The Immunology Podcast

In May 2023, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2023, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Washington, DC, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the second of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason discuss sessions on peripheral neuroimmune interactions and tumor cellular therapy. Highlights include the President’s Address by Dr. Mark Davis and Dr. Barbara Rehermann’s presentation on wild mouse microbiota. Featured Products and Resources: Explore STEMCELL Technologies’ workshops and resources at IMMUNOLOGY2023 Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In May 2023, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2023, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Washington, DC, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the first of five special episodes from the meeting, in which Jason and Brenda summarize symposia on B and T-helper cells, and metabolic and gut microbiota. They discuss antigenic imprinting, lupus immunophenotyping and sex differences, dengue vaccines, and cytomegalovirus research. Featured Products and Resources: Explore STEMCELL Technologies’ workshops at IMMUNOLOGY2023 Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Prasanna Jagannathan is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in Infectious Diseases and of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University. His research focuses on the mechanisms of clinical immunity to malaria. He talks about how repeated exposure to malaria can lead to tolerance without symptoms, promising vaccines and treatments to prevent reinfection, and the role of innate immune cells. He also discusses shifting from religious studies to teaching to medicine, and establishing long-term collaborations with researchers in Uganda. Featured Products and Resources: We’ll see you at IMMUNOLOGY2023! Keep current with the latest immunology of infectious diseases news. The Immunology Science Round Up Blocking Psoriasis Signaling with Methotrexate – Scientists identified SLC46A2 as an important target for anti-inflammatory intervention in the skin. Tumor-Infiltrating Tregs – Researchers discovered and validated new master regulators of human tumor-infiltrating Tregs. TH9 Cells and Allergic Inflammation – JAK inhibitors may be effective for allergic patients with TH9 cell expansion. Gene Editing Primary Lymphocytes – Researchers used a CRISPR ribonucleoprotein mixed with an amphiphilic peptide to increase the yields of edited primary human lymphocytes. Peptide-Assisted Genome Editing – Scientists demonstrated rapid and efficient editing of primary cells with low cellular toxicity and no significant transcriptional perturbation. Image courtesy of Dr. Prasanna Jagannathan Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Joshua Brody is the Director of the Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program at the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. The Brody lab studies basic and applied tumor immunology for the development of cancer immunotherapies, particularly for lymphomas and melanomas. He talks about dendritic cells to improve oncolytic virus immunotherapy and in situ vaccination to improve PD-1 blockade responses. Featured Products and Resources: IMMUNOLOGY2023 will be held May 11-15 in Washington, DC. Register now! T Cell Therapy Research: From Bench to Bedside The Immunology Science Round Up Enhancing T Cell Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 Variants – A new mRNA vaccine component elicits non-spike T cell responses in mice while maintaining spike immunity. Why Infants Are Protected from Pneumonia – Enhanced opsonophagocytosis by neonatal neutrophils improves protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae in early life. Tertiary Lymphoid Structures and Lung Cancer Immunotherapy – Researchers identified endogenous retrovirus envelope glycoproteins as a dominant antitumor antibody target in lung cancer. Engineered Bacteria As a Melanoma Vaccine – Scientists engineered a Staphylococcus epidermidis strain to express melanoma tumor antigens and tested their ability to drive antitumor immune responses. Image courtesy of Dr. Joshua Brody Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Doug Green is the Peter C. Doherty Endowed Chair of Immunology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His research focuses on the central mechanisms of cell death, survival, and the immune response. He talks about what happens when cell death fails, the role of Myc, and setting up collaborations in science. Featured Products and Resources: Register for IMMUNOLOGY2023 Watch a Free Webinar on Best Practices and Innovative Technologies for T Cell Therapy Research. The Immunology Science Round Up Gut Bacteria and Social Avoidance – Colonic γδ T cells modulate behavioral vulnerability to chronic social stress via dectin-1 signaling. Base Editing to Treat Severe Combined Immunodeficiency –  Researchers used an adenine base editing strategy to restore CD3δ in autologous hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. FcμR–IgM Interaction – Scientists used crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy to study how FcμR recognizes different forms of IgM to regulate diverse immune responses. Tissue-Resident Macrophage Differentiation – Researchers analyzed immune cells in the pleural cavity of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice and found