PD-1-induced proliferating T cells exhibit a distinct transcriptional signature.

Ligation of the inhibitory receptor PD-1 on T cells results in the inhibition of numerous cellular functions. Despite the overtly inhibitory outcome of PD-1 signalling, there are additionally a collection of functions that are activated. We have observed that CD4 T cells stimulated through the T-cell receptor and PD-1 primarily do not proliferate; however, there is a population of cells that proliferates more than T-cell receptor stimulation alone.

Orchestrating multiplexity in polychromatic science through OMIPs: A decade-old resource to empower biomedical research.

As the optimized multicolor immunofluorescence panel (OMIP) platform entered its 10th anniversary since its launch, the multicolor flow cytometry landscape has changed significantly. Likewise, OMIPs have continuously evolved to cover larger panel sizes, increasing number of subpopulations profiled in a single panel, and new species. After a decade of contributions to the OMIP platform, a review of this collection, summarizing its content and purpose for the research community, is timely and due.

Scaffold-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 delivery system for acute myeloid leukemia therapy.

Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) sustain the disease and contribute to relapse in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therapies that ablate LSCs may increase the chance of eliminating this cancer in patients. To this end, we used a bioreducible lipidoid-encapsulated Cas9/single guide RNA (sgRNA) ribonucleoprotein [lipidoid nanoparticle (LNP)-Cas9 RNP] to target the critical gene interleukin-1 receptor accessory protein () in human LSCs.

Maintenance of the human memory T cell repertoire by subset and tissue site.

Background: Immune-mediated protection is mediated by T cells expressing pathogen-specific T cell antigen receptors (TCR) that are maintained at diverse sites of infection as tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) or that disseminate as circulating effector-memory (TEM), central memory (TCM), or terminal effector (TEMRA) subsets in blood and tissues. The relationship between circulating and tissue resident T cell subsets in humans remains elusive, and is important for promoting site-specific protective immunity.

Methods: We analyzed the TCR repertoire of the major memory CD4 and CD8T cell subsets (TEM, TCM, TEMRA, and TRM) isolated from blood and/or lymphoid organs (spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow) and lungs of nine organ donors, and blood of three living individuals spanning five decades of life.

Current and Future Role of Medical Imaging in Guiding the Management of Patients With Relapsed and Refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treated With CAR T-Cell Therapy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are a novel immunotherapy available for patients with refractory/relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In this indication, clinical trials have demonstrated that CAR T-cells achieve high rates of response, complete response, and long-term response (up to 80%, 60%, and 40%, respectively). Nonetheless, the majority of patients ultimately relapsed.

Data on the identification of VRK2 as a mediator of PD-1 function.

Therapeutic programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade enhances cell mediated anti-tumor immunity, but many patients do not respond, and a significant proportion develops inflammatory toxicities. To develop better therapeutics and to understand the signaling pathways downstream of PD-1 we performed phosphoproteomic interrogation of PD-1 to identify key mediators of PD-1 signaling. Hereby, supporting data of the research article "VRK2 inhibition synergizes with PD-1 blockade to improve cell responses" are presented.

Transmembrane adaptor protein PAG is a mediator of PD-1 inhibitory signaling in human T cells.

The inhibitory receptor PD-1 is expressed on T cells to inhibit select functions when ligated. The complete signaling mechanism downstream of PD-1 has yet to be uncovered. Here, we discovered phosphoprotein associated with glycosphingolipid-enriched microdomains 1 (PAG) is phosphorylated following PD-1 ligation and associate this with inhibitory T cell function.

A Strategy to Simultaneously Cure Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetic Nephropathy by Transplant of Composite Islet-Kidney Grafts.

In recent years islet cell transplant has proven itself to be a viable clinical option for a select group of diabetic patients. Graft loss after transplant however continues to hinder the long-term success of the procedure. Transplanting the islets as a pre-vascularized composite islet-kidney graft has emerged as a relevant solution.

Single-cell protein activity analysis identifies recurrence-associated renal tumor macrophages.

Clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is a heterogeneous disease with a variable post-surgical course. To assemble a comprehensive ccRCC tumor microenvironment (TME) atlas, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic subpopulations from tumor and tumor-adjacent tissue of treatment-naive ccRCC resections. We leveraged the VIPER algorithm to quantitate single-cell protein activity and validated this approach by comparison to flow cytometry.

SLAM Associated Protein Signaling in T Cells: Tilting the Balance Toward Autoimmunity.

