North Carolina Biotech Networks’ Post

Epigenetic regulation of transcription factor TCF1 controls T cell differentiation, memory and exhaustion. Key to deciding what and when to fight extrinsic and intrinsic threats. Potential biomarker for immune regulation and response.

🚨 New research by Wilfredo Garcia Beltran, MD, PhD, published in Cell Press reveals how #SARSCoV2 cleverly evades our #immune_system! His team at Massachusetts General Hospital discovered that the #ORF6 protein helps the virus hide from #T_cells and #natural_killer_cells by shedding crucial surface markers. This stealth move boosts viral 🦠 spread, but stopping ✋ this trick could supercharge our immune defenses and lead to better #treatments. #MassGeneralNews #COVID19 #ImmuneEvasion #ScienceNews https://lnkd.in/dw94jkFT

The T cell link to COVID immunity through gamma interferon and antiviral oxidative activity may have been explained: “The link between oxidative/ peroxidative activity of the immune response and facilitation by artificial oxidase/ peroxidase systems has been extended beyond nonpathologic antigens and tumor cells to viruses. 445 When Swiss (ICR) mice were infected for less than 24 hours with the picornavirus D variant of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV-D), alterations in the immune systems and cytokine levels of the mice were observed. Whereas five 1-mg doses of glucose oxidase/ peroxidase produced levels of interferon-alpha and-beta in spleens of infected mice comparable to controls, there was a marked increase of interferon-alpha and-beta in spleen cells from mice infected with the virus and treated with lower doses of the insoluble cross-linked cytotoxic oxidase/ peroxidase (ICCOPS; five 0.1-mg doses). The enhanced production of interferons-alpha and-beta occurred for 16 hours, and the gamma-interferon first appeared at the end of the 16-hour postinoculation period. In uninfected mouse spleen cells, ICCOPS at doses ranging from 0.0025 to 10 mg/ 3.74 × 106 cells produced no interferon.” — Type-B Cytochromes: Sensors and Switches by J.L. Kiel https://a.co/cFQ2mPm

Regulating NK cell effector function Li et al. identify the transcription factor MEF2C as essential for human natural killer (NK) cell function and viral immunity in mice and humans. This control is exerted by regulation of lipid metabolism, and deficiency in MEF2C can be overcome by supplementation with oleic acid. https://lnkd.in/d7CfTJHD Nature Research Custom Media #immunology#免疫科#inmunologia

#editorchoice 📢 #Endogenous #Retroviruses as Modulators of #InnateImmunity 👨🎓 by Eric Russ and Sergey Iordanskiy 🔗 Full article: https://lnkd.in/gBkvXPDn The biological activity of HERVs in the context of the innate immune response can be based on the functional effect of four major viral components: (1) HERV LTRs, (2) HERV-derived RNAs, (3) HERV-derived RNA:DNA duplexes and cDNA, and (4) HERV-derived proteins and ribonucleoprotein complexes. In this review, the authors discussed the implications of HERVs in all four contexts in relation to innate immunity and their association with various pathological disease states. #HERV #provirus #interferon #cytokine

A faster, cheaper method to detect immune autoantibodies in whole blood 🩸🧪 A new whole-blood assay for detecting immune autoantibodies offers a rapid, cost-effective solution for diagnosing inborn errors of immunity and neutralizing antibodies against type I interferons (IFNs). Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study highlights the potential to replace current in vitro cell-based assays, which are sensitive but costly and labor-intensive. Autoantibodies against type I IFNs, first identified in the 1980s, have become critical diagnostic markers, particularly in conditions like autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1). This new assay could streamline diagnostic processes significantly. This new whole-blood assay could really simplify and speed up the way we diagnose immune conditions by replacing the slower, more expensive tests we use now. Link in the comments for the full story. 🌐

I am excited to share our lab's recent publication in Immunity that I co-authored! In this work, we identified monocytes in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that produce not only interferons but also IL-1β—an inflammatory molecule not traditionally linked to lupus. Our findings also uncovered a novel mechanism for IL-1β secretion in these cells, which may serve as a potential marker for tracking disease severity. This study offers fresh insights into the inflammatory processes driving SLE, potentially opening new avenues for diagnosis and treatment.  If  you're interested in learning more, you can read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/eKxMD7d7 #LupusResearch #Immunology #MedicalScience #AutoimmuneDiseases

Do you co-culture organoids and immune cells? Then you may find the following technical tips useful. https://lnkd.in/dW222kKp

#Adaptiveimmunity #immunememory This ‘guide to’ article provides an overview of the current understanding of the #phenotype, #function, #location, and #pathways for the generation, maintenance and protective capacity of memory T cells and memory B cells.

📢 Review paper Sharing-Vol. 29 No. 3 💕 Title: Impact of Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) and TLR Signaling Proteins in Trigeminal Ganglia Impairing Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) Progression to Encephalitis: Insights from Mouse Models 🤵 Authors: Marco Antônio Campos,*, Guilherme de Pádua Zolini, Erna Geessien Kroon 🔔 Full Text: https://lnkd.in/gkrdMh8C 🔑 Keywords: HSV-1; TLR-induced immune response; encephalitis; defective TLR; innate immunity 😎Welcome to your reading! #Bioscience #biomedicalscience #biochem #medicalscience #ScienceCommunication #Biochemistry #StemCell #Virology #CancerResearch #immunology #Genetics #MolecularBiology #Microbiology #medicine #health #CellularHealth #CellCancer