different responses to nematode infection. Image courtesy of Dr. Doug Green Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guests: Dr. Miriam Merad is the President & Scientific Programme Committee Co-Chair of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) and Dr. Mark Davis is the Scientific Programme Committee Chair. They talk about what to expect at the 2023 IUIS Congress being held November 27 – December 2 in Cape Town, South Africa. They discuss hosting the meeting in Africa, the importance of infectious disease research and international collaborations, and the highlights of this year’s program. Featured Products and Resources: Attend IMMUNOLOGY2023 May 11-15 in Washington, DC! Prepare for your next conference with this toolkit. The Immunology Science Round Up PD-L1 and Myeloid Signaling – PD-L1 promotes metastatic, but not primary, tumor growth via a cytotoxic T lymphocyte-dependent mechanism. T Cell Responses to SARS-CoV-2 – Researchers used “spheromer” peptide MHC multimer reagents to analyze T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. ER Stress Promotes Th17 Differentiation – ER stress in intestinal epithelial cells drives gut Th17 differentiation. How Sucralose Affects T Cells – High doses of sucralose in mice results in immunomodulatory effects by limiting T cell proliferation and T cell differentiation.deling and two melanoma patients. Image courtesy of Drs. Miriam Merad and Mark Davis Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Clovis Palmer is an Assistant Professor at Tulane University. He talks about how HIV hijacks metabolic processes and the role of HIF-1α in HIV infection. He also discusses using non-human primates to study SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. Featured Products and Resources: IMMUNOLOGY2023 is taking place in Washington, DC from May 11-15th! Download free immunology wallcharts. The Immunology Science Round Up Bacterial Brain Invasion – Researchers identified a neuroimmune axis that exacerbates bacterial meningitis. CAR T Signaling Domains – Scientists engineered a logic-gated intracellular network CAR to prevent on-target, off-tumor toxicity. Cleaning Up After Apoptosis – Tingible body macrophages use cellular processes to search for and capture motile apoptotic cell fragments. Autoimmunity in Down’s Syndrome – Researchers found high levels of cytokines in individuals with Down’s syndrome, which may contribute to autoimmune susceptibility. Image courtesy of Dr. Clovis Palmer Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guests: Dr. Mark Davis is the President of the American Association of Immunologists, and Drs. Shruti Naik and Daniel Mucida are chairing Major Symposia at the upcoming IMMUNOLOGY2023 meeting in Washington, DC, May 11-15. They discuss what to expect at IMMUNOLOGY2023 and the highlights of this year’s program. Featured Products and Resources: Register for IMMUNOLOGY2023 by March 31 for a special discounted rate. Prepare for your next conference with this toolkit. The Immunology Science Round Up Targeting Inflammatory Skin Diseases – Researchers identified IRAK4 as a central player in skin inflammation and demonstrate its inhibition as a therapeutic strategy. CAR T for a Rare Disease – CD19 CAR T therapy successfully treated a patient with refractory antisynthetase syndrome T Cell Receptor Genes from Archaic Humans – A subset of T cell receptors were traced to Neanderthals in Eurasian populations. Self-Reactive T Cell Receptors – Scientists identified a population of CD4+ T cells within the endogenous repertoire that exhibit hallmarks of overt self-reactivity. Image courtesy of Drs. Mark Davis, Shruti Naik, and Daniel Mucida Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Dr. Hao Wu, the Asa and Patricia Springer Professor of Structural Biology at Harvard Medical School, delves into the exciting world of innate immunity. She explains how cryo-electron microscopy has revolutionized the study of structures like the NLRP3 inflammasome and Gasdermin D. The conversation also highlights the role of AlphaFold in structural biology, revealing how lipid metabolism influences T cell function. Additionally, they discuss innovative approaches to treating peanut allergies, showcasing cutting-edge research in immunology.

Guest: Dr. Caroline Sokol is a Principal Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her lab studies the innate immune control of allergic disease.  She talks about the role of sensory neurons and dendritic cells in allergic responses and insights into allergies from her son’s first bee sting. Featured Products and Resources: Register for IMMUNOLOGY2023! How to Isolate Tregs Using Easy 50 EasySep Magnet The Immunology Science Round Up Microbiome Transmission – Researchers identified microbiome transmission patterns from mother to infant and between cohabitating individuals. Long-Lasting T Cells – By repeatedly immunizing generations of mice, scientists found that functional T cells can proliferate well beyond the lifespan of the organism. Dietary Cholesterol and Humoral Immune Responses – Researchers revealed tissue-restricted modulation of IgA secretion by plasma cells that is centered around dietary cholesterol metabolites. γδ T cells in Immunotherapy – γδ T cells contribute to the response to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with cancers with HLA class I defects. Image courtesy of Dr. Caroline Sokol Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe