Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 7.23 | Jun 19 2019

TOP STORY

Clues to Building a Better Herpes Vaccine

Efforts to develop an effective vaccine for genital herpes, a common sexually transmitted disease, have largely failed. In a new study researchers explore why, and their findings could lead to a better vaccine. [Press release from Yale School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in Nature] Press Release | Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

TOX Reinforces the Phenotype and Longevity of Exhausted T Cells in Chronic Viral Infection

Scientists report that the development and maintenance of exhausted T-cell populations required the thymocyte selection-associated high mobility group-box protein (Tox). Tox was induced by high antigen T-cell receptor stimulation and correlated with the presence of an “exhausted” phenotype during chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and human hepatitis C virus infection. [Nature] Abstract | Press Release

Human Antibodies that Slow Erythrocyte Invasion Potentiate Malaria-Neutralizing Antibodies

The authors isolated a panel of human monoclonal antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (PfRH5) from peripheral blood B cells from vaccinees in the first clinical trial of a PfRH5-based vaccine. [Cell] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

Targeting Thrombogenicity and Inflammation in Chronic HIV Infection

Thrombogenicity was significantly higher in persons with HIV infection (PWH) and correlated strongly with plasma levels of D-dimer, soluble TNF receptors 1 and 2, and circulating classical and nonclassical monocytes in PWH. [Sci Adv] Full Article

Borrelia burgdorferi Peptidoglycan Is a Persistent Antigen in Patients with Lyme Arthritis

Investigators provide evidence that peptidoglycan, a major component of the B. burgdorferi cell envelope, may contribute to the development and persistence of Lyme arthritis. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article | Press Release

Chitosan Alters Inactivated Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Elicited Immune Responses without Affecting Lung Histopathology in Mice

Scientists investigated whether chitosan administered one or three days post-infection could protect animals against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and whether it could alter immune responses or immunopathology induced by inactivated RSV vaccine when administered twice before RSV infection. [Vaccine] Abstract

Zika Virus Antagonizes Interferon Response in Patients and Disrupts RIG-I-MAVS Interaction through Its CARD-TM Domains

Using RNA sequencing-based transcriptional profiling of whole blood cells isolated from patients acutely infected by Zika virus (ZIKV), researchers found that transcriptional signature programs of antiviral interferon-stimulated genes and innate immune sensors in ZIKV-infected patients remained inactive as compared to those of healthy donors, suggesting that ZIKV was able to suppress the induction of type I interferon during the natural infection process in humans. [Cell Biosci] Full Article

A Comprehensive Immune Repertoire Study for Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Investigators applied high throughput sequencing to study the immune repertoire of nine pulmonary tuberculosis patients and nine healthy control samples. [Mol Genet Genomic Med] Full Article

Self-Destructing Salmonella via Temperature Induced Gene E of Phage PhiX174 Improves Influenza HA DNA Vaccine Immune Protection against H1N1 Infection in Mice Model

Researchers report a temperature induced conditionally expressed phage PhiX174 gene E mediated lysis of Salmonella under in vivo conditions that could increase the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine delivered via Salmonella carrier system. [J Immunol Methods] Abstract

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Functional Aspects of T Cell Diversity in Visceral Leishmaniasis

The authors highlight the major contributions of T cell subsets using an infectious disease model of visceral leishmaniasis and also explain the reason for the non-responsiveness of the T cell subsets during the onset and progression of infection. [Biomed Pharmacother] Full Article

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AbCellera Announces Therapeutic Antibody Discovery Collaboration with Gilead in Infectious Disease

AbCellera announced it has entered into an agreement with Gilead Sciences to support the discovery of therapeutic antibody candidates for infectious diseases. AbCellera will apply its expertise in single-cell screening of natural immune sources to generate rich panels of antibody candidates for evaluation by Gilead. [AbCellera Biologics Inc.] Press Release

Bavarian Nordic Initiates Phase III Trial of Freeze-Dried MVA-BN^® Smallpox Vaccine

Bavarian Nordic A/S announced the initiation of a pivotal Phase III trial of the freeze-dried formulation of MVA-BN^® smallpox vaccine in 1,110 healthy, vaccinia-naïve subjects. [Bavarian Nordic A/S] Press Release

VBI Vaccines Announces Positive Top-Line Results from PROTECT, a Pivotal Phase III Study of Sci-B-Vac^®

VBI Vaccines Inc. announced positive top-line results from the randomized, double-blind, pivotal Phase III study, PROTECT, designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 10 µg dose of Sci-B-Vac^®, the company’s trivalent hepatitis B vaccine, compared with a 20 µg dose of the comparator vaccine, Engerix-B^®. [VBI Vaccines Inc.] Press Release

Patent Covering Manufacturing Process of BiondVax’s M-001 Universal Flu Vaccine Allowed in USA and Japan

BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. announced that a patent covering production processes of the company’s M-001 universal influenza vaccine candidate was allowed in the USA and Japan. [BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd.] Press Release

Trump Issues Executive Order that Could Reduce Scientific Advice

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on June 14 to cut back the number of advisory committees by at least a third by the end of September, according to a statement from the White House. The federal advisory committee system is the formal structure for government agencies to seek advice from experts including scientists. [The Scientist] Editorial

China Clamps Down on Foreign Use of Chinese Genetic Material and Data

China has announced new regulations for the use of human genetic resources that come from Chinese participants. The rules, announced on June 10, require international scientists using biomaterials from China to have a Chinese collaborator and go into effect on July 1. [The Scientist] Editorial

NEW Vaccine Development for Neglected Intracellular Pathogens
October 2-3, 2019
London, United Kingdom

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NEW PhD Position – Chronic Viral Infections (Research Center for Molecular Medicine)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow Position – Study of Human Antibody Functions in M. tuberculosis Infection (Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

Faculty Opportunity – Genomics and Computational Biology (Duke Human Vaccine Institute)

Research Associate – Vaccines (University of Bristol)

Postdoctoral Associate Positions – Infectious Diseases (University of Minnesota)

PhD Position – Infection Biology/Mucosal Immunology (RWTH University Hospital)

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.)

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