74 results match your criteria: "Ragon Institute of Mass General[Affiliation]"

Cancer immune evasion, immunoediting and intratumour heterogeneity.

Nat Rev Immunol

January 2025

Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute for Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Cancers can avoid immune-mediated elimination by acquiring traits that disrupt antitumour immunity. These mechanisms of immune evasion are selected and reinforced during tumour evolution under immune pressure. Some immunogenic subclones are effectively eliminated by antitumour T cell responses (a process known as immunoediting), which results in a clonally selected tumour.

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Some individuals, even when heavily exposed to an infectious tuberculosis patient, do not develop a specific T-cell response as measured by interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). This could be explained by an IFN-γ-independent adaptive immune response, or an effective innate host response clearing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) without adaptive immunity. In heavily exposed Indonesian tuberculosis household contacts (n = 1347), a persistently IGRA negative status was associated with presence of a BCG scar, and - especially among those with a BCG scar - with altered innate immune cells dynamics, higher heterologous (Escherichia coli-induced) proinflammatory cytokine production, and higher inflammatory proteins in the IGRA mitogen tube.

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Expanding the landscape of antibody discovery.

Cell Rep Methods

December 2024

Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; The Koch Institute for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. Electronic address:

Library:library screening technologies hold substantial promise for paired antibody:antigen discovery, but challenges have persisted. In this issue of Cell Reports Methods, Wagner et al. introduce a method that combines antibody-ribosome-mRNA complexes, antigen cell surface display, and single-cell RNA sequencing to successfully screen diverse antibody gene libraries against a library of viral receptor proteins.

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Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of infectious disease death and lacks a vaccine capable of protecting adults from pulmonary TB. The bacterial surface is a critical interface that shapes host-pathogen interactions. Several knowledge gaps persist in our understanding of (Mtb)-host interactions that may be addressed by an improved understanding of the Mtb surface proteome, including the identification of novel vaccine targets as well as developing new approaches to interrogate host-pathogen interactions.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Yeast cells exhibit a wider size range compared to mammalian cells, which makes it challenging to accurately determine single-cell gates during FACS.
  • * The report investigates different gating options for yeast display and proposes an optimized flow cytometry method to enhance the selection of single yeast cells, leading to improved results in yeast display studies.
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A trivalent mucosal vaccine encoding phylogenetically inferred ancestral RBD sequences confers pan-Sarbecovirus protection in mice.

Cell Host Microbe

December 2024

Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Center for Vaccines and Immunity against Microbial Pathogens, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. Electronic address:

The continued emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and the threat of future Sarbecovirus zoonoses have spurred the design of vaccines that can induce broad immunity against multiple coronaviruses. Here, we use computational methods to infer ancestral phylogenetic reconstructions of receptor binding domain (RBD) sequences across multiple Sarbecovirus clades and incorporate them into a multivalent adenoviral-vectored vaccine. Mice immunized with this pan-Sarbecovirus vaccine are protected in the upper and lower respiratory tracts against infection by historical and contemporary SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, and pre-emergent SHC014 and Pangolin/GD coronavirus strains.

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Background: A key research priority for developing an HIV cure strategy is to define the viral dynamics and biomarkers associated with sustained post-treatment control. The ability to predict the likelihood of sustained post-treatment control or non-control could minimize the time off antiretroviral therapy (ART) for those destined to not control and anticipate longer periods off ART for those destined to control.

Methods: Mathematical modeling and machine learning were used to characterize virologic predictors of long-term virologic control using viral kinetics data from several studies in which participants interrupted ART.

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Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who have severe hypoglycemia (SH) poses a considerable risk of long-term death, especially among the elderly, demanding urgent medical attention. Accurate prediction of SH remains challenging due to its multifaced nature, contributed from factors such as medications, lifestyle choices, and metabolic measurements. In this study, we propose a systematic approach to improve the robustness and accuracy of SH predictions using machine learning models, guided by clinical feature selection.

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Crosslinking of Ly6a metabolically reprograms CD8 T cells for cancer immunotherapy.

Nat Commun

September 2024

Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

T cell inhibitory mechanisms prevent autoimmune reactions, while cancer immunotherapy aims to remove these inhibitory signals. Chronic ultraviolet (UV) exposure attenuates autoimmunity through promotion of poorly understood immune-suppressive mechanisms. Here we show that mice with subcutaneous melanoma are not responsive to anti-PD1 immunotherapy following chronic UV irradiation, given prior to tumor injection, due to the suppression of T cell killing ability in skin-draining lymph nodes.

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Proteomic analyses of the phagosome has significantly improved our understanding of the proteins which contribute to critical phagosome functions such as apoptotic cell clearance and microbial killing. However, previous methods of isolating phagosomes for proteomic analysis have relied on cell fractionation with some intrinsic limitations. Here, we present an alternative and modular proximity-labeling based strategy for mass spectrometry proteomic analysis of the phagosome lumen, termed PhagoID.

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Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bNAbs) have to date shown transient viral suppression when administered as monotherapy or as a cocktail of two antibodies. A combination of three bNAbs provides improved neutralization coverage of global viruses, which may more potently suppress viral escape and rebound. Here we performed an open-label, two-part study evaluating a single intravenous dose of HIV-1 bNAbs, PGT121, PGDM1400 and VRC07-523LS, in six adults without HIV in part 1 and a multicenter trial of up to six monthly infusions of these three bNAbs in 12 people living with HIV with an antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption in part 2.

