Review
Immunology
Feiyan Mo, Maksim Mamonkin, Malcolm K. Brenner, Helen E. Heslop
Summary: Banked allogeneic or 'off-the-shelf' (OTS) T cells from healthy human donors are being developed to address the limitations of autologous cell therapies. Potential challenges of OTS T cell therapies are associated with their allogeneic origin and the possibility of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and host-versus-graft immune reactions. While approaches to prevent immune rejection of OTS cells are at an earlier stage of development, the risk of GvHD from OTS T cells has been proved to be manageable in clinical studies.
TRENDS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Kristine E. Zengeler, John R. Lukens
Summary: The study reveals that NLRP3, previously believed to mainly function in microglia, is also present in neurons and plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.
Review
Immunology
Angus Hann, Ye H. Oo, M. Thamara P. R. Perera
Summary: The liver possesses unique immunological characteristics but is susceptible to immune mediated injury. Regulatory T cells play a crucial role in preventing tissue damage, and therapies aiming to increase their function have shown efficacy in autoimmune diseases and organ transplantations. Research on the hepatic microenvironment and the role of Tregs in liver diseases is crucial for maintaining immunological balance.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Catherine Sabatel, Fabrice Bureau
Summary: Respiratory mucosal surfaces are continuously exposed to innocuous non-self antigens and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Despite the potential for immune responses, there are regulatory mechanisms in the lung that tightly control immune homeostasis and prevent the development of aberrant immune responses. Understanding these mechanisms could lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for lung diseases like asthma.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Martin Felices, Jeffrey S. Miller
Summary: The development of a novel biological molecule described in this study aims to target IL15 to tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes effectively, reducing systemic toxicities and enhancing antitumor responses.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Benjamin G. Wiggins, Laura J. Pallett, Xiaoyan Li, Scott P. Davies, Oliver E. Amin, Upkar S. Gill, Stephanie Kucykowicz, Arzoo M. Patel, Konstantinos Aliazis, Yuxin S. Liu, Gary M. Reynolds, Brian R. Davidson, Amir Gander, Tu Vinh Luong, Gideon M. Hirschfield, Patrick T. F. Kennedy, Yuehua Huang, Mala K. Maini, Zania Stamataki
Summary: This study found that high and intermediate CD69 expressions marked human hepatic CD4(+) T-RM and a novel functionally distinct recirculating population, both shaped by the liver microenvironment to achieve diverse immunosurveillance.
Article
Immunology
Nayoun Kim, Jong-Min Lee, Eun-Jee Oh, Dong Wook Jekarl, Dong-Gun Lee, Keon-Il Im, Seok-Goo Cho
Summary: The study demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells could be expanded from both COVID-19 recovered and unexposed individuals, with predominantly central and effector memory subsets. These T cells showed reduced alloreactivity against HLA-unmatched cells, suggesting the potential for developing third-party partial HLA-matching products.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Mariah Hassert, Sahaana Arumugam, John T. T. Harty
Summary: Nearly half of the world's population is at risk of malaria, causing millions of infections and deaths annually. The emergence of drug-resistant parasites highlights the need for more effective vaccines. Studies on whole sporozoite vaccination have identified CD8+ T cells as critical for liver-stage immunity, but more research is needed to design effective vaccines.
IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Debottam Sinha, Sriganesh Srihari, Kirrliee Beckett, Laetitia Le Texier, Matthew Solomon, Archana Panikkar, George R. Ambalathingal, Lea Lekieffre, Pauline Crooks, Sweera Rehan, Michelle A. Neller, Corey Smith, Rajiv Khanna
Summary: Studies have shown that overcoming resistance to in vivo T-cell therapy can be achieved through the sequential infusion of two different allogeneic T-cell therapies restricted by different HLA alleles targeting EBV. Furthermore, the combination of inhibition of the programmed cell death protein-1/programmed death-ligand 1 axis with EBV-specific T-cell therapy significantly improves overall survival in tumor-bearing mice.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tom Snir, Hagit Philip, Miri Gordin, Alona Zilberberg, Sol Efroni
Summary: Immunotherapy plays a crucial role in cancer treatment, and the unique characteristics of an individual's T cell receptor repertoire are essential for its effectiveness. This study analyzed the repertoire through sequencing and generated a longitudinal dataset of T cell clones and their abundance after anti-CTLA-4 treatment in a mouse model for colorectal cancer. The dynamics of the repertoire over four weeks showed the ascending and descending clonal expansion of specific clones in response to treatment. The data can be used for treatment determination and prediction of its effect, as well as providing insights into the behavior of the immune system over time.
