Synthetic Peptides with Inadvertent Chemical Modifications Can Activate Potentially Autoreactive T Cells.

The human CD8 T cell clone 6C5 has previously been shown to recognize the -butyl-modified Bax peptide LLSY(3-Bu)FGTPT presented by HLA-A*02:01. This nonnatural epitope was likely created as a by-product of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl protecting group peptide synthesis and bound poorly to HLA-A*02:01. In this study, we used a systematic approach to identify and characterize natural ligands for the 6C5 TCR.

The TLR9 ligand CpG ODN 2006 is a poor adjuvant for the induction of de novo CD8 T-cell responses in vitro.

Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonists have gained traction in recent years as potential adjuvants for the induction of adaptive immune responses. It has nonetheless remained unclear to what extent such ligands can facilitate the priming events that generate antigen-specific effector and/or memory CD8 T-cell populations. We used an established in vitro model to prime naive precursors from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of various adjuvants, including CpG ODN 2006, a synthetic oligonucleotide TLR9 ligand (TLR9L).

The promise, perceptions, and pitfalls of immunoassays for autoantibody testing in myositis.

Background: A myositis-specific autoantibody can now be identified in the majority of patients with myositis. They identify homogeneous patient subgroups and are key tools in developing a personalized approach to disease management. There is substantial clinical interest in exploiting myositis autoantibodies as biomarkers, and consequently, a large number of commercial assays have been developed for their detection.

Priming of HIV-1-specific CD8 T cells with strong functional properties from naïve T cells.

Background: HIV-1-specific CD8 T cells are required for immune suppression of HIV-1 replication and elimination of the associated viral reservoirs. However, effective induction of functional HIV-1-specific CD8 T cells from naïve cells remains problematic in the setting of human vaccine trials. In this study, we investigated priming of functional HIV-1-specific CD8 T cells from naïve cells.