Metabolic syndrome, including obesity and insulin resistance, compromises energy metabolism, mitochondrial function and heart performance. The authors found that lipid overload decreased NAD+ levels and increased the acetylation of a fission protein Drp1 at K642. This mechanism promoted Drp1 activation, mitochondrial translocation, VDAC1 binding, and eventually mitochondrial fission and heart cell dysfunction.
Deletions within genes coding for subunits of the transcription coactivator SAGA caused strong genome-wide defects in transcription and SAGA-mediated chromatin modifications. In contrast, rapid SAGA depletion produced only modest transcription defects at 13% of protein-coding genes – genes that are generally more sensitive to rapid TFIID depletion. However, transcription of these ‘coactivator-redundant’ genes is strongly affected by rapid depletion of…
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has produced remarkable anti-tumor responses in patients with B-cell malignancies. However, clonal kinetics and transcriptional programs that regulate the fate of CAR-T cells after infusion remain poorly understood. Here we perform TCRB sequencing, integration site analysis, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile CD8+ CAR-T cells from infusion products (IPs) and blood of patients undergoing…
Upon Ag exposure, naive B cells expressing BCR able to bind Ag can undergo robust proliferation and differentiation that can result in the production of Ab-secreting and memory B cells. The factors determining whether an individual naive B cell will proliferate following Ag encounter remains unclear. In this study, we found that polyclonal naive murine B cell populations specific for…
Single agent checkpoint inhibitor therapy has not been effective for most gastrointestinal solid tumors, but combination therapy with drugs targeting additional immunosuppressive pathways is being attempted. One such pathway, the CXCL12-CXCR4/CXCR7 chemokine axis, has attracted attention due to its effects on tumor cell survival and metastasis as well as immune cell migration. CXCL12 is a small protein that functions in…
Deciphering how signaling enzymes operate within discrete microenvironments is fundamental to understanding biological processes. A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) restrict the range of action of protein kinases within intracellular compartments. We exploited the AKAP targeting concept to create genetically encoded platforms that restrain kinase inhibitor drugs at distinct subcellular locations. Local Kinase Inhibition (LoKI) allows us to ascribe organelle-specific functions to broad specificity kinases.…
The authors evaluated the effects of four specific antibiotics in healthy female rhesus macaques. All antibiotics disrupted the microbiome, including reduced abundances of fermentative bacteria and increased abundances of potentially pathogenic bacteria. This study demonstrates the importance of considering the necessity of antibiotic use for each occasion.
Immunotherapy with the adoptive transfer of T cells redirected with CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) for B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can salvage >80% of patients having relapsed/refractory disease. The therapeutic index of this emerging modality is attenuated by the occurrence of immunologic toxicity syndromes that occur upon CAR T-cell engraftment. Here, we report on the low incidence of severe…
The authors report on a two-step immunization scheme that leads to the maturation of VRC01-like antibodies capable of accommodating the N276 glycan and displaying autologous tier 2 neutralizing activities. The study provides information that is critical for the upcoming Phase I clinical trial of one of the Stamatatos lab’s HIV vaccine immunogens. The trial will be conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network at Fred Hutch.
The long-term effects of CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor–modified T-cell immunotherapy (CD19-CARTx) for B-cell malignancies on humoral immunity are unclear. We examined antiviral humoral immunity in 39 adults with B-cell malignancies who achieved durable complete remission without additional therapy for >6 months after CD19-CARTx. Despite CD19+ B-cell aplasia in all patients, the incidence of viral infections occurring >90 days post–CD19-CARTx was low…