Article
Immunology
James H. O'Connor, Hayley A. McNamara, Yeping Cai, Lucy A. Coupland, Elizabeth E. Gardiner, Brendan J. McMorran, Christopher R. Parish, Brendan J. McMorran, Vitaly V. Ganusov, Ian A. Cockburn
Summary: Liver-resident CD8(+) T cells have critical roles in pathogen control, but it is also proposed that the liver may be the main site for eliminating these cells. This study suggests that the expression of asialo-glycoproteins (ASGPs) drives the accumulation of effector CD8(+) T cells in the spleen rather than the liver. Platelet interactions do not strongly influence the function of CD8(+) T cells in the liver.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Patricia Almendro-Vazquez, Rocio Laguna-Goya, Estela Paz-Artal
Summary: SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response is crucial for viral clearance, COVID-19 outcome, and long-term memory. Impaired early T cell-driven immunity leads to severe disease, while an early induction of specific T cells followed by antibody production is associated with a mild course. Delayed and persistent CD8+ T cell activation may contribute to lung pathology. Long-term maintenance of T cell response appears more stable than antibody levels. T cell responses are conserved against variants of concern, and current COVID-19 vaccination elicits a protective T cell response.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Hiroyuki Nakashima, Manabu Kinoshita
Summary: The liver plays a crucial role in systemic immunity and defends against the spread of tumor cells. It contains a higher percentage of innate immune lymphocytes, such as NK and NKT cells, which eliminate malignant cells with their strong cytotoxic ability. These lymphocytes also initiate immune responses by adaptive immune cells, making them important contributors to systemic antitumor immunity. Understanding the mechanisms of these immune cells provides insight for tumor immunity research and potential clinical applications for cancer therapies.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jaana Kunnapuu, Michael Jeltsch
Summary: In this study, Kataru et al. made two simple yet powerful adjustments to the typical approaches in studying proangiogenic interventions. By shifting the focus and releasing brakes from an existing signal, they were able to gain insightful results.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Carl-Philipp Hackstein, Jasper Spitzer, Konstantinos Symeonidis, Helena Horvatic, Tanja Bedke, Babett Steglich, Sabine Klein, Lisa M. Assmus, Alexandru Odainic, Jennifer Szlapa, Nina Kessler, Marc Beyer, Ricarda Schmithausen, Eicke Latz, Richard A. Flavell, Natalio Garbi, Christian Kurts, Beate M. Kuemmerer, Jonel Trebicka, Axel Roers, Samuel Huber, Susanne V. Schmidt, Percy A. Knolle, Zeinab Abdullah
Summary: Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) are more susceptible to viral infections and have a reduced response to vaccination. The study found that liver injury leads to microbial translocation and increased levels of type I interferon (IFN-I), which induces excessive IL-10 production during viral infection, leading to dysfunctional T-cell immunity. Blocking IFN-I and IL-10 signaling can restore antiviral immunity in patients with liver injury.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Respiratory System
Malte D. Luecken, Laure-Emmanuelle Zaragosi, Elo Madissoon, Lisa Sikkema, Alexandra B. Firsova, Elena De Domenico, Louis Kuemmerle, Adem Saglam, Marijn Berg, Aurore C. A. Gay, Janine Schniering, Christoph H. Mayr, Xesus M. Abalo, Ludvig Larsson, Alexandros Sountoulidis, Sarah A. Teichmann, Karen Van Eunen, Gerard H. Koppelman, Kourosh Saeb-Parsy, Sylvie Leroy, Pippa Powell, Ugis Sarkans, Wim Timens, Joakim Lundeberg, Maarten van den Berge, Mats Nilsson, Peter Horvath, Jessica Denning, Irene Papatheodorou, Joachim L. Schultze, Herbert B. Schiller, Pascal Barbry, Ilya Petoukhov, Alexander V. Misharin, Ian M. Adcock, Michael von Papen, Fabian J. Theis, Christos Samakovlis, Kerstin B. Meyer, Martijn C. Nawijn
Summary: The Human Cell Atlas consortium aims to establish an atlas of all organs in the healthy human body at single-cell resolution to increase our understanding of biological processes and accelerate disease diagnosis and treatment. The Lung Biological Network of the HCA aims to generate the Human Lung Cell Atlas as a reference for normal lung homeostasis. The discovAIR project aims to create the first draft of an integrated Human Lung Cell Atlas, which will be a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and patients.
