A lentiviral vector B cell gene therapy platform for the delivery of the anti-HIV-1 eCD4-Ig-knob-in-hole-reversed immunoadhesin.

Barriers to effective gene therapy for many diseases include the number of modified target cells required to achieve therapeutic outcomes and host immune responses to expressed therapeutic proteins. As long-lived cells specialized for protein secretion, antibody-secreting B cells are an attractive target for foreign protein expression in blood and tissue. To neutralize HIV-1, we developed a lentiviral vector (LV) gene therapy platform for delivery of the anti-HIV-1 immunoadhesin, eCD4-Ig, to B cells.

Improving T Cell Expansion with a Soft Touch.

Protein-coated microbeads provide a consistent approach for activating and expanding populations of T cells for immunotherapy but do not fully capture the properties of antigen presenting cells. In this report, we enhance T cell expansion by replacing the conventional, rigid bead with a mechanically soft elastomer. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was prepared in a microbead format and modified with activating antibodies to CD3 and CD28.

Sexually-dimorphic expression of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the brain of a vocal teleost fish (Porichthys notatus).

Vocal communication has emerged as a powerful model for the study of neural mechanisms of social behavior. Modulatory neurochemicals postulated to play a central role in social behavior, related to motivation, arousal, incentive and reward, include the catecholamines, particularly dopamine and noradrenaline. Many questions remain regarding the functional mechanisms by which these modulators interact with sensory and motor systems.