Publications by authors named "Victoria L DeVault"

Neoantigens are critical targets of antitumor T-cell responses. The ATLAS bioassay was developed to identify neoantigens empirically by expressing each unique patient-specific tumor mutation individually in , pulsing autologous dendritic cells in an ordered array, and testing the patient's T cells for recognition in an overnight assay. Profiling of T cells from patients with lung cancer revealed both stimulatory and inhibitory responses to individual neoantigens.

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During thymic development, mouse γδ T cells commit to either an IFN-γ- or an IL-17-producing phenotype through mechanisms that remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the extent to which the SLAM/SAP signaling pathway regulates the functional programming of γδ T cells. Characterization of SLAM family receptor expression revealed that thymic γδ T cell subsets were each marked by distinct coexpression profiles of SLAMF1, SLAMF4, and SLAMF6.

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Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells are tissue-resident innate-like T cells critical to the host immune response. We previously identified a 6.6 Mbp region on chromosome 1 as a major regulator of iNKT cell number and function in C57BL/6 and 129X1/SvJ mice.

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iNKT cells and mast cells have both been implicated in the syndrome of allergic asthma through their activation-induced release of Th2 type cytokines and secretion of histamine and other mediators, respectively, which can promote airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to agents such as methacholine. However, a mechanistic link between iNKT cells and mast cell recruitment or activation has never been explored. Our objective was to determine whether iNKT cells are necessary for the recruitment of mast cells and if iNKT cells can influence the acute allergen induced bronchoconstriction (AIB) caused by mast cell mediator release.

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Chlamydia trachomatis is the causative agent of the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection, the total burden of which is underestimated due to the asymptomatic nature of the infection. Untreated C. trachomatis infections can cause significant morbidities, including pelvic inflammatory disease and tubal factor infertility (TFI).

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates type I NKT cells, an important part of the immune response, and finds a notable lack of these cells in certain wild-derived inbred mouse strains like PWD/PhJ, SPRET/EiJ, and CAST/EiJ.
  • - It identifies that the PWD/PhJ strain has significantly reduced levels of CD1d gene and protein expression due to impaired promoter activity, which affects the ability of thymocytes and dendritic cells to present antigens to NKT cells.
  • - The researchers pinpoint two specific single nucleotide changes in the CD1d promoter that contribute to this reduced expression, highlighting genetic factors that may influence the presence of NKT cells in different mouse strains and potentially impacting the evolution of
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