Publications by authors named "D Fremont"
Human astroviruses (HAstV) are major causes of gastroenteritis, especially in children, and there are no vaccines or antivirals currently available. Little is known about host factors required for their cellular entry. Here we utilized complementary CRISPR-Cas9-based knockout and activation screens to identify neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) and dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPP4) as entry factors for HAstV infection in vitro.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe continued emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and the threat of future Sarbecovirus zoonoses have spurred the design of vaccines that can induce broad immunity against multiple coronaviruses. Here, we use computational methods to infer ancestral phylogenetic reconstructions of receptor binding domain (RBD) sequences across multiple Sarbecovirus clades and incorporate them into a multivalent adenoviral-vectored vaccine. Mice immunized with this pan-Sarbecovirus vaccine are protected in the upper and lower respiratory tracts against infection by historical and contemporary SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, and pre-emergent SHC014 and Pangolin/GD coronavirus strains.
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- Alphaviruses, like Chikungunya and Mayaro, are RNA viruses spread by mosquitoes that can cause serious illnesses, including chronic arthritis and potentially fatal complications.
- Researchers have identified monoclonal antibodies that target a specific region of the virus (E2-B) but it’s unclear if this region can trigger a broadly neutralizing immune response.
- Immunizations with E2-B nanoparticles showed cross-reactivity between the two viruses but resulted in limited neutralization, indicating that any effective broad vaccines will need further design to enhance immune response.
Article Synopsis
- VLDLR has been identified as a receptor for several alphaviruses, including Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), and may play a role in their infection process.
- Research shows that mice lacking VLDLR have reduced susceptibility to WEEV, EEEV, and Semliki Forest virus (SFV), indicating its importance in alphavirus pathogenesis.
- The findings suggest that targeting VLDLR could be a potential strategy for developing treatments against various alphavirus infections.
Tumor angiogenesis and immunity show an inverse correlation in cancer progression and outcome. Here, we report that ZBTB46, a repressive transcription factor and a widely accepted marker for classical dendritic cells (DCs), controls both tumor angiogenesis and immunity. Zbtb46 was downregulated in both DCs and endothelial cells by tumor-derived factors to facilitate robust tumor growth.
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