Composition and global distribution of the mosquito virome - A comprehensive database of insect-specific viruses.

Mosquitoes are vectors for emerging and re-emerging infectious viral diseases of humans, livestock and other animals. In addition to these arthropod-borne (arbo)viruses, mosquitoes are host to an array of insect-specific viruses, collectively referred to as the mosquito virome. Mapping the mosquito virome and understanding if and how its composition modulates arbovirus transmission is critical to understand arboviral disease emergence and outbreak dynamics.

CD34 progenitor-derived NK cell and gemcitabine combination therapy increases killing of ovarian cancer cells in NOD/SCID/IL2Rg mice.

Combining natural killer (NK) cell adoptive transfer with tumor-sensitizing chemotherapy is an attractive approach against recurrent ovarian cancer (OC), as OC is sensitive to NK cell-mediated immunity. Previously, we showed that CD34 hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC)-derived NK cells can kill OC cells and inhibit OC tumor growth in mice. Here, we investigated the potential of HPC-NK cell therapy combined with chemotherapeutic gemcitabine (used in recurrent OC patients) against OC.

The RNA sensor MDA5 detects SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Human cells respond to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by producing cytokines including type I and III interferons (IFNs) and proinflammatory factors such as IL6 and TNF. IFNs can limit SARS-CoV-2 replication but cytokine imbalance contributes to severe COVID-19. We studied how cells detect SARS-CoV-2 infection.