Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 7.18 | May 15 2019

TOP STORY

New HIV Vaccine Strategy “Pumps” the Immune System

A new HIV vaccine delivery strategy appears to enhance the protective immune response in a preclinical model. Scientists discovered that delivering an HIV vaccine in small doses over a series of days leads to a stronger immune response than when the same vaccine is given all at once. [Press release from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology discussing online prepublication in Cell] Press Release | Abstract | Graphical Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Concentration and Avidity of Antibodies to Different Circumsporozoite Epitopes Correlate with RTS,S/AS01E Malaria Vaccine Efficacy

In a cohort of 1028 subjects from one low and two high malaria transmission sites, researchers analyzed IgG plasma/serum concentration and avidity to CSP after a three-dose vaccination against time to clinical malaria events during 12-months. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Bacteroides fragilis Polysaccharide A Induces IL-10 Secreting B and T Cells that Prevent Viral Encephalitis

The authors assessed the immunomodulatory potential of polysaccharide A (PSA) in herpes simplex encephalitis by infecting PSA or PBS treated 129S6 mice with HSV1, followed by delayed Acyclovir treatment as often occurs in the clinical setting. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

IRF4-Dependent Dendritic Cells Regulate CD8⁺ T-Cell Differentiation and Memory Responses in Influenza Infection

Investigators used CD11c-cre-Irf4^f/f mice, which lack lung-resident IRF4-dependent CD11b⁺CD24^hi dendritic cells (DCs) and showed IRF4 deficiency in other lung cDC subsets, to determine if IRF4-expressing DCs regulate CD8⁺ memory precursor cells and memory CD8⁺ T cells during influenza A virus infection. [Mucosal Immunol] Abstract

Sex-Associated TSLP-Induced Immune Alterations following Early-Life RSV Infection Leads to Enhanced Allergic Disease

Researchers showed that early-life RSV infection leads to differential long-term effects based upon the sex of the neonate; leaving male mice prone to exacerbation upon secondary allergen exposure while overall protecting female mice. [Mucosal Immunol] Full Article

PA-X Antagonizes MAVS-Dependent Accumulation of Early Type I Interferon Messenger RNAs during Influenza A Virus Infection

The evolutionarily conserved influenza A virus protein PA-X has been implicated in suppressing the host response to infection, including the expression of type I interferons. The authors characterize this further using a PA-X-deficient virus of the mouse-adapted PR8 strain to study activation of the innate immune response in a mouse model of the early response to viral infection. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Immunosuppression Reduces Lung Injury Caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection

Researchers investigated the correlation between immune response and lung injury in M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP). The clinical characteristics of MPP were compared between patients treated with and without immunosuppressive chemotherapy, and demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between patients with severe and mild MPP. [Sci Rep] Full Article

mRNA Vaccines against H10N8 and H7N9 Influenza Viruses of Pandemic Potential Are Immunogenic and Well Tolerated in Healthy Adults in Phase I Randomized Clinical Trials

Scientists evaluated safety and immunogenicity of the first mRNA vaccines against potentially pandemic avian H10N8 and H7N9 influenza viruses. [Vaccine] Full Article | Press Release

Plant-Derived Virus-Like Particle Vaccines Drive Cross-Presentation of Influenza A Hemagglutinin Peptides by Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Investigators tracked the intracellular fate of a model hemagglutinin (HA) in human monocyte-derived macrophages following delivery either as virus-like particles (VLPs) or in soluble form. Compared to exposure to soluble HA, pulsing with VLPs resulted in ~3-fold greater intracellular accumulation of HA at 15 minutes that was driven by clathrin-mediated and clathrin-independent endocytosis as well as macropinocytosis/phagocytosis. [npj Vaccines] Full Article

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CD4⁺ T Cell-Mediated Immunity against the Phagosomal Pathogen Leishmania: Implications for Vaccination

Experimental observations suggest that the relationship between immunological memory and protection against Leishmania is not straightforward and that a new paradigm is required to inform vaccine design. [Trends Parasitol] Abstract

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

BiondVax to Provide Update of M-001 Universal Flu Vaccine Pivotal Phase III Clinical Trial

