Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariana S. Cruz, Jose Pedro Loureiro, Maria J. Oliveira, Maria Fatima Macedo
Summary: Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and macrophages play crucial roles in maintaining homeostasis and regulating the progression of various diseases. Their interplay is important in diseases such as infection, obesity, sterile inflammation, cancer, and autoimmunity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Zewde Ingram, Shriya Madan, Jenoy Merchant, Zakiya Carter, Zen Gordon, Gregory Carey, Tonya J. Webb
Summary: NKT cells have the potential to play a role in cancer therapy by directly and indirectly mediating anti-tumor immune responses, and manipulating their effector functions is crucial for cancer treatment.
Article
Immunology
Run Xiao, Anthony G. Mansour, Wei Huang, Quais N. Hassan, Ryan K. Wilkins, Suraj Komatineni, Rhiannon Bates, Seemaab Ali, Logan A. Chrislip, Nicholas J. Queen, Shoubao Ma, Jianhua Yu, Matthew R. Lordo, Bethany L. Mundy-Bosse, Michael A. Caligiuri, Lei Cao
Summary: Restoring CD1d gene expression in adipocytes leads to T cell expansion and inflammation in adipose tissue, which is associated with dysregulation of adipocyte functional genes and upregulation of apoptotic pathway proteins.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Jie Wang, Ian Loveless, Indra Adrianto, Tingting Liu, Kalpana Subedi, Xiaojun Wu, Md Moazzem Hossain, Eric Sebzda, Li Zhou, Qing-Sheng Mi
Summary: This study found that iNKT cell subsets exhibit differences in various peripheral organs and have unique distributions, especially for iNKT1 cells. The research also revealed the important role of Klf2 in regulating the migration and differentiation of iNKT cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Catarina F. Almeida, Dylan G. M. Smith, Tan-Yun Cheng, Chris M. Harpur, Elena Batleska, Catriona V. Nguyen-Robertson, Tram Nguyen, Tamara Thelemann, Scott J. J. Reddiex, Shihan Li, Sidonia B. G. Eckle, Ildiko Van Rhijn, Jamie Rossjohn, Adam P. Uldrich, D. Branch Moody, Spencer J. Williams, Daniel G. Pellicci, Dale Godfrey
Summary: A study found that nonlipidic small molecules activate a polyclonal population of type II NKT cells in a CD1d-restricted manner in human donors, with the combination of PPBF and short-chain sphingomyelin enhancing CD1d tetramer staining.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Vipin Kumar, Marc Hertz, Albert Agro, Adam J. Byrne
Summary: Chronic tissue inflammation can lead to fibrosis, and the activation of natural killer T cells plays a key role in the development of fibrosis.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Maren Rudolph, Yuting Wang, Theresa Simolka, Emilie Huc-Claustre, Lingyun Dai, Gijsbert Grotenbreg, Gurdyal Singh Besra, Anna Shevchenko, Andrej Shevchenko, Sebastian Zeissig
Summary: Researchers have developed a novel system to analyze CD1d-bound lipids in mammalian cells and have gained new insights into the spectrum of CD1d-associated lipids, with important functional implications for NKT cell activation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Ayaka Hara, Ryo Koyama-Nasu, Mariko Takami, Takahide Toyoda, Takahiro Aoki, Fumie Ihara, Masayoshi Kobayashi, Seiichiro Hirono, Tomoo Matsutani, Toshinori Nakayama, Yasuo Iwadate, Shinichiro Motohashi
Summary: CD1d expression represents a novel target for NKT cell-based immunotherapy for glioblastoma patients, inducing cytotoxicity of CD1d-positive glioblastoma cells by activating iNKT cells.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Tina Senff, Christopher Menne, Christine Cosmovici, Lia Laura Lewis-Ximenez, Jasneet Aneja, Ruth Broering, Arthur Y. Kim, Astrid M. Westendorf, Ulf Dittmer, Norbert Scherbaum, Georg M. Lauer, Joerg Timm
Summary: The activation of iNKT cells is closely related to the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus infection and may be involved in liver damage.
