Obesity modulates NK-cell activity via LDL & DUSP1 signaling for Populations with Adverse Social Determinants.

African American (AA) women are disproportionally affected by obesity and hyperlipidemia, particularly in the setting of adverse social determinants of health (aSDoH) contributing to health disparities. Obesity, hyperlipidemia, and aSDoH appear to impair Natural Killer cells (NKs). As potential common underlying mechanisms are largely unknown, we sought to investigate common signaling pathways involved in NK dysfunction related to obesity and hyperlipidemia in AA women from under-resourced neighborhoods.

Alterations in the plasma proteome persist ten months after recovery from mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: Limited data are available describing the effects of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections on the plasma proteome.

Methods: PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 patients, enrolled in a natural history study, underwent analysis of the plasma proteome. A prospective cohort of 66 unvaccinated and 24 vaccinated persons with different degrees of infection severity were evaluated acutely (within 40 days of symptom onset), and at three and ten months.

Quantification of circulating TCR-engineered T cells targeting a human endogenous retrovirus post-adoptive transfer using nanoplate digital PCR.

expansion of genetically modified T cells in cancer patients following adoptive transfer has been linked to both anti-tumor activity and T cell-mediated toxicities. The development of digital PCR has improved the accuracy in quantifying the status of adoptively infused T cells compared to qPCR or flow cytometry. Here, we developed and evaluated the feasibility and performance of nanoplate-based digital PCR (ndPCR) to quantify adoptively infused T cells engineered with a T cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a human endogenous retrovirus type E (HERV-E) antigen.

Regression of renal cell carcinoma by T cell receptor-engineered T cells targeting a human endogenous retrovirus.

Background: We discovered a novel human endogenous retrovirus (CT-RCC HERV-E) that was selectively expressed in most clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) and served as a source of antigens for T cell-mediated killing. Here, we described the cloning of a novel T cell receptor (TCR) targeting a CT-RCC HERV-E-derived antigen specific to ccRCC and characterized antitumor activity of HERV-E TCR-transduced T cells (HERV-E T cells).

Methods: We isolated a CD8 T cell clone from a patient with immune-mediated regression of ccRCC post-allogeneic stem cell transplant that recognized the CT-RCC-1 HERV-E-derived peptide in an HLA-A11-restricted manner.