Dr. Tamar Ben-Yedidia, BiondVax’s Chief Scientific Officer, will provide an overview of the company’s achievements and plans, including the ongoing pivotal, clinical efficacy, Phase III trial. [Press release from BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. discussing research presented at 18^th MIXiii-BIOMED Conference and Exhibition, Tel Aviv] Press Release

Batavia Biosciences Partners with the University of Tokyo to Develop a Vector-Based Vaccine against Nipah Virus

Batavia Biosciences announced that it will work together in a consortium including the European Vaccine Initiative and Stanford University, icddr,b, and headed by the University of Tokyo, to develop an epidemic preparedness vaccine against the Nipah virus. [Batavia Biosciences] Press Release

Abcellera Announces Partnership with NIAID Vaccine Research Center and Ichor Medical Systems to Tackle Pandemic Viral Outbreaks

AbCellera announced the addition of leading researchers from the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Ichor Medical Systems to its Pandemic Prevention Platform team. [AbCellera Biologics Inc.] Press Release

Inovio and Plumbline Life Sciences Establish Animal Health Collaboration to Develop a Novel Vaccine against Deadly African Swine Fever Virus

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Plumbline Life Sciences announced a collaboration to co-develop a novel animal health vaccine for African swine fever virus. [Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc.] Press Release

BioCryst Completes Phase I Clinical Trial of Galidesivir

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the completion of a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I clinical trial to evaluate intravenous galidesivir in healthy volunteers. In the trial, galidesivir was generally safe and well tolerated. [BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

UNC and Partners Receive Up To $10.7 Million to Research Chlamydia Vaccine

Researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, in partnership with colleagues at other sites in the US, Europe and Australia, will receive up to $10.7 million over five years from the National Institutes of Health to move closer to identifying a vaccine candidate. [Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases] Press Release

Ichor Biologics Is Awarded $300K by the NIH to Develop Therapeutic Antibodies to Treat Deadly Hantavirus Infections

Ichor Biologics received a $300,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to utilize its platform technology to develop broadly neutralizing antibodies against deadly hantavirus infections. [Ichor Biologics (Business Wire, Inc.)] Press Release

CytoDyn Files Pivotal Trial Protocol for HIV Monotherapy with FDA

CytoDyn Inc. announced that it has filed with the FDA the pivotal trial protocol for leronlimab as a monotherapy for HIV patients. [CytoDyn Inc.] Press Release

Singapore Passes ‘Fake News’ Law following Researcher Outcry

Singapore’s parliament has passed a law that bans the spreading of “a false statement of fact” that harms the public interest. Researchers and human-rights groups opposed the regulation, and warn that it will stifle academic debate. The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill authorizes Singapore’s ministers to order social media and messaging platforms to remove the material deemed false by authorities, or force them to run corrections. [Nature News] Editorial

Artificial Intelligence Is Selecting Grant Reviewers in China

China’s largest funder of basic science is piloting an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that selects researchers to review grant applications, in an attempt to make the process more efficient, faster and fairer. Some researchers say the approach by the National Natural Science Foundation of China is world-leading, but others are sceptical about whether AI can improve the process. [Nature News] Editorial

Europe’s Premier Research Funder Appoints New President

Nanobiologist Mauro Ferrari will become president of the European Research Council, the European Union’s premier funder of basic research. Ferrari’s appointment comes as the agency faces challenges to its budget, which cannot currently cover all of the grants that evaluators deem fundable. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW International Society for Vaccines (ISV) Annual Congress 2019
October 27-29, 2019
Ghent, Belgium

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow Positions – Computational Biology, Virology, and Glycoproteomics (University of Missouri-Columbia)

NEW Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Reader/Professor – Vaccinology and Immunotherapy (University of Bristol)

Junior Professor – Mucosal Infection Biology (Aachen University)

Research Assistant – Outbreak Pathogen Vaccine Trials (University of Oxford)

Research Scientist – Immunology/HBV (Gilead Sciences, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Associate – Influenza Pathogenesis and Cell Death (Fox Chase Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Vaccine Research (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Research Scholar – HIV Research (Northern California Institute for Research and Education)

Postdoctoral Fellows – HIV Research (Massachusetts General Hospital)

Qualified Person – BioManufacturing (University of Oxford)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Malaria (Seattle Children’s)

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

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