Article
Oncology
Bindu Varghese, Lydia Lynch, Lianne E. Vriend, Dobrin Draganov, Justice M. Clark, Haydn T. Kissick, Sharlin Varghese, Martin G. Sanda, Glenn Dranoff, M. Simo Arredouani, Steven P. Balk, Mark A. Exley
Summary: By adding α GC to a tumor cell vaccine, the therapeutic effect against prostate cancer can be enhanced. In a therapeutic model, mice treated with the combination vaccine showed prolonged survival and tumor inhibition. Mechanistic studies revealed that GM-CSF and iNKT cells in the vaccine played a crucial role in anti-tumor immune responses.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Michael S. Lee, Tonya J. Webb
Summary: Cancer immunotherapy aims to harness the immune system's power to fight tumors while avoiding the side effects of traditional chemotherapy. iNKT cells, a type of innate immune cell, have gained recognition for their potential in cancer immunotherapy. They recognize lipid antigens presented on the MHC I-like molecule CD1d, representing a unique feature of tumor cells that can be exploited by iNKT cells.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Georgina V. Hopkins, Stella Cochrane, David Onion, Lucy C. Fairclough
Summary: This study reveals that iNKT cells are more abundant in peanut-allergic adults compared to non-allergic adults, and peanut lipid-exposed iNKT cells resulted in the identification of a subset of CD8(+) iNKT cells significantly lower in peanut-allergic adults.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Hongjia Lu, Zhewei Liu, Xiangxue Deng, Siyang Chen, Ruiting Zhou, Rongqi Zhao, Ramya Parandaman, Amarjot Thind, Jill Henley, Lei Tian, Jianhua Yu, Lucio Comai, Pinghui Feng, Weiming Yuan
Summary: In this study, the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and CD1d-restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells was characterized. It was found that the virus suppresses the expression of the antigen-presenting molecule CD1d using its envelope protein, thereby inhibiting the activation of innate NKT cells. This immune evasion mechanism is unique to highly pathogenic coronaviruses and can be overcome by activating iNKT cells, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach.
Review
Oncology
Hashem Bayatipoor, Saber Mehdizadeh, Roghayeh Jafarpour, Zeinab Shojaei, Salar Pashangzadeh, Morteza Motallebnezhad
Summary: Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a specific subset of T cells that play a crucial role in anti-tumor immune responses. Different subtypes of NKT cells have varying functions, with some promoting tumor rejection and inhibiting metastasis, while others have an inhibitory and regulatory function. NKT-based immunotherapy has shown promise in cancer treatment, and various approaches, such as manipulating NKT cells through dendritic cells or injection of specific molecules, have been explored.
Article
Immunology
Fanny Onodi, Lucie Bonnet-Madin, Laurent Meertens, Lea Karpf, Justine Poirot, Shen-Ying Zhang, Capucine Picard, Anne Puel, Emmanuelle Jouanguy, Qian Zhang, Jerome Le Goff, Jean-Michel Molina, Constance Delaugerre, Jean-Laurent Casanova, Ali Amara, Vassili Soumelis
Summary: Studies have shown that human pDCs can be efficiently activated by SARS-CoV-2 particles and may contribute to type I IFN-dependent immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Markus Lesch, Madlen Luckner, Michael Meyer, Friderike Weege, Isabella Gravenstein, Martin Raftery, Christian Sieben, Laura Martin-Sancho, Aki Imai-Matsushima, Robert-William Welke, Rebecca Frise, Wendy Barclay, Guenther Schoenrich, Andreas Herrmann, Thomas F. Meyer, Alexander Karlas
Article
Biology
Paul F. McKay, Deniz Cizmeci, Yoann Aldon, Jeroen Maertzdorf, January Weiner, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, David J. M. Lewis, Robert A. van den Berg, Giuseppe Del Giudice, Robin J. Shattock
Review
Virology
Guenther Schoenrich, Martin J. Raftery
Article
Cell Biology
Gopinath Krishnamoorthy, Peggy Kaiser, Ulrike Abu Abed, January Weiner, Pedro Moura-Alves, Volker Brinkmann, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann
DISEASE MODELS & MECHANISMS
(2020)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Anca Dorhoi, Leigh A. Kotze, Jay A. Berzofsky, Yongjun Sui, Dmitry I. Gabrilovich, Ankita Garg, Richard Hafner, Shabaana A. Khader, Ulrich E. Schaible, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Gerhard Walz, Manfred B. Lutz, Robert N. Mahon, Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg, William Bishai, Nelita du Plessis
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2020)
Article
Immunology
John S. Tregoning, January Weiner, Deniz Cizmeci, Danielle Hake, Jeroen Maertzdorf, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Geert Leroux-Roels, Cathy Maes, Annelies Aerssens, Anna Calvert, Christine E. Jones
Article
Immunology
Martin J. Raftery, Pritesh Lalwani, Nina Luetteke, Lidija Kobak, Thomas Giese, Rainer G. Ulrich, Lukas Radosa, Detlev H. Krueger, Guenther Schoenrich
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marta Ferreira-Gomes, Andrey Kruglov, Pawel Durek, Frederik Heinrich, Caroline Tizian, Gitta Anne Heinz, Anna Pascual-Reguant, Weijie Du, Ronja Mothes, Chaofan Fan, Stefan Frischbutter, Katharina Habenicht, Lisa Budzinski, Justus Ninnemann, Peter K. Jani, Gabriela Maria Guerra, Katrin Lehmann, Mareen Matz, Lennard Ostendorf, Lukas Heiberger, Hyun-Dong Chang, Sandy Bauherr, Marcus Maurer, Guenther Schoenrich, Martin Raftery, Tilmann Kallinich, Marcus Alexander Mall, Stefan Angermair, Sascha Treskatsch, Thomas Doerner, Victor Max Corman, Andreas Diefenbach, Hans-Dieter Volk, Sefer Elezkurtaj, Thomas H. Winkler, Jun Dong, Anja Erika Hauser, Helena Radbruch, Mario Witkowski, Fritz Melchers, Andreas Radbruch, Mir-Farzin Mashreghi
