more than five years doing so. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2019 Annual Meeting
June 26-29, 2019
Los Angeles, California, United States

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

NEW Research Technologist – Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Host Cell-Mediated Immunity against HIV Infection (Temple University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Infection Biology (Lund University)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Modeling Infection (Columbia University)

Postdoctoral Position – Vaccines and Immunity (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)

Postdoctoral Position – Innate Immunity, Virology (Technical University of Munich)

Research Fellow – Cellular Immunology (A*STAR)

Research Fellow – Immunology (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)

Assistant Professor – Immunology (Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard)

Associate/Full Specialist – Host-Pathogen Interactions (University of California, San Francisco)

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