Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 7.19 | May 22 2019

TOP STORY

IFN-γ-Independent Immune Markers of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Exposure

Scientists report on a cohort of Ugandan individuals who were household contacts of patients with TB. These individuals were highly exposed to M. tuberculosis (Mtb) but tested negative disease by IFN-γ release assay and tuberculin skin test, ‘resisting’ development of classic latent Mtb infection. [Nat Med] Full Article | Press Release

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Longitudinal Analysis of the Human B Cell Response to Ebola Virus Infection

Researchers performed a longitudinal study of B cell responses to Ebola virus (EBOV) in four survivors of the 2014 West African outbreak. Infection induced lasting EBOV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, but their subclass composition changed over time, with IgG1 persisting, IgG3 rapidly declining, and IgG4 appearing late. [Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Cytomegalovirus Infection Drives Avidity Selection of Natural Killer Cells

The authors showed that natural killer (NK) cells with the highest avidity for the mouse cytomegalovirus glycoprotein m157 were preferentially selected to expand and comprise the memory NK cell pool, whereas low-avidity NK cells possessed greater capacity for interferon-γ production. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Distinct Surface Expression of Activating Receptor Ly49H Drives Differential Expansion of NK Cell Clones upon Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection

Investigators used retrogenic color-barcoding and single-cell adoptive transfers to track clonal immune responses to murine cytomegalovirus infection, derived from individual natural killer cells expressing activating receptor Ly49H. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

A Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Prevents Equine Encephalitis Virus Infection in Nonhuman Primates

To develop a potential countermeasure for viral encephalitis, scientists generated a trivalent, or three-component, equine encephalitis virus vaccine composed of virus-like particles (VLPs). Monovalent VLPs elicited neutralizing antibody responses and protected mice and nonhuman primates against homologous challenges, but they were not cross-protective. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract

Leukotriene B₄-Type I Interferon Axis Regulates Macrophage-Mediated Disease Tolerance to Influenza Infection

Researchers demonstrated that mice genetically deficient in leukotriene B₄ signaling are more susceptible to influenza A virus infection compared to control mice, despite similar pulmonary viral loads. [Nat Microbiol] Abstract | Press Release

Direct Interaction of Whole-Inactivated Influenza A and Pneumococcal Vaccines Enhances Influenza-Specific Immunity

The authors showed that mucosal co-administration of γ-Flu and γ-PN similarly augments influenza A virus-specific immunity, particularly tissue-resident memory cell responses in the lung. [Nat Microbiol] Full Article | Press Release

Skin Immunization Activates an Innate Lymphoid Cell-Monocyte Axis Regulating CD8⁺ Effector Recruitment to Mucosal Tissues

Investigators showed that adenovirus serotype 5 bio-distributes at very low level to non-lymphoid tissues after skin immunization. This drives the expansion and activation of CD3⁻ NK1.1⁺ group 1 innate lymphoid cells within the female reproductive tract, essential for recruitment of CD8⁺ T-cell effectors. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Clonal Vγ6⁺Vδ4⁺ T Cells Promote IL-17-Mediated Immunity against Staphylococcus aureus Skin Infection

In an S. aureus skin infection mouse model, scientists found that the IL-17 response was mediated by γδ T cells, which trafficked from lymph nodes to the infected skin to induce neutrophil recruitment, proinflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, and TNF, and host defense peptides. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Press Release

The Chimpanzee SIV Envelope Trimer: Structure and Deployment as an HIV Vaccine Template

Immunization of an HIV variable loop 2 (V2)-apex broadly neutralizing antibody (Ab) precursor Ab-expressing knockin mouse with the chimpanzee MT145K trimer induces HIV V2-specific neutralizing responses. Subsequent boosting with an HIV trimer cocktail induces responses that exhibit some virus cross-neutralization. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Press Release

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Notch Signaling Orchestrates Helminth-Induced Type 2 Inflammation

The authors discuss new advances demonstrating that Notch is active in the development, recruitment, localization, and cytokine production of immune and epithelial effector cells during type 2 inflammation. [Trends Immunol] Abstract

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Inovio First to Advance Lassa Fever Candidate Vaccine into a Clinical Trial

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has dosed subjects in a Phase I, first-in-human clinical trial to evaluate INO-4500, its DNA candidate vaccine to prevent infection from the Lassa virus. [Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

HIV Cure Program Patent Granted to American Gene Technologies

American Gene Technologies was granted a second patent for its unique molecule, methods, and cell process for its HIV program. [American Gene Technologies] Press Release

Vaxil Granted Significant US Patent for Anti-Infective Vaccines

Vaxil Bio Ltd. announced that it has successfully obtained an additional U.S. Patent for anti-infective vaccines platforms. [Vaxil Bio Ltd. (GlobeNewswire, Inc.)] Press Release

Dicerna Announces Dosing of First Patient in Phase I Clinical Trial of DCR-HBVS for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the dosing of the first patient in its Phase I clinical trial of DCR-HBVS, the company’s investigational GalXC™-based therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in adults. [Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

How European Scientists Will Spend €100 Billion

Politicians don’t win prizes for speed, but the European Union’s parliament and the leaders of its member states made record time this year when they hammered out an agreement that could supply researchers in Europe with more than €100 billion (US$113 billion) over seven years. [Nature News] Editorial

NSF, NASA, NIST Would Get Funding Boosts under House Spending Bill

The National Science Foundation (NSF) would get a 7% budget increase, and NASA a 3.8% bump, under a 2020 spending bill approved by an appropriations panel of the US House of Representatives. The bill rejects cuts to those and other federal research agencies proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

National Cancer Institute Will Stop Funding Nanotechnology Centers

The end to funding represents a “natural transition” from putting dedicated support into an emerging field to becoming a more mature research field that fits in with other cancer fields, says Piotr Grodzinski of the National Cancer Institute’s Nanodelivery Systems and Devices Branch, which oversees the Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, to Science. [The Scientist] 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 PhD Studentship – Infection Research (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research)

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

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

Junior Professor – Mucosal Infection Biology (Aachen University)

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)

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