Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark J. G. Bakkers, Alex Moon-Walker, Rasmus Herlo, Vesna Brusic, Sarah Hulsey Stubbs, Kathryn M. Hastie, Erica Ollmann Saphire, Tomas L. Kirchhausen, Sean P. J. Whelan
Summary: LCMV is a virus that enters cells by binding to different receptors and causes severe health problems. This study found that LCMV first binds to CD164 before entering cells, providing new targets for therapeutic interventions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Virology
Brian B. Gowen, Brady T. Hickerson, Joanne York, Jonna B. Westover, Eric J. Sefing, Kevin W. Bailey, Luci Wandersee, Jack H. Nunberg
Summary: The study shows that K33S rCan is safe and effective as a second-generation JUNV vaccine in guinea pigs, eliciting potent virus-neutralizing antibodies and establishing an evolutionary barrier to genetic reversion. This supports further development of K33S rCan as a safe alternative for preventing JUNV infection.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Takeshi Saito, Rachel A. A. Reyna, Satoshi Taniguchi, Kirsten Littlefield, Slobodan Paessler, Junki Maruyama
Summary: The Arenaviridae family includes viruses that cause severe and often fatal diseases in humans. High-containment facilities are required to handle these highly pathogenic viruses. The development of vaccines is essential for combating arenavirus infections, but currently there are limited options available. We provide a summary of the recent updates on vaccine candidates against these viruses.
Article
Virology
Toru Takenaga, Zihan Zhang, Yukiko Muramoto, Sarah Katharina Fehling, Ai Hirabayashi, Yuki Takamatsu, Junichi Kajikawa, Sho Miyamoto, Masahiro Nakano, Shuzo Urata, Allison Groseth, Thomas Strecker, Takeshi Noda
Summary: The research identified CP100356 as an effective virus entry inhibitor, capable of suppressing LASV and other highly pathogenic mammarenavirus infections with low half maximal inhibitory concentrations and without cytotoxicity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kathleen A. Cashman, Eric R. Wilkinson, Jeffrey Posakony, Ikenna G. Madu, Eric J. Tarcha, Kurt H. Lustig, Marcus J. Korth, Kristin M. Bedard, Sean M. Amberg
Summary: LHF-535, a small molecule antiviral, shows promising results in reducing viremia and clinical signs in a guinea pig model of Lassa fever, and protects animals from death. Further development of LHF-535 as a therapeutic for Lassa fever is supported by its pharmacokinetics.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Katz, Jonathan Weinstein, Maayan Eilon-Ashkenazy, Katrin Gehring, Hadas Cohen-Dvashi, Nadav Elad, Sarel J. Fleishman, Ron Diskin
Summary: Lassa virus, a human pathogen, has a spike complex on its surface that facilitates cell entry. The structure of the spike complex reveals the role of the signal peptide in stabilizing the complex and provides insights into the mechanism of binding with the host cell.
Review
Immunology
Hannah Murphy, Hinh Ly
Summary: In this article, we provide a literature review on the current understanding of the basic mechanism of immune responses to LASV infection in animal models and patients, as well as several candidate vaccines.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Vanessa Raabe, Aneesh K. Mehta, Jared D. Evans, Adam Beitscher, Nahid Bhadelia, David Brett-Major, Theodore J. Cieslak, Richard T. Davey, Jared D. Evans, Maria G. Frank, Peter Iwen, Mark G. Kortepeter, Corri Levine, Susan McLellan, Aneesh K. Mehta, Lauren Sauer, Erica S. Shenoy, Kimon Zachary
Summary: This article provides a concise overview of Lassa virus infection and Lassa fever disease from a clinical perspective. It summarizes the pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostics, and potential therapies and vaccines for clinical or research use. The review highlights the current status of antiviral medications, vaccines, and treatment options, emphasizing the need for further research and clinical trials. This resource serves as a rapid reference for clinicians facing suspected infections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Stephen R. Welch, Sarah C. Genzer, Joann D. Coleman-McCray, Jessica R. Harmon, Florine E. M. Scholte, Joel M. Montgomery, Christina F. Spiropoulou, Jessica R. Spengler
Summary: Lassa fever, caused by Lassa virus, is a localized disease endemic to West Africa. This study found that viral RNA and infectious virus can be detected in various specimen types, with conjunctival and nasal specimens yielding the highest amount of infectious virus. These findings suggest the risk of mucosal transmission and highlight the potential utility of RT-qPCR for LASV diagnostics.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2022)
Letter
Immunology
Leon Caly, Ashleigh F. Porter, Joanna Chua, James P. Collet, Julian D. Druce, Michael G. Catton, Sebastian Duchene
Summary: During a mouse plague in early 2021, a farmer from New South Wales, Australia, was diagnosed with locally acquired lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a divergent and geographically distinct strain of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus compared to other published sequences.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hallie N. Pennington, Jinwoo Lee
Summary: Lassa virus, an arenavirus endemic to West Africa, causes a lethal hemorrhagic fever. The virus enters the host cell through a glycoprotein complex, which undergoes conformational changes to mediate membrane fusion and release of genetic material. The fusion protein of Lassa virus has unique features, including a stable signal peptide as a third subunit.
