| Vol. 9.01 – 12 January, 2021 |
| |
|
|
| Neutralizing antibodies elicited by HIV-1 in naturally infected humans coevolve with viral envelope proteins in distinctive molecular patterns, in some cases acquiring substantial breadth. [Science] |
|
|
|
| PUBLICATIONSRanked by the impact factor of the journal |
| |
|
|
| Using both a SARS-CoV-2 virus pseudotype and authentic SARS-CoV-2, researchers found that overexpression of AXL in HEK293T cells promoted SARS-CoV-2 entry as efficiently as overexpression of ACE2, while knocking out AXL significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection in H1299 pulmonary cells and in human primary lung epithelial cells. [Cell Research] |
|
|
|
| Investigators compared African green monkeys inoculated with infectious SARS-CoV-2 or irradiated, inactivated virus to study the dynamics of virus replication throughout the respiratory tract. Interestingly, genomic RNA from the animals inoculated with the irradiated virus was found to be highly stable, whereas sub-genomic RNA, an indicator of viral replication, was found to degrade quickly. [Science Translational Medicine] |
|
|
|
| Scientists report the identification and characterization of two groups of mouse neutralizing monoclonal antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. [Nature Communications] |
|
|
|
| Researchers developed two capsid-like particle-based vaccines displaying the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. [Nature Communications] |
|
|
|
| The authors used three independent approaches to probe the capacity of SARS-CoV-2 to infect the brain. Using human brain organoids, they observed clear evidence of infection with accompanying metabolic changes in infected and neighboring neurons. [Journal of Experimental Medicine] |
| MORE IMMUNOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE |
|
|
|
| Scientists present three crystal structures of full-length dengue virus NS1 complexed with a flavivirus–cross-reactive, NS1-specific monoclonal antibody, 2B7, at resolutions between 2.89 and 3.96 angstroms. These structures reveal a protective mechanism by which two domains of NS1 are antagonized simultaneously. [Science] |
|
|
|
| Investigators demonstrated that type 1 innate lymphoid cells were the major immune force providing early protection during acute oral mucosal viral infection. [Immunity] |
|
|
|
| In the presence of patient serum, γδ2 T cells phagocytosed and degraded opsonized infected red blood cells in a CD16-dependent manner, decreasing parasite multiplication. [Nature Immunology] |
|
|
|
| The authors characterized the dynamics and transcriptional regulation of lung-resident CD4+ T cells during influenza infection and identified a long-lived, Bcl6-dependent population that they have termed T resident helper cells. [Science Immunology] |
|
|
|
| Researchers report that lung T helper cells provide local assistance for the optimal development of tissue-resident memory B and CD8+ T cells after the resolution of primary influenza virus infection. [Science Immunology] |
|
|
|
| Scientists showed that, unlike whole-cell pertussis vaccines, acellular pertussis vaccines, while protective against lung colonization by B. pertussis, did not protect BALB/c mice from nasal colonization, but instead substantially prolonged nasal carriage. [npj Vaccines] |
|
|
|
|
| More studies reveal that CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and neutralizing antibodies all contribute to control of SARS-CoV-2, in both non-hospitalized and hospitalized cases of COVID-19. The specific functions and kinetics of these adaptive immune responses are discussed. [Cell] |
|
|
|
| The authors discuss the current understanding of how the gut microbiota orchestrates systemic immunity during noninfectious extraintestinal diseases and homeostasis, focusing on the translocation of viable bacteria to gut-distal sites. [Trends in Immunology] |
|
|
|
| Scientists summarize and discuss some recent exciting discoveries in the Epstein–Barr virus research area, which includes DNA methylation alterations, metabolic reprogramming, the changes of mitochondria and ubiquitin-proteasome system, oxidative stress and EBV lytic reactivation, variations in non-coding RNA, radiochemotherapy and immunotherapy. [Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy] |
|
|
|
|
| Roche confirmed that the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense will purchase additional supply of Regeneron’s casirivimab and imdevimab antibody cocktail for use in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients as part of Operation Warp Speed. [Roche (Globe Newswire, Inc.)] |
|
|
|
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. announced that the companies have entered into a clinical collaboration to evaluate novel therapeutic combination strategies aimed at developing a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B virus. [Gilead Sciences, Inc. (BusinessWire, Inc)] |
|
|
|
|
| February 3 – 23, 2021 Virtual |
|
|
|
|
|
| Salk Institute of Biological Studies – La Jolla, California, United States |
|
|
|
| University of Luxembourg – Luxembourg, Luxembourg |
|
|
|
| Karolinska Institutet – Huddinge, Sweden |
|
|
|
| University of Minnesota Medical School – Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
|
|
|
| University of California Irvine – Irvine, California, United States |
|
|
|
|