Immunology of Infectious Disease News Volume 7.42 | Oct 30 2019

TOP STORY

Attacking Latent HIV with convertibleCAR-T Cells, a Highly Adaptable Killing Platform

Researchers designed a universal CAR-T cell platform based on cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) engineered to bind a variety of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies. They showed that this platform, convertibleCAR-T cells, effectively killed HIV-infected, but not uninfected, CD4 T cells from blood, tonsil, or spleen and only when armed with anti-HIV antibodies. [Cell] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

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Adenovirus Vector-Based Vaccines Confer Maternal-Fetal Protection against Zika Virus Challenge in Pregnant IFN-αβR^−/− Mice

The authors showed that adenovirus vector-based Zika virus (ZIKV) vaccines induced potent neutralizing antibodies that conferred robust maternal and fetal protection against ZIKV challenge in pregnant, highly susceptible IFN-αβR^−/− mice. [Cell Host Microbe] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Persistent Dengue Infection in an Immunosuppressed Patient Reveals the Roles of Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses in Virus Clearance

Scientists report an unusual case of persistent dengue virus (DENV) infection in a lymphopenic renal transplant recipient who was therapeutically immunosuppressed to prevent organ rejection. Following resolution of symptomatic dengue, this patient remained positive for DENV3 RNA in the blood for four months and viruric up to nine months post-infection despite demonstrable levels of serum neutralizing antibodies throughout this period. [Cell Host Microbe] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Characterization of Orally Efficacious Influenza Drug with High Resistance Barrier in Ferrets and Human Airway Epithelia

Therapeutic oral dosing of influenza virus-infected ferrets reduced group pandemic 1 and group 2 seasonal influenza A shed virus load by multiple orders of magnitude and alleviated fever, airway epithelium histopathology, and inflammation, whereas postexposure prophylactic dosing was sterilizing. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract | Editorial

HIV-2/SIV Vpx Targets a Novel Functional Domain of Sting to Selectively Inhibit cGAS–STING-Mediated NF-κB Signaling

Scientists discovered Vpx as a novel inhibitor of innate immune activation that associates with STING signalosomes and interferes with the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and the induction of innate immune genes. [Nat Microbiol] Abstract

Neutrophil Recruitment to Noninvasive MRSA at the Stratum Corneum of Human Skin Mediates Transient Colonization

Investigators demonstrated the importance of the outer stratum corneum as the major site of bacterial colonization and how noninvasive methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) adhesion to corneocytes induced a local inflammatory response in underlying skin layers. This signaling recruited neutrophils to the skin, where they controlled bacterial numbers, mediating transiency in colonization. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Generation of Protective Pneumococcal-Specific Nasal Resident Memory CD4⁺ T Cells via Parenteral Immunization

Researchers showed that intranasal administration of live or killed pneumococci to mice generated pneumococcus-responsive IL-17A-producing CD4⁺ mucosal tissue-resident memory T cells. [Mucosal Immunol] Abstract

TLR7 and TLR8 Activate Distinct Pathways in Monocytes during RNA Virus Infection

The authors found that in monocytes, type I interferon (IFN) and cytokine responses to infection were RNA virus specific and differentially involved toll-like receptor (TLR)7 and TLR8, which sense single-stranded RNA. These TLRs activated distinct signaling cascades in monocytes, which correlated with differences in the production of cytokines involved in the polarization of CD4⁺ T helper cells. [Sci Signal] Abstract

ZBTB32 Restrains Antibody Responses to Murine Cytomegalovirus Infections, but Not Other Repetitive Challenges

ZBTB32 did not limit recall responses to a number of physiological acute challenges, but did restrict antibody levels during chronic viral infections that periodically engage memory B cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Responses to Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine Reveal Distinct Circulating CD4⁺CXCR5⁺ T Cell Subsets in Men Living with HIV

Researchers showed that seroprotective antibody responses in serum and oral fluid correlated with cTFH activation and were equivalent in all three groups, irrespective of when antiretroviral therapy was started. [Sci Rep] Full Article

An Oral Alpha-Galactosylceramide Adjuvanted Helicobacter pylori Vaccine Induces Protective IL-1R- and IL-17R-Dependent Th1 Responses

Investigators demonstrated that prophylactic intragastric immunisation with a whole-cell killed H. pylori antigen administered together with the non-toxic oral adjuvant α-galactosylceramide induced effective immune protection against H. pylori infection in mice, which was of similar magnitude as when using the “gold standard” cholera toxin as adjuvant. [npj Vaccines] Full Article

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Modulation of Innate and Adaptive Immunity by Cytomegaloviruses

Scientists review the diverse strategies adopted by cytomegaloviruses to target immune pathways and outline the host’s response. [Nat Rev Immunol] Abstract

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Themis Bioscience and CEPI Announce Initiation of Phase I Clinical Trial with Lassa Fever Vaccine

Themis Bioscience and CEPI – the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations – announced the first administration to healthy volunteers in a Phase I clinical trial with Themis’ vaccine candidate against Lassa fever. [Themis Bioscience] Press Release

BlueWillow Receives FDA Clearance to Begin Phase I Study of its Intranasal Anthrax Vaccine

BlueWillow Biologics announced the FDA has cleared its Investigational New Drug application for BW-1010, the company’s next-generation anthrax vaccine candidate. [BlueWillow Biologics] Press Release

Enesi Pharma Awarded Grant Funding to Develop and Evaluate ImplaVax^® Enabled Solid Dose Vaccines Targeting Measles and Rubella Grant Funding Provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Enesi Pharma announced that it has been awarded grant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The funding will support a new project to evaluate Enesi’s ImplaVax^® technology platform for enabling the development and delivery of solid dose vaccines for measles and rubella. [Enesi Pharma] Press Release

Academics in Ukraine Fighting against Rampant Misconduct

Plagiarism, pseudoscience, bribes, and cheating. The threats to academia in Ukraine are many, according to false-science, a group of around 10 Ukrainian scientists dedicated to battling cheaters. [The Scientist] Editorial

White House to Host Closed-Door Summit on US Research Enterprise

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will host a one-day meeting in Washington, DC, to discuss a host of hot-button issues affecting the US research community. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Beware the UK Government’s Brexit Promises

There’s a research group in Britain that has become a staple of the country’s news shows, and it’s called The UK in a Changing Europe. On most nights, the team of political scientists, economists and lawyers dispassionately responds to broadcasters’ questions on the impact — economic, political and societal — of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Advances in Drug Repositioning
December 3, 2019
New York, New York, United States

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NEW Scientist – Infectious Disease (Infectious Disease Research Institute)

Scientific Lead – Infectious Disease (Public Health England)

Postdoctoral Position – HIV (Tulane University)

Postdoctoral Position/PhD Student – Infectious Diseases, Host-Pathogen Interactions and Immunology (Purdue University)

Postdoctoral Associate – Lung Inflammation (The University of Georgia)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Flavivirus Infection (Pasteur Institute of Cambodia)

Assistant/Associate Professor – Immunology (University of Massachusetts)

Faculty Position – Life Sciences (University of Michigan)

Staff Clinician – Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology (The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Assistant Professor – Microbiology and Immunology (Stanford University School of Medicine)

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