Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 7.12 | Apr 3 2019

TOP STORY

Bacteriophage Trigger Antiviral Immunity and Prevent Clearance of Bacterial Infection

Scientists identified pathogenic roles for filamentous Pf bacteriophage produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in suppression of immunity against bacterial infection. [Science] Abstract | Editorial

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Keratinocyte-Mediated Activation of the Cytokine TGF-β Maintains Skin Recirculating Memory CD8⁺ T Cells

Researchers showed that after resolution of skin vaccinia virus infection, antigen-specific circulating memory CD8⁺ T cells migrated into skin. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Neutralization Mechanism of Human Monoclonal Antibodies against Rift Valley Fever Virus

The authors report the isolation of monoclonal antibodies from a convalescent patient, targeting the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) envelope proteins Gn and Gc. The Gn-specific monoclonal antibodies exhibited much higher neutralizing activities in vitro and protection efficacies in mice against RVFV infection, compared to the Gc-specific monoclonal antibodies. [Nat Microbiol] Abstract

NKG2A Is a NK Cell Exhaustion Checkpoint for HCV Persistence

Investigators showed, using the humanized C/O^Tg mice permissive for persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, that natural killer (NK) and CD8⁺ T cells become sequentially exhausted shortly after their transient hepatic infiltration and activation in acute HCV infection. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies for Ebola Virus Infection Derived from Vaccinated Humans

Scientists describe therapeutic monoclonal antibodies isolated from human volunteers vaccinated with recombinant adenovirus expressing Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP) and boosted with modified vaccinia virus Ankara. Among 82 antibodies isolated from peripheral blood B cells, almost half neutralized GP pseudotyped influenza virus. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

HIV Controllers Exhibit Effective CD8⁺ T Cell Recognition of HIV-1-Infected Non-Activated CD4⁺ T Cells

Researchers demonstrated that CD8⁺ T cells recognize infected, non-activated CD4⁺ T cells in the absence of de novo protein production, as measured by immune synapse formation, degranulation, cytokine production, and killing of infected cells. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Dectin-1-Induced RIPK1 and RIPK3 Activation Protects Host against Candida albicans Infection

The authors report that fungus triggers myeloid cell necroptosis and that this type of cell death contributes to host defense against the pathogen infection. C. albicans, as well as its sensor dectin-1 activation strongly induced necroptosis in myeloid cells through the receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIPK1)-RIPK3-MLKL cascade. [Cell Death Differ] Abstract

Type 1-Programmed Dendritic Cells Drive Antigen-Specific Latency Reversal and Immune Elimination of Persistent HIV-1

Investigators tested the use of antigen-presenting type 1-polarized, monocyte-derived dendritic cells generated from chronic HIV-1-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy as a means to induce HIV-1 latency reversal in autologous CD4⁺ T cells harboring replication-competent provirus. [EBioMedicine] Full Article | Press Release

15-Keto-Prostaglandin E₂ Activates Host Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPAR-γ) to Promote Cryptococcus neoformans Growth during Infection

C. neoformans infection of macrophages activates host PPAR-γ and its inhibition was sufficient to abrogate the effect of 15-keto-PGE₂ in promoting fungal growth during infection. [PLoS Pathog] Full Article

Novel Avian Paramyxovirus-Based Vaccine Vectors Expressing the Ebola Virus Glycoprotein Elicit Mucosal and Humoral Immune Responses in Guinea Pigs

Researchers developed a modified Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vector based on a mesogenic NDV strain, in which the ectodomains of envelope glycoproteins were replaced with the corresponding ectodomains from avian paramyxovirus serotype 3. The modified NDV vector was highly attenuated in chickens and was able to express the Ebola virus glycoprotein gene at high level. [Sci Rep] Full Article

COMMD10-Guided Phagolysosomal Maturation Promotes Clearance of Staphylococcus aureus in Macrophages

In vivo, COMMD10-deficient liver Kupffer cells exhibited impaired clearance of systemic S. aureus infection. S. aureus-infected COMMD10-deficient macrophages exhibited impaired activation of the transcription factor EB, resulting in reduced lysosomal biogenesis. [iScience] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