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Hematology
Godfrey S. Temba, Nadira Vadaq, Jun Wan, Vesla Kullaya, Dana Huskens, Tal Pecht, Martin Jaeger, Collins K. Boahen, Vasiliki Matzaraki, Wieteke Broeders, Leo A. B. Joosten, Sultana M. H. Faradz, Gibson Kibiki, Saskia Middeldorp, Duccio Cavalieri, Paolo Lionetti, Philip G. de Groot, Joachim L. Schultze, Mihai G. Netea, Vinod Kumar, Bas de Laat, Blandina T. Mmbaga, Andre J. van der Ven, Mark Roest, Quirijn de Mast
Summary: There are geographical differences in coagulation between healthy Tanzanian and Dutch individuals, which may be influenced by inflammation, genetics, and diet.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2022)
Correction
Cell Biology
Julia P. Gerber, Jenny Russ, Vijay Chandrasekar, Nina Offermann, Hang-Mao Lee, Sarah Spear, Nicola Guzzi, Simona Maida, Sundararaghavan Pattabiraman, Ruoyu Zhang, Amir H. Kayvanjoo, Preeta Datta, Jagath Kasturiarachchi, Teresa Sposito, Natalia Izotova, Kristian Handler, Peter D. Adams, Teresa Marafioti, Tariq Enver, Jorg Wenzel, Marc Beyer, Elvira Mass, Cristian Bellodi, Joachim L. Schultze, Melania Capasso, Rachael Nimmo, Paolo Salomoni
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Neha Mishra, Konrad Aden, Johanna Blase, Nathan Baran, Dora Bordoni, Florian Tran, Claudio Conrad, Diana Avalos, Charlot Jaeckel, Michael Scherer, Signe B. Sorensen, Silja H. Overgaard, Berenice Schulte, Susanna Nikolaus, Guillaume Rey, Gilles Gasparoni, Paul A. Lyons, Joachim L. Schultze, Joern Walter, Vibeke Andersen, Emmanouil T. Dermitzakis, Stefan Schreiber, Philip Rosenstiel
Summary: This study investigated the dynamics of gene expression and DNA methylation in blood samples of IBD patients treated with TNF antagonist infliximab. The results showed that early shifts in gene expression and DNA methylation could predict the response to anti-TNF treatment. This finding can help identify IBD patients who are unlikely to benefit from TNF antagonists.
Article
Biology
Caterina Carraro, Lorenzo Bonaguro, Jonas Schulte-Schrepping, Arik Horne, Marie Oestreich, Stefanie Warnat-Herresthal, Tim Helbing, Michele De Franco, Kristian Haendler, Sach Mukherjee, Thomas Ulas, Valentina Gandin, Richard Goettlich, Anna C. Aschenbrenner, Joachim L. Schultze, Barbara Gatto
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of multi-omics to support the development of a new class of candidate anticancer agents. Combined analysis of transcriptome and chromatin accessibility identified mechanisms underlying sensitivity to test agents. A versatile strategy for integrating RNA- and ATAC-seq data was implemented to accelerate and extend standalone analyses. This approach offers a scalable pipeline for early drug discovery and understanding of mechanisms.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lorenzo Bonaguro, Jonas Schulte-Schrepping, Caterina Carraro, Laura L. Sun, Benedikt Reiz, Ioanna Gemund, Adem Saglam, Souad Rahmouni, Michel Georges, Peer Arts, Alexander Hoischen, Leo A. B. Joosten, Frank L. van de Veerdonk, Mihai G. Netea, Kristian Haendler, Sach Mukherjee, Thomas Ulas, Joachim L. Schultze, Anna C. Aschenbrenner
Summary: This study utilizes population-scale datasets to infer gene function and relationships between phenotypes and expression, successfully stratifying genes according to biological functions and predicting the importance of monocytes in the pathophysiology of a specific disease.