Summary: The study found that in severe COVID-19 patients, plasmablasts shift from IFN to TGF-beta instruction to produce IgA antibodies that are not specific to dominant SARS-CoV-2 antigens.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Natalie E. Nieuwenhuizen, Joanna Zyla, Ulrike Zedler, Silke Bandermann, Ulrike Abu Abed, Volker Brinkmann, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann
Summary: BCG, the only available vaccine against tuberculosis, was found to have varying efficacy against pulmonary TB based on age and sex. This study revealed that female mice had better protection from BCG vaccination against M. tuberculosis H37Rv challenge, showing lower lung bacterial burdens and less weight loss compared to male mice. It suggests the importance of including both male and female mice in preclinical testing of vaccine candidates.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lara C. Linnemann, Ulrich E. Schaible, Tobias K. Dallenga
Summary: Host-directed therapies targeting immune pathways associated with pathogenesis in tuberculosis may improve disease and bacterial clearance. However, the efficacy of these therapies may vary between human and mouse models, as mouse models may not fully resemble the pathomechanisms of human tuberculosis. In this study, inhibition of myeloperoxidase (MPO) failed to prevent necrosis in mouse neutrophils infected with M. tuberculosis, in contrast to the previous findings in human neutrophils. These results suggest that murine infection models may not be suitable for evaluating host-directed therapies targeting neutrophils.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elisabeth M. Liebler-Tenorio, Johannes Heyl, Nadine Wedlich, Julia Figl, Heike Koehler, Gopinath Krishnamoorthy, Natalie E. Nieuwenhuizen, Leander Grode, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Christian Menge
Summary: This study compares the development of tuberculous granulomas at the site of BCG vaccination and its recombinant derivatives in goats. The results show that granulomas with central caseous necrosis are induced by both BCG and its recombinant derivatives, although the size and extent of necrosis differ between vaccine strains. The recombinant derivatives induce fewer CD4(+) T and B cells and more CD8(+) cells in the granulomas compared to the parental BCG strain. Furthermore, the numbers of multinucleated giant cells (MNGCs) and cells with lipid bodies are significantly lower in groups administered with the recombinant BCG strains. These findings suggest that the granulomas induced by BCG and its recombinant derivatives in goats can serve as suitable models to compare reactions to different mycobacteria or tuberculosis vaccines.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Gunther Schoenrich, Mohammed O. Abdelaziz, Martin J. Raftery
Summary: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and demyelination of nerve cells. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection greatly increases the risk of subsequent MS. EBV induces both human interleukin-10 (IL-10) and a similar molecule, encoded by the virus (ebvIL-10), which work together to establish latent infection in B cells and balance the function of antiviral T cells. If the set point is too high, MS may be induced as collateral damage.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Aldo Tagliabue, Diana Boraschi, Luciana C. C. Leite, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia Figl, Heike Koehler, Nadine Wedlich, Elisabeth M. Liebler-Tenorio, Leander Grode, Gerald Parzmair, Gopinath Krishnamoorthy, Natalie E. Nieuwenhuizen, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Christian Menge
Summary: A more effective vaccine against tuberculosis is urgently needed. The recombinant vaccine VPM1002 has been found to be safer and more efficacious than the existing vaccine BCG in mice models. In this study, the safety and immunogenicity of VPM1002 and its derivatives, PDX and NUOG, were assessed in juvenile goats. The results showed that VPM1002 and NUOG induced anti-tuberculous immunity with a comparable safety profile to BCG.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Marina Bondareva, Lisa Budzinski, Pawel Durek, Mario Witkowski, Stefan Angermair, Justus Ninnemann, Jakob Kreye, Philine Letz, Marta Ferreira-Gomes, Iaroslav Semin, Gabriela Maria Guerra, S. Momsen Reincke, Elisa Sanchez-Sendin, Selin Yilmaz, Toni Sempert, Gitta Anne Heinz, Caroline Tizian, Martin Raftery, Guenther Schoenrich, Daria Matyushkina, Ivan Smirnov, Vadim M. Govorun, Eva Schrezenmeie, Anna-Luisa Stefanski, Thomas Doerner, Silvia Zocche, Edoardo Viviano, Nele Klement, Katharina Johanna Sehmsdorf, Alexander Lunin, Hyun-Dong Chang, Marina Drutskaya, Liubov Kozlovskaya, Sascha Treskatsch, Andreas Radbruch, Andreas Diefenbach, Harald Pruess, Philipp Enghard, Mir-Farzin Mashreghi, Andrey A. Kruglov
Summary: The commensal microflora induces salivary anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike IgG antibodies through molecular mimicry, enhancing protective immunity.
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2023)