Human Immunology News Volume 7.12 | Apr 2 2019

TOP STORY

GPRC5D Is a Target for the Immunotherapy of Multiple Myeloma with Rationally Designed CAR T Cells

Using quantitative immunofluorescence, researchers determined that G protein-coupled receptor, class C group 5 member D (GPRC5D) protein was expressed on CD138⁺ multiple myeloma cells from primary marrow samples with a distribution that was similar to, but independent of, B cell maturation antigen. [Sci Transl Med] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CSF1R and BTK Inhibitions as Novel Strategies to Disrupt the Dialog between Mantle Cell Lymphoma and Macrophages

In vivo, the authors showed that CSF1 and IL-10 plasma concentrations were higher in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients than in healthy donors, and that monocytes from MCL patients overexpressed CD163. [Leukemia] Abstract

Inhibition of the lncRNA SAF Drives Activation of Apoptotic Effector Caspases in HIV-1-Infected Human Macrophages

Investigators identified the impact of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) SAF in regulating apoptotic effector caspases in macrophages, a long-lived cellular reservoir of HIV-1, that are largely immune to virus-induced cell death. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Full Article | Press Release

Entry of Polarized Effector Cells into Quiescence Forces HIV Latency

Naïve CD4⁺ T cells were polarized into the four major T cell subsets and subsequently infected with a single-round reporter virus which expressed GFP/CD8a. [mBio] Full Article

Non-Cytotoxic Cardiac Innate Lymphoid Cells Are a Resident and Quiescent Type 2-Commited Population

Scientists found that in healthy humans and mice, non-cytotoxic cardiac innate lymphoid cells were predominantly a type 2-committed population with progenitor-like features, such as an absence of type-specific immunophenotype, intermediate GATA3 expression, and capacity to transiently express pro-myelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein upon activation. [Front Immunol] Full Article

ADAM17-Dependent Proteolysis of L-Selectin Promotes Early Clonal Expansion of Cytotoxic T Cells

Researchers used T cells expressing cleavable or non-cleavable L-selectin and determined the impact of L-selectin proteolysis on T cell activation in virus-infected mice. They confirmed an essential and non-redundant role for ADAM17 in TCR-induced proteolysis of L-selectin in mouse and human T cells and showed that L-selectin cleavage does not regulate T cell activation measured by CD69 or TCR internalization. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Monocytes/Macrophages Play a Pathogenic Role in IL-23 Mediated Psoriasis-Like Skin Inflammation

To characterize the monocyte/macrophage (Mon/Mac) population when the IL-23 pathway is activated, a murine model of intradermal injection of IL-23 was used. Flow cytometry revealed that Mon/Mac cells were the dominant immune population, particularly late in the model, highlighted by strong presence of Ly6C^hiMHC II^hi cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article

OMIP‐056: Evaluation of Human Conventional T Cells, Donor‐Unrestricted T Cells, and NK Cells Including Memory Phenotype by Intracellular Cytokine Staining

A 26‐color staining panel was developed to profile human antigen‐specific T cells in an intracellular cytokine staining assay using peptide pools to various antigens of interest. [Cytometry A] Full Article

Elevated Circulating CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ Regulatory T Cells in Patients with Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer

The frequencies of circulating CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells and CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ Treg cells were significantly higher in advanced-stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients compared with patients with limited-stage NSCLC. [Cancer Biother Radiopharm] Abstract

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Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Engineered T Cell Therapy in Lymphoma

The authors review data on safety and efficacy outcomes with chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in lymphomas. [Curr Oncol Rep] Abstract

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Nkarta Therapeutics Presents Data at AACR Demonstrating Proprietary NK Cell Engineering and Expansion Technology Enhances Potency and Cytotoxicity of NK Cells

Nkarta Therapeutics announced preclinical data were presented in a poster session. [Press release from Nkarta Therapeutics discussing research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2019 Annual Meeting, Atlanta] Press Release

Fate Therapeutics Presents Late-Breaking Preclinical Data Highlighting Unique Advantages of Clonal Master Engineered iPSC Lines for Off-the-Shelf CAR T-Cell Therapy

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. presented late-breaking preclinical data highlighting the company’s unmatched ability to mass produce uniformly engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy. [Press release from Fate Therapeutics, Inc. discussing research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2019 Annual Meeting, Atlanta] Press Release

F1 Oncology to Present Data that Expands on Proof of Novel Point of Care Approach for CAR-T Therapies in Solid Tumor Malignancies

F1 Oncology, Inc. will present four abstracts that support novel technologies to treat solid tumor malignancies. [Press release from F1 Oncology, Inc. discussing research to be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2019 Annual Meeting, Atlanta] Press Release

Celularity Announces Results of Phase I Studies of PNK-007, an Allogeneic, Off-the-Shelf, Placental-Derived Cell Therapy

Celularity, Inc. announced results from two Phase I studies of PNK-007, an investigational allogeneic off-the-shelf natural killer cell therapy, in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and in patients with multiple myeloma. [Press release from Celularity, Inc. (Business Wire, Inc.) discussing research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2019 Annual Meeting, Atlanta] Press Release

Sensei Biotherapeutics Presents First Preclinical Data on SNS-723 CAR-T and LongTerm Results on SNS-301 Data

Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. announced new data from two programs targeting a novel tumor specific embryonic antigen, human aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH), including preclinical data on SNS-723, a first-in-class CAR-T cell therapy demonstrating effective killing of tumor cells by a series of ASPH-specific CAR-Ts as well as additional data from its Phase I study on the long-term effects of SNS-301, a first-in-class cancer immunotherapy demonstrating that all patients experienced dose-dependent and durable ASPH-specific immune responses. [Press release from Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. discussing research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2019 Annual Meeting, Atlanta] Press Release

Phio and Glycostem to Collaborate on Use of Its sd-rxRNA^® platform and Glycostem’s oNKord^® Cell Therapy Products for the Next Generation of Natural Killer Cell-Based Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment

Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with Glycostem Therapeutics BV to explore the potential synergies of using Phio’s self-delivering RNAi technology (sd-rxRNA^®) in combination with Glycostem’s proprietary natural killer-cell generation technology to develop cellular immunotherapies for cancer treatment with enhanced efficacy and/or safety. [Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp.] Press Release

Fate Therapeutics Announces First Patient Treated with iPSC-Derived NK Cell Cancer Immunotherapy FT500 Successfully Completes Initial Safety Assessment

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the first patient treated with FT500 successfully completed an initial safety assessment. [Fate Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

What Thailand’s Long-Awaited Election Could Mean for Science

Thailand is bracing for the results of its first election since a military junta took charge in a 2014 coup. Scientists, like many other people in Thailand, want a more democratic country. But whether a pro-democracy party or a military-backed one ends up in charge, science is likely to prosper as a result of ongoing reforms put in place by the junta that are likely to continue under either government. [Nature News] Editorial

National Academy of Sciences Will Vote on Ejecting Sexual Harassers

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., will ask its members to change the organization’s bylaws to allow proven sexual harassers and those guilty of other misconduct to be ejected from their ranks. That’s a first for the prestigious organization that advises the U.S. government on scientific issues: Its members, who are voted in by other members, have always been elected for life. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Keystone Symposia: Tumor Metabolism
March 8-12, 2020
Banff, Alberta, Canada

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NEW Postdoctoral Fellowship – Analyzing Innate Immune Regulation (Umea University)

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Faculty Position – Immunology (Fox Chase Cancer Center)

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Postdoctoral Position – Tumor Immunology (University of Maryland)

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Postdoctoral Positions – Immunity (UT Southwestern Medical Center)

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