In human autoimmunity, a substantial component of the B cell repertoire consists of polyclonal, barely mutated IgG+ve B cells

B cells are critical for promoting autoimmunity and the success of B cell depletion therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) confirms their importance in driving chronic inflammation. Whilst disease specific autoantibodies are useful diagnostically, our understanding of the pathogenic B cell repertoire remains unclear. Defining it would lead to novel insights and curative treatments. To address this, we have undertaken the largest study to date of over 150 RA patients, utilizing next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze up to 200,000 BCR sequences per patient. The full-length antigen-binding variable region of the heavy chain (IgGHV) of the IgG B cell receptor (BCR) were sequenced. Surprisingly, RA patients do not express particular clonal expansions of B cells at diagnosis. Rather they express a polyclonal IgG repertoire with a significant increase in BCRs that have barely mutated away from the germline sequence. This pattern remains even after commencing disease modifying therapy. These hypomutated BCRs are expressed by TNF-alpha secreting IgG+veCD27−ve B cells, that are expanded in RA peripheral blood and enriched in the rheumatoid synovium. A similar B cell repertoire is expressed by patients with Sjögren's syndrome. A rate limiting step in the initiation of autoimmunity is the activation of B cells and this data reveals that a sizeable component of the human autoimmune B cell repertoire consists of polyclonal, hypomutated IgG+ve B cells, that may play a critical role in driving chronic inflammation

Transcription factor trapping by RNA in gene regulatory elements

Transcription factors (TFs) bind specific sequences in promoter-proximal and -distal DNA elements to regulate gene transcription. RNA is transcribed from both of these DNA elements, and some DNA binding TFs bind RNA. Hence, RNA transcribed from regulatory elements may contribute to stable TF occupancy at these sites. We show that the ubiquitously expressed TF Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) binds to both gene regulatory elements and their associated RNA species across the entire genome. Reduced transcription of regulatory elements diminishes YY1 occupancy, whereas artificial tethering of RNA enhances YY1 occupancy at these elements. We propose that RNA makes a modest but important contribution to the maintenance of certain TFs at gene regulatory elements and suggest that transcription of regulatory elements produces a positive-feedback loop that contributes to the stability of gene expression programs.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (HG002668)Biogen, Inc

Exposure to the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 produces dendritic cells optimized for immunotherapy

Immunization of patients with autologous, ex vivo matured dendritic cell (DC) preparations, in order to prime antitumor T-cell responses, is the focus of intense research. Despite progress and approval of clinical approaches, significant enhancement of these personalized immunotherapies is urgently needed to improve efficacy. We show that immunotherapeutic murine and human DC, generated in the presence of the antimicrobial host defense peptide LL-37, have dramatically enhanced expansion and differentiation of cells with key features of the critical CD103 + /CD141 + DC subsets, including enhanced cross-presentation and co-stimulatory capacity, and upregulation of CCR7 with improved migratory capacity. These LL-37-DC enhanced proliferation, activation and cytokine production by CD8 + (but not CD4 + ) T cells in vitro and in vivo. Critically, tumor antigen-presenting LL-37-DC increased migration of primed, activated CD8 + T cells into established squamous cell carcinomas in mice, and resulted in tumor regression. This advance therefore has the potential to dramatically enhance DC immunotherapy protocols

Pion-nucleus elastic scattering on 12C, 40Ca, 90Zr, and 208Pb at 400 and 500 MeV

Pion-nucleus elastic scattering at energies above the Delta(1232) resonance is studied using both pi+ and pi- beams on 12C, 40Ca, 90Zr, and 208Pb. The present data provide an opportunity to study the interaction of pions with nuclei at energies where second-order corrections to impulse approximation calculations should be small. The results are compared with other data sets at similar energies, and with four different first-order impulse approximation calculations. Significant disagreement exists between the calculations and the data from this experiment

Local and Systemic Immunity against Respiratory Syncytial Virus Induced by a Novel Intranasal Vaccine. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial

RