Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 8.18 | May 13 2020

TOP STORY

Infection of Bat and Human Intestinal Organoids by SARS-CoV-2

Investigators showed the establishment and characterization of expandable intestinal organoids derived from horseshoe bats of the Rhinolophus sinicus species that could recapitulate bat intestinal epithelium. These bat enteroids were fully susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and sustained robust viral replication. [Nat Med] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

SARS-CoV-2

Single-Cell Landscape of Bronchoalveolar Immune Cells in Patients with COVID-19

Researchers characterized bronchoalveolar lavage fluid immune cells from patients with varying severity of COVID-19 and from healthy people by using single-cell RNA sequencing. Proinflammatory monocyte-derived macrophages were abundant in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with severe COVID-9. [Nat Med] Full Article

Structural Basis for the Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease by Antineoplastic Drug Carmofur

The X-ray crystal structure of M^pro in complex with carmofur revealed that the carbonyl reactive group of carmofur was covalently bound to catalytic Cys145, whereas its fatty acid tail occupied the hydrophobic S2 subsite. [Nat Struct Mol Biol] Full Article

Cell Entry Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) had higher human (h)ACE2 binding affinity than SARS-CoV RBD, supporting efficient cell entry. Paradoxically, the hACE2 binding affinity of the entire SARS-CoV-2 spike was comparable to or lower than that of SARS-CoV spike, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 RBD, albeit more potent, was less exposed than SARS-CoV RBD. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article

Protective Humoral Immunity in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Pediatric Patients

The authors analyzed the T/B lymphocytes in PBMC and the production of antibodies in serum from confirmed cases in pediatrics. The respiratory samples obtained from six patients were all tested positive by RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. [Cell Mol Immunol] Full Article

Validation of Predictors of Disease Severity and Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients: A Descriptive and Retrospective Study

C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, IL-6, percentage of circulating lymphocytes (LYM%) and viral load were significantly altered between survivors and non-survivors. LYM%, CRP and IL-6 were the most sensitive and reliable factors in distinguishing between survivors and non-survivors. [Med] Abstract | Full Article

Rapid Implementation of a SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic qRT-PCR Test with Emergency Use Authorization at a Large Academic Safety-Net Hospital

Scientists report the implementation of a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic RT-PCR assay with rapid turnaround time enabling more informed decisions with personal and public health ramifications. [Med] Abstract | Full Article

MORE IMMUNOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE

A Natural Peptide Antigen within the Plasmodium Ribosomal Protein RPL6 Confers Liver T_RM Cell-Mediated Immunity against Malaria in Mice

Researchers identified PbRPL6_120-127, a H2-K^b-restricted epitope from the putative 60S ribosomal protein L6 (RPL6) of Plasmodium berghei ANKA, as an optimal antigen for endogenous liver T_RM cell generation and protection against malaria. [Cell Host Microbe] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Discovery of Widespread Host Protein Interactions with the Pre-Replicated Genome of CHIKV Using VIR-CLASP

Scientists investigated the infection of human cells using Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and influenza A virus and identified hundreds of direct RNA-protein interactions. [Mol Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Exacerbates Pneumococcal Pneumonia via Gas6/Axl-Mediated Macrophage Polarization

The authors identified potentially novel cellular and molecular cascades triggered by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection to exacerbate secondary pneumococcal pneumonia. RSV infection stimulated the local production of growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6). [J Clin Invest] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Tcf1⁺ Cells Are Required to Maintain the Inflationary T Cell Pool upon MCMV Infection

Investigators showed that the inflationary T cell population contained a small subset of cells expressing the transcription factor Tcf1. These Tcf1⁺ cells resembled central memory T cells and were proliferation competent. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Phagosomal Removal of Fungal Melanin Reprograms Macrophage Metabolism to Promote Antifungal Immunity

Researchers showed that fungal melanin was an essential molecule required for the metabolic rewiring of macrophages during infection with the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Neutrophils Play an Ongoing Role in Preventing Bacterial Pneumonia by Blocking the Dissemination of S. aureus from the Upper to the Lower Airways

Scientists showed that neutrophils actively prevented S. aureus dissemination. Establishment of a mouse model of localised S. aureus nasal carriage revealed variations in the longevity of persistence of S. aureus isolates. [Immunol Cell Biol] Abstract