BIOSCIENCE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Tierra K. Buck, Adrian S. Enriquez, Sharon L. Schendel, Michelle A. Zandonatti, Stephanie S. Harkins, Haoyang Li, Alex Moon-Walker, James E. Robinson, Luis M. Branco, Robert F. Garry, Erica Ollmann Saphire, Kathryn M. Hastie
Summary: Lassa virus is the causative agent of Lassa fever, with different lineages showing genetic diversity. Lineage I of LASV exhibits resistance to antibody neutralization due to single-amino-acid substitutions. The high genetic diversity of LASV may pose challenges in designing broadly reactive immunogens and therapeutics for all lineages.
Article
Virology
Meirong Wang, Ruihua Li, Yaohui Li, Changming Yu, Xiangyang Chi, Shipo Wu, Shulin Liu, Junjie Xu, Wei Chen
Summary: Lassa virus is a rodent-borne arenavirus causing Lassa fever in West Africa. There is currently no approved vaccine for prevention, but adenoviral vector-based vaccines show potential efficacy.
Article
Immunology
Drishya Kurup, Christine R. Fisher, Gabrielle Scher, Catherine Yankowski, AnnaMarie Testa, Rohan Keshwara, Tiago Abreu-Mota, Rachael Lambert, Melissa Ferguson, William Rinaldi, Leonard Ruiz, Christoph Wirblich, Matthias J. Schnell
Summary: The study evaluated the immunogenicity of adjuvanted monovalent rabies virus-based vaccine candidates against filoviruses and Lassa virus in nonhuman primates. Results showed strong and lasting immune responses up to 365 days, with no significant differences between single vaccines and trivalent or tetravalent vaccines. The study demonstrates the potential of a pentavalent vaccine platform against multiple viruses.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Virology
Lisa Oestereich, Helena Mueller-Kraeuter, Elisa Pallasch, Thomas Strecker
Summary: A study demonstrates that polyclonal antibodies purified from rabbit serum have a protective effect against Lassa virus infection, providing potential treatment options for this highly pathogenic virus.
Article
Ophthalmology
David Bomze, Tomer Meirson, Omar Hasan Ali, Adam Goldman, Lukas Flatz, Zohar Habot-Wilner
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed cancer patients receiving different immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in a pharmacovigilance database, and found that ICI-induced ocular adverse events (oAEs) are rare, with uveitis significantly associated with melanoma and anti-PD-1+ anti-CTLA-4 combination therapy.
OCULAR IMMUNOLOGY AND INFLAMMATION
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Julia Eckardt, Christopher Schroeder, Peter Martus, Sorin Armeanu-Ebinger, Olga Kelemen, Axel Gschwind, Irina Bonzheim, Thomas Eigentler, Teresa Amaral, Stephan Ossowski, Olaf Riess, Lukas Flatz, Claus Garbe, Andrea Forschner
Summary: BRAF mutation status and tumor mutational burden (TMB) were found to be independent predictive factors for relapse-free survival (RFS) in melanoma patients receiving adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy. Patients with BRAF V600E/K mutation and high TMB had the best outcomes. A classification based on BRAF mutation status and TMB is proposed to predict RFS in these patients.
JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Tobias Sinnberg, Christa Lichtensteiger, Omar Hasan Ali, Oltin T. Pop, Ann-Kristin Jochum, Lorenz Risch, Silvio D. Brugger, Ana Velic, David Bomze, Philipp Kohler, Pietro Vernazza, Werner C. Albrich, Christian R. Kahlert, Marie-Therese Abdou, Nina Wyss, Kathrin Hofmeister, Heike Niessner, Carl Zinner, Mara Gilardi, Alexandar Tzankov, Martin Rocken, Alex Dulovic, Srikanth Mairpady Shambat, Natalia Ruetalo, Philipp K. Buehler, Thomas C. Scheier, Wolfram Jochum, Lukas Kern, Samuel Henz, Tino Schneider, Gabriela M. Kuster, Maurin Lampart, Martin Siegemund, Roland Bingisser, Michael Schindler, Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra, Hubert Kalbacher, Kathy D. McCoy, Werner Spengler, Martin H. Brutsche, Boris Macek, Raphael Twerenbold, Josef M. Penninger, Matthias S. Matter, Lukas Flatz
Summary: COVID-19 can cause severe respiratory distress syndrome, and dysregulated immune responses, including autoimmunity, play a key role. This study investigated the presence of IgA autoantibodies targeting lung-specific proteins and their effects on pulmonary surfactant in severe COVID-19 cases.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Teresa Amaral, Tobias Sinnberg, Eftychia Chatziioannou, Heike Niessner, Ulrike Leiter, Ulrike Keim, Andrea Forschner, Jvalini Dwarkasing, Felicia Tjien-Fooh, Renske Wever, Lukas Flatz, Alexander Eggermont, Stephan Forchhammer
Summary: This study validates the ability of a model combining clinicopathologic factors with gene expression profiling (CP-GEP) to identify patients at high risk for disease recurrence in early-stage cutaneous melanoma. This is significant for patients who are currently not eligible for adjuvant therapy.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Johanna Klughammer, Daria Romanovskaia, Amelie Nemc, Annika Posautz, Charlotte A. Seid, Linda C. Schuster, Melissa C. Keinath, Juan Sebastian Lugo Ramos, Lindsay Kosack, Ann Evankow, Dieter Printz, Stefanie Kirchberger, Bekir Erguener, Paul Datlinger, Nikolaus Fortelny, Christian Schmidl, Matthias Farlik, Kaja Skjaerven, Andreas Bergthaler, Miriam Liedvogel, Denise Thaller, Pamela A. Burger, Marcela Hermann, Martin Distel, Daniel L. Distel, Anna Kuebber-Heiss, Christoph Bock
Summary: This study maps DNA methylation in 535 vertebrates and 45 invertebrates and establishes a reference dataset for cross-species analysis. It quantifies the association between DNA methylation and genomic DNA sequence throughout vertebrate evolution and reveals a deeply conserved association of DNA methylation with tissue type. The study also identifies evolutionary changes in DNA methylation at gene promoters for orthologous genes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Anna-Friederike Marx, Sandra M. Kallert, Tobias M. Brunner, Jose A. Villegas, Florian Geier, Jonas Fixemer, Tiago Abreu-Mota, Peter Reuther, Weldy V. Bonilla, Jelizaveta Fadejeva, Mario Kreutzfeldt, Ingrid Wagner, Patricia Aparicio-Domingo, Leo Scarpellino, Melanie Charmoy, Daniel T. Utzschneider, Claudia Hagedorn, Min Lu, Karen Cornille, Karsten Stauffer, Florian Kreppel, Doron Merkler, Dietmar Zehn, Werner Held, Sanjiv A. Luther, Max Loehning, Daniel D. Pinschewer
Summary: This study shows that T cell factor 1 (Tcf-1) expressing CD8+ T cells, known as stem-like CD8+ T cells (CD8+SL), play a crucial role in immune defense against chronic viral infection and cancer. It identifies interleukin-33 (IL-33) as a pivotal factor for the expansion and functioning of CD8+SL and virus control.