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer without effective treatments. It is characterized by activating KRAS mutations and p53 alterations. However, how these mutations dysregulate cancer-cell-intrinsic gene programs to influence the immune landscape of the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains poorly understood.

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Article Synopsis
  • The ROCO family of GTPases features a unique ROC-COR domain and is increasingly recognized for its potential link to human diseases, although many of its functions remain unclear.
  • Recent research focused on four species of brown algae revealed that they possess a higher number of ROCO proteins compared to other organisms and indicated that ROCOs originated from prokaryotes.
  • This study also uncovered that the structure of ROCO genes in brown algae allows for significant diversity through mechanisms like exon shuffling and alternative splicing, suggesting these proteins have roles beyond immune response, potentially in various signaling pathways.
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Antibodies represent a primary mediator of protection against respiratory viruses. Serum neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) are often considered a primary correlate of protection. However, detailed antibody profiles including characterization of antibody functions in different anatomic compartments are poorly understood.

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Immunosuppressant therapy averts rejection of allogeneic FKBP1A-disrupted CAR-T cells.

Mol Ther

October 2024

Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells from allogeneic donors promise "off-the-shelf" availability by overcoming challenges associated with autologous cell manufacturing. However, recipient immunologic rejection of allogeneic CAR-T cells may decrease their in vivo lifespan and limit treatment efficacy. Here, we demonstrate that the immunosuppressants rapamycin and tacrolimus effectively mitigate allorejection of HLA-mismatched CAR-T cells in immunocompetent humanized mice, extending their in vivo persistence to that of syngeneic humanized mouse-derived CAR-T cells.

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Germline-targeting HIV vaccination induces neutralizing antibodies to the CD4 binding site.

Sci Immunol

August 2024

Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Eliciting potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a major goal in HIV-1 vaccine development. Here, we describe how germline-targeting immunogen BG505 SOSIP germline trimer 1.1 (GT1.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hybrid immunity, which occurs after vaccination following infection, offers stronger protection against SARS-CoV-2 by enhancing immune response effectiveness.
  • The study compares immune profiles of individuals with infection only, vaccination only, and hybrid immunity, finding that hybrid immunity results in better antibody performance and activation of immune cells.
  • Results indicate that older adults particularly benefit from hybrid immunity, highlighting the need for vaccination strategies to consider age differences in immune responses.
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Decoding LncRNA in COPD: Unveiling Prognostic and Diagnostic Power and Their Driving Role in Lung Cancer Progression.

Int J Mol Sci

August 2024

Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 2500 MetroHealth Drive, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer represent formidable challenges in global health, characterized by intricate pathophysiological mechanisms and multifaceted disease progression. This comprehensive review integrates insights from diverse perspectives to elucidate the intricate roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathogenesis of COPD and lung cancer, focusing on their diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications. In the context of COPD, dysregulated lncRNAs, such as NEAT1, TUG1, MALAT1, HOTAIR, and GAS5, emerge as pivotal regulators of genes involved in the disease pathogenesis and progression.

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Progressive decline of the adaptive immune system with increasing age coincides with a sharp increase in cancer incidence. In this study, we set out to understand whether deficits in antitumor immunity with advanced age promote tumor progression and/or drive resistance to immunotherapy. We found that multiple syngeneic cancers grew more rapidly in aged versus young adult mice, driven by dysfunctional CD8+ T-cell responses.

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Bats harbor viruses that can cause severe disease and death in humans including filoviruses (e.g., Ebola virus), henipaviruses (e.

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Determinants of immune responses predictive of protection against shigellosis in an endemic zone: a systems analysis of antibody profiles and function.

Lancet Microbe

October 2024

Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

Background: Shigella is the third leading global cause of moderate or severe diarrhoea among children younger than 5 years globally, and is the leading cause in children aged 24-59 months. The mechanism of protection against Shigella infection and disease in endemic areas is uncertain. We aimed to compare the Shigella-specific antibody responses in individuals living in Shigella-endemic and non-endemic areas, and to identify correlates of protection in a Shigella-endemic location.

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The yeast also rises! PD-L1 dampens inflammation linked to fungal infections.

Sci Immunol

August 2024

Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Programmed death-ligand 1 interacts with fungal ribosomal Rpl20b in phagosomes and induces interleukin-10 secretion.

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Waterpipe tobacco (WPT) smoking is a public health concern, particularly among youth and young adults. The global spread of WPT use has surged because the introduction of pre-packaged flavored and sweetened WPT, which is widely marketed as a safer tobacco alternative. Besides flavorants and sugars, WPT additives include humectants, which enhance the moisture and sweetness of WPT, act as solvents for flavors, and impart smoothness to the smoke, thus increasing appeal to users.

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Tuberculosis (TB), caused by (Mtb), is the leading cause of infectious disease death and lacks a vaccine capable of protecting adults from pulmonary TB. Studies have shown that Mtb uses a variety of mechanisms to evade host immunity. Secreted Mtb proteins such as Type VII secretion system substrates have been characterized for their ability to modulate anti-Mtb immunity; however, studies of other pathogens such as Typhi and have revealed that outer membrane proteins can also interact with the innate and adaptive immune system.

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Post-TB lung disease (PTLD) causes a significant burden of global disease. Fibrosis is a central component of many clinical features of PTLD. To date, we have a limited understanding of the mechanisms of TB-associated fibrosis and how these mechanisms are similar to or dissimilar from other fibrotic lung pathologies.

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