Article
Cell Biology
Celina Eckfeld, Benjamin Schoeps, Daniel Haeussler, Julian Fraedrich, Felix Bayerl, Jan Philipp Boettcher, Percy Knolle, Simone Heisz, Olga Prokopchuk, Hans Hauner, Enkhtsetseg Munkhbaatar, Ihsan Ekin Demir, Chris D. Hermann, Achim Krueger
Summary: The study reveals that TIMP-1 interacts with APP family members and triggers monocyte activation, leading to proinflammatory cytokine expression. This mechanism is confirmed in clinical cancer samples and suggests that TIMP-1 can be a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Correction
Immunology
Natalie Katzmarski, Jorge Dominguez-Andres, Branko Cirovic, Georgios Renieris, Eleonora Ciarlo, Didier Le Roy, Konstantin Lepikhov, Kathrin Kattler, Gilles Gasparoni, Kristian Haendler, Heidi Theis, Marc Beyer, Jos W. M. van der Meer, Leo A. B. Joosten, Joern Walter, Joachim L. Schultze, Thierry Roger, Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis, Andreas Schlitzer, Mihai G. Netea
Article
Cell Biology
Pedro Royero, Anne Quatraccioni, Rieke Fruengel, Mariella Hurtado Silva, Arco Bast, Thomas Ulas, Marc Beyer, Thoralf Opitz, Joachim L. Schultze, Mark E. Graham, Marcel Oberlaender, Albert Becker, Susanne Schoch, Heinz Beck
Summary: Maintaining a balance between excitation and inhibition is crucial for neuronal information processing. A study has shown that Ste20-like kinase (SLK) mediates the cell-autonomous regulation of this balance in the thalamocortical feedforward circuit, promoting stable excitatory-inhibitory ratios and ensuring robust and sparse coding in cortical pyramidal cells.
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Neda Yahoo, Michael Dudek, Percy Knolle, Mathias Heikenwaelder
Summary: The liver plays a central role in metabolism and immune functions. When overwhelmed by obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, it can lead to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Genetic and environmental factors, including the gut microbiome, also contribute to the development and progression of NAFLD and liver cancer. CD8+CXCR6+PD1+ T cells are implicated in the transition from NASH to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and their characteristics may affect responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. This review focuses on the role of T cells in NASH and discusses preventive measures and therapeutic strategies for managing NASH-HCC.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Niels J. M. Verstegen, Sabrina Pollastro, Peter-Paul A. Unger, Casper Marsman, George Elias, Tineke Jorritsma, Marij Streutker, Kevin Bassler, Kristian Haendler, Theo Rispens, Joachim L. Schultze, Anja ten Brinke, Marc Beyer, S. Marieke van Ham
Summary: In this study, the differentiation trajectories of human naive B cells into antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) were investigated using single-cell RNA sequencing. By comparing transcriptomes of B cells at different stages of differentiation from in vitro and ex vivo sources, a novel pre-ASC population was identified in lymphoid tissues. This study also revealed the existence of a germinal-center-like population in vitro, which may undergo an alternative route of differentiation to become memory B cells, mimicking in vivo human germinal center reactions. This work provides a detailed characterization of human B cell differentiation into ASCs or memory B cells under healthy and diseased conditions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valter Bergant, Daniel Schnepf, Niklas de Andrade Kraetzig, Philipp Hubel, Christian Urban, Thomas Engleitner, Ronald Dijkman, Bernhard Ryffel, Katja Steiger, Percy A. A. Knolle, Georg Kochs, Roland Rad, Peter Staeheli, Andreas Pichlmair
Summary: Bergant et al. provide evidence that Influenza A viruses cause alternative polyadenylation of host mRNAs, leading to an attenuated phenotype in mice. This may constitute a common immune evasion mechanism employed by a variety of pathogenic viruses.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jochen M. Wettengel, Katharina Strehle, Catharina von Lucke, Hedwig Roggendorf, Samuel D. Jeske, Catharina Christa, Otto Zelger, Bernhard Haller, Ulrike Protzer, Percy A. Knolle
Summary: This study demonstrates the usefulness of a second-generation rapid antigen test for early detection of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (VoC) and reveals a higher sensitivity to detect immune escape Omicron VoCs compared to a first-generation rapid antigen test (89.4% vs 83.7%) in the high-risk group of healthcare workers.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Sophie Mueller, Charlotte Kroeger, Joachim L. Schultze, Anna C. Aschenbrenner
Summary: Blood, as a non-invasive way to access the human immune system, is an important tool for studying physiological and pathophysiological processes. Stimulating whole blood ex vivo allows for investigation of immune responses and has applications in clinical research such as host immunity, disease characterization, and drug development.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Dermatology
S. Willenborg, D. E. Sanin, A. Jais, X. Ding, T. Ulas, J. Nuechel, M. Popovic, T. MacVicar, T. Langer, J. L. Schultze, A. Roers, E. J. Pearce, J. C. Bruening, A. Trifunovic, S. A. Eming
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