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Immunometabolism during Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

While few studies have directly addressed metabolic reprogramming in the context of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, previous literature examining how drug-resistance mutations alter Mtb physiology and differences in the immune response to drug-resistant Mtb provides significant insights into how drug-resistant strains of Mtb differentially impact immunometabolism. [Trends Microbiol] Abstract

Environmental Factors and Host Microbiomes Shape Host-Pathogen Dynamics

The authors use amphibians and the disease chytridiomycosis caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis to show how interactions between host, host microbiome, pathogen, and the environment all affect disease outcome. [Trends Parasitol] Abstract

Immune Response to SARS‐CoV‐2 and Mechanisms of Immunopathological Changes in COVID-19

Investigators discuss the immune response and immunopathological changes in patients linked to detoriating clinical conditions such as, cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome, autopsy findings and changes in acute phase reactants and serum biochemistry in COVID‐19. [Allergy] Abstract

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Todos Medical Enters Into Direct Exclusive Distribution Agreement with Gnomegen and Announces US FDA Emergency Use Authorization for Its COVID-19 qPCR Test Kits

Todos Medical Ltd. announced that it has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Gnomegen LLC for the distribution of its digital and quantitative (q)PCR COVID-19 testing kits in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America. [Todos Medical Ltd.] Press Release

Eurobio Scientific and the Hospices Civils de Lyon Join Forces to Develop a Bank of Anti-SARS CoV-2 Antibodies

Eurobio Scientific announced that it has partnered with Hospices Civils de Lyon to conduct an observational clinical study with the primary objective of creating a reference bank of antibodies anti-SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19 disease. [Eurobio Scientific] Press Release

CytoAgents Receives NIH Funding to Accelerate Treatment for Cytokine Storm

CytoAgents announced that it has been awarded a NIH grant to accelerate the development of its lead drug candidate, GP1681, an investigational new drug to treat severe influenza, and potentially COVID-19, by targeting hypercytokinemia, more commonly known as “cytokine storm.” [CytoAgents] Press Release

Anti-Vaccine Movement Could Prolong Coronavirus Pandemic, Researchers Warn

It’s not known how many people would actually refuse a COVID-19 vaccine – and general support for vaccines remains high. But some researchers studying vaccine-opposition movements say they’re concerned that the messages could undermine efforts to establish herd immunity to the new coronavirus. [Nature News] Editorial

Scientists Are Drowning in COVID-19 Papers. Can New Tools Keep Them Afloat?

Backed by large technology firms and the White House, a loose-knit army of data scientists, software developers, and journal publishers are racing to create digital collections holding thousands of freely available papers that could be useful to ending the pandemic, and scrambling to build data-mining and search tools that can help researchers quickly find the information they seek.” [ScienceInsider] Editorial

House Democrats Include Research Dollars in Latest Pandemic Relief Package

For US scientists, the good news is that the $3 trillion spending bill unveiled contains billions of dollars in new research funding. The bad news is that the bill is only a marker for negotiations with Senate Republicans and the White House on what more the federal government should do to help the country deal with the devastating economic and health effects of the pandemic. [ScienceINsider] Editorial

Unveiling ‘Warp Speed,’ the White House’s America-First Push for a Coronavirus Vaccine

The Operation Warp Speed project, vaguely described to date but likely to be formally announced by the White House in the coming days, will pick a diverse set of vaccine candidates and pour essentially limitless resources into unprecedented comparative studies in animals, fast-tracked human trials, and manufacturing. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

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NEW Postdoctoral Researcher – Peptide-Based Antibiotics (University of Copenhagen)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Innate Lymphocytes and Influenza Pathogeneisi (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)

Postdoctroal Fellow – Bacterial Infection (Seattle Children’s Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Human Pathogenicity and Fungi (Hans Knöll Institute)

Research Fellow – Infectious Disease (The Lundquist Institute)

Director – Malaria Research (Johns Hopkins University)

Chair – Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Western University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Mucosal Biology (University of Gothenburg)

Group Leader – Anti-Microbial Resistance (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research)

Research Fellow – COVID-19 Virology (Queen’s University Belfast)

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