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T Cell-Mediated Immunity to Malaria

The authors review the current understanding of the mechanisms by which T cell subsets orchestrate host resistance to Plasmodium infection on the basis of observational and mechanistic studies in humans, non-human primates and rodent models. [Nat Rev Immunol] Abstract

Toward DNA-Based T-Cell Mediated Vaccines to Target HIV-1 and Hepatitis C Virus: Approaches to Elicit Localized Immunity for Protection

Researchers discuss the limitations and the strategies of using DNA as a vector to develop prophylactic T cell-mediated vaccines against HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus. [Front Cell Infect Microbiol] Full Article

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

Inovio’s Novel HPV Therapy INO-3106 Demonstrates Clinical Efficacy against Rare Respiratory Tract Tumors in Pilot Clinical Study

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced its novel therapy INO-3106 against the human papilloma virus (HPV) type 6 demonstrated clinical efficacy in a study of two patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. [Press release from Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discussing research presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Atlanta] Press Release

Dynavax Announces European Medicines Agency Accepts Marketing Authorization Application for HEPLISAV-B^® for Prevention of Hepatitis B in Adults

Dynavax Technologies Corporation announced that the European Medicines Agency has accepted the company’s Marketing Authorization Application for review of HEPLISAV-B for prevention of infection caused by all known subtypes of hepatitis B virus in adults age 18 years and older. [Dynavax Technologies Corporation] Press Release

Dr. Carol Baker Receives 2019 Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal

The Sabin Vaccine Institute announced it will present its annual Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal to Dr. Carol J. Baker, whose groundbreaking research in group B Streptococcus is accelerating progress toward a much-needed vaccine to prevent a bacterial infection that can cause lifelong illness or death in newborns. [Sabin Vaccine Institute] Press Release

Court Ruling Highlights the Threat of Vaccine Misinformation

On 26 March, a court in Tokyo ruled that Muranaka had defamed a medical scientist who claimed that the HPV vaccine could cause brain damage. Although the case against Muranaka was confined to a single charge of libel and did not address the underlying science, the repercussions of the ruling are cause for concern. [Nature News] Editorial

Australia Budget Fails to Impress Scientists

Australians are just weeks from a national election and the government’s latest budget, released on 2 April, prioritizes tax cuts, roads and small businesses ahead of spending on science. Projects in nuclear medicine, environment protection and gender equality in science received modest investments. But there was no new money for research grants and universities would be worse off under the proposal. [Nature News] Editorial

India’s Clinical-Trial Rules to Speed Up Drug Approvals

India has announced new rules for clinical trials that will speed up drug approvals and remove the requirement for large studies to test the efficacy of drugs that have already been approved in other nations. The country will also introduce regulations for universities undertaking research involving people. [Nature News] Editorial

Staff Scientists at the University of California Set to Form a First-of-Its-Kind Union

There are 5,000 of them within the University of California system, with titles like project scientist or professional researcher. They’re not on the tenure track, but they power one of the world’s most prolific research institutions. Now, organizers are in the final stages of setting up a first-of-its-kind union exclusively for academic researchers who are not faculty, postdocs, or graduate students. [STAT News] Editorial

NEW 17^th European AIDS Conference
November 6-9, 2019
Basel, Switzerland

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellowship – Infection and Inflammation (Umea University)

NEW Faculty Positions – Immunology (University of York)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Lymphomas Associated with Viral Infection (Weill Cornell Medicine)

Research Technologist – Immunology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology/Infection Biology (Wellcome Sanger Institute)

Staff Scientist – Transcriptional Control in Development and Disease (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Research Associate – Role of PI3Kδ in Immunity and Infection (University of Cambridge)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Infection and Immunity (University of Southern California)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology, Infection and Tissue Injury (Hospital for Special Surgery/Weill Cornell Medicine)

Professor Position – Infection, Inflammation or Cancer Epigenetics (Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd.)

Research Chairs – Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (University of Ottawa)

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