Article
Dermatology
Alexander Troesch, Hoellwerth Magdalena, Stephan Forchhammer, Laura Del Regno, Georg Lodde, Patrick Turko, Phil F. F. Cheng, Mitchell L. L. Levesque, Eva Hadaschik, Elisabeth Livingstone, Ketty Peris, Lukas Flatz, Koelblinger Peter, Reinhard Dummer, Florentia Dimitriou
Summary: The COVID-19 lockdown led to postponed skin cancer screenings, resulting in a diagnostic delay for cutaneous melanomas. The study revealed an increase in tumor thickness and malignancy during the COVID-19 lockdown. It is crucial to enhance skin cancer screenings for high-risk individuals.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Antonio-Herrera, Andreas Bergthaler
Summary: Muscle loss caused by chronic disease is a life-threatening condition with no effective treatment. Identifying the underlying molecular mechanism could lead to new therapeutic targets.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Nicolas Gonzalo Nunez, Fiamma Berner, Ekaterina Friebel, Susanne Unger, Nina Wyss, Julia Martinez Gomez, Mette-Triin Purde, Rebekka Niederer, Maximilian Porsch, Christa Lichtensteiger, Rafaela Kramer, Michael Erdmann, Christina Schmitt, Lucie Heinzerling, Marie-Therese Abdou, Julia Karbach, Dirk Schadendorf, Lisa Zimmer, Selma Ugurel, Niklas Kluemper, Michael Hoelzel, Laura Power, Stefanie Kreutmair, Mariaelena Capone, Gabriele Madonna, Lacin Cevhertas, Anja Heider, Teresa Amaral, Omar Hasan Ali, David Bomze, Florentia Dimitriou, Stefan Diem, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Reinhard Dummer, Elke Jaeger, Christoph Driessen, Mitchell Paul Levesque, Willem van de Veen, Markus Joerger, Martin Frueh, Burkhard Becher, Lukas Flatz
Summary: In this study, a multi-omics approach was used to characterize the systemic immune compartment of melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer patients before and during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. Potential predictive biomarkers for ICI-induced immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were identified, including early increase in CXCL9/CXCL10/CXCL11 and interferon-g (IFN-g) 1 to 2 weeks after treatment initiation, as well as early expansion of Ki-67+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and Ki-67+ CD8+ T cells.
Review
Immunology
Fiamma Berner, Lukas Flatz
Summary: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy, but their use is often accompanied by immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The mechanisms and biomarkers predicting irAEs are poorly understood. This review focuses on self-antigens involved in autoimmune skin toxicity and pneumonitis in lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy and discusses emerging immune signatures that may serve as biomarkers to predict irAEs.
IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Christa Lichtensteiger, Maximilian Koblischke, Fiamma Berner, Ann -Kristin Jochum, Tobias Sinnberg, Beatrice Balciunaite, Mette-Triin Purde, Vincent Walter, Marie -Therese Abdou, Kathrin Hofmeister, Philipp Kohler, Pietro Vernazza, Werner C. Albrich, Christian R. Kahlert, Alexander Zoufaly, Marianna T. Traugott, Lukas Kern, Urs Pietsch, Gian-Reto Kleger, Miodrag Filipovic, Manfred Kneilling, Antonio Cozzio, Oltin Pop, David Bomze, Andreas Bergthaler, Omar Hasan Ali, Judith Aberle, Lukas Flatz
Summary: This study found autoreactive T cell responses against type II pneumocyte-associated antigens (type II PAAs) in the blood of COVID-19 patients. Patients with non-severe disease showed a higher frequency of type II PAA-specific autoreactive T cells compared to severely ill patients. These T cells may play a protective role in viral control and killing of infected type II pneumocytes.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Felix Clemens Richter, Andreas Bergthaler
Summary: The role of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in controlling anorexia and organ catabolism during chronic parasitic infections is investigated in this issue of Cell Reports by Redford et al. These findings provide insights into the impact of adaptive immune cells on organ breakdown.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Petr Triska, Fabian Amman, Lukas Endler, Andreas Bergthaler
Summary: Environmental monitoring of pathogens through wastewater sequencing has proven to be an effective method for detecting and quantifying SARS-CoV-2 variants. Proper visualization of the spatial and temporal patterns in the generated data is crucial for assessing the epidemiological situation. In this study, a web-based dashboard application called WAVES is presented, which allows for multi-layered visualization of geographical and genomic data obtained from sequencing of environmental samples. The dashboard demonstrates its ability to track and detect novel variants, such as the BA.1 variant and the Spike mutation S: E484A, in wastewater samples.
Meeting Abstract
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Emmanuel Dauda Dixon, Thierry Claudel, Jakob-Wendelin Genger, Ci Zhu, Erika Paolini, Alexander D. Nardo, Sarah Stadlmayr, Veronika Mlitz, Claudia Fuchs, Christine Radtke, Andreas Bergthaler, Paola Dongiovanni, Wilfried Ellmeier, Michael Trauner
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Emmanuel Dauda Dixon, Thierry Claudel, Jakob-Wendelin Genger, Ci Zhu, Sarah Stadlmayr, Erika Paolini, Alexander D. Nardo, Veronika Mlitz, Claudia Fuchs, Andreas Bergthaler, Christine Radtke, Paola Dongiovanni, Wilfried Ellmeier, Michael Trauner
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2023)