Streptococcus pneumoniae epidemiology, pathogenesis and control.

Infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (also known as pneumococci) pose a threat to human health. Pneumococcal infections are the most common cause of milder respiratory tract infections, such as otitis and sinusitis, and of more severe diseases, including pneumonia (with or without septicaemia) and meningitis. The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in the childhood vaccination programme in many countries has led to a notable decrease of severe invasive pneumococcal disease in vaccinated children.

Graphene oxide modulates dendritic cell ability to promote T cell activation and cytokine production.

An important aspect of immunotherapy is the ability of dendritic cells (DCs) to prime T cell immunity, an approach that has yielded promising results in some early phase clinical trials. However, novel approaches are required to improve DC therapeutic efficacy by enhancing their uptake of, and activation by, disease relevant antigens. The carbon nano-material graphene oxide (GO) may provide a unique way to deliver antigen to innate immune cells and modify their ability to initiate effective adaptive immune responses.

Memory CD8 T cells exhibit tissue imprinting and non-stable exposure-dependent reactivation characteristics following blood-stage Plasmodium berghei ANKA infections.

Experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) is a severe complication of Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection in mice, characterized by CD8 T-cell accumulation within the brain. Whilst the dynamics of CD8 T-cell activation and migration during extant primary PbA infection have been extensively researched, the fate of the parasite-specific CD8 T cells upon resolution of ECM is not understood. In this study, we show that memory OT-I cells persist systemically within the spleen, lung and brain following recovery from ECM after primary PbA-OVA infection.

Photo-dissociation of self-assembled (anthracene-2-carbonyl)amino acid hydrogels.

Amino acids modified with an N-terminal anthracene group self-assemble into supramolecular hydrogels upon the addition of a range of salts or cell culture medium. Gel-phase photo-dimerisation of gelators results in hydrogel disassembly and was used to recover cells from 3D culture.

Exhausted CD4 T Cells during Malaria Exhibit Reduced mTORc1 Activity Correlated with Loss of T-bet Expression.

CD4 T cell functional inhibition (exhaustion) is a hallmark of malaria and correlates with impaired parasite control and infection chronicity. However, the mechanisms of CD4 T cell exhaustion are still poorly understood. In this study, we show that Ag-experienced () CD4 T cell exhaustion during nonlethal infection occurs alongside the reduction in mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity and restriction in CD4 T cell glycolytic capacity.

Combinatorial Tim-3 and PD-1 activity sustains antigen-specific Th1 cell numbers during blood-stage malaria.

Aims: Co-inhibitory receptors play a major role in controlling the Th1 response during blood-stage malaria. Whilst PD-1 is viewed as the dominant co-inhibitory receptor restricting T cell responses, the roles of other such receptors in coordinating Th1 cell activity during malaria are poorly understood.

Methods And Results: Here, we show that the co-inhibitory receptor Tim-3 is expressed on splenic antigen-specific T-bet (Th1) OT-II cells transiently during the early stage of infection with transgenic Plasmodium yoelii NL parasites expressing ovalbumin (P yoelii NL-OVA).

Targeting the IL33-NLRP3 axis improves therapy for experimental cerebral malaria.

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a serious neurological complication caused by infection. Currently, the only treatment for CM is the provision of antimalarial drugs; however, such treatment by itself often fails to prevent death or development of neurological sequelae. To identify potential improved treatments for CM, we performed a nonbiased whole-brain transcriptomic time-course analysis of antimalarial drug chemotherapy of murine experimental CM (ECM).