T cell activation is the result of the integration of signals across the T cell receptor and adjacent co-receptors. The signaling lymphocyte activation molecules (SLAM) family are transmembrane co-receptors that modulate antigen driven T cell responses. Signal transduction downstream of the SLAM receptor is mediated by the adaptor protein SLAM Associated Protein (SAP), a small intracellular protein with a single SH2 binding domain that can recruit tyrosine kinases as well as shield phosphorylated sites from dephosphorylation.

A molecular single-cell lung atlas of lethal COVID-19.

Respiratory failure is the leading cause of death in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, but the host response at the lung tissue level is poorly understood. Here we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing of about 116,000 nuclei from the lungs of nineteen individuals who died of COVID-19 and underwent rapid autopsy and seven control individuals. Integrated analyses identified substantial alterations in cellular composition, transcriptional cell states, and cell-to-cell interactions, thereby providing insight into the biology of lethal COVID-19.

Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor is secreted from interferon-γ-activated tumor cells through ER calcium depletion.

The most successful immunotherapeutic agents are blocking antibodies to either programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), an inhibitory receptor expressed on T lymphocytes, or to its ligand, programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Nevertheless, many patients do not respond, and additional approaches, specifically blocking other inhibitory receptors on T cells, are being explored. Importantly, the source of the ligands for these receptors are often the tumor cells.

De Novo Human Leukocyte Antigen Allosensitization in Heartmate 3 Versus Heartmate II Left Ventricular Assist Device Recipients.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are associated with the development of antihuman leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies, which can create a challenge for future transplantation in these patients. The differential effects of Heartmate 3 (HM3) versus Heartmate II (HMII) on de novo HLA allosensitization remain unknown. Patients who underwent HMII or HM3 implantation and had no prior HLA antibodies by solid-phase assay (Luminex) testing were included in this study.

Impact of Previously Unrecognized HLA Mismatches Using Ultrahigh Resolution Typing in Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

Purpose: Ultrahigh resolution (UHR) HLA matching is reported to result in better outcomes following unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation, improving survival and reducing post-transplant complications. However, most studies included relatively small numbers of patients. Here we report the findings from a large, multicenter validation study.

Human plasmacytoid dendritic cells mount a distinct antiviral response to virus-infected cells.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) can rapidly produce interferons and other soluble factors in response to extracellular viruses or virus mimics such as CpG-containing DNA. pDCs can also recognize live cells infected with certain RNA viruses, but the relevance and functional consequences of such recognition remain unclear. We studied the response of primary DCs to the prototypical persistent DNA virus, human cytomegalovirus (CMV).

Tissue-resident memory T cells in tumor immunity and immunotherapy.

Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) represent a heterogeneous T cell population with the functionality of both effector and memory T cells. TRM express residence gene signatures. This feature allows them to traffic to, reside in, and potentially patrol peripheral tissues, thereby enforcing an efficient long-term immune-protective role.

Longitudinal profiling of circulating miRNA during cardiac allograft rejection: a proof-of-concept study.

Aims: Allograft rejection following heart transplantation (HTx) is a serious complication even in the era of modern immunosuppressive regimens and causes up to a third of early deaths after HTx. Allograft rejection is mediated by a cascade of immune mechanisms leading to acute cellular rejection (ACR) and/or antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). The gold standard for monitoring allograft rejection is invasive endomyocardial biopsy that exposes patients to complications.

Defective Mitochondrial Dynamics Underlie Manganese-Induced Neurotoxicity.

Perturbations in mitochondrial dynamics have been observed in most neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we focus on manganese (Mn)-induced Parkinsonism-like neurodegeneration, a disorder associated with the preferential of Mn in the basal ganglia where the mitochondria are considered an early target. Despite the extensive characterization of the clinical presentation of manganism, the mechanism by which Mn mediated mitochondrial toxicity is unclear.

Transcriptional mediators of treatment resistance in lethal prostate cancer.

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is typically lethal, exhibiting intrinsic or acquired resistance to second-generation androgen-targeting therapies and minimal response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cellular programs driving resistance in both cancer and immune cells remain poorly understood. We present single-cell transcriptomes from 14 patients with advanced prostate cancer, spanning all common metastatic sites.

The in vitro multilineage differentiation and maturation of lung and airway cells from human pluripotent stem cell-derived lung progenitors in 3D.

Lung and airway epithelial cells generated in vitro from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have applications in regenerative medicine, modeling of lung disease, drug screening and studies of human lung development. Here, we describe a strategy for directed differentiation of hPSCs into mature lung and airway epithelial cells obtained through maturation of NKX2.1 hPSC-derived lung progenitors in a 3D matrix of collagen I in the absence of glycogen synthase kinase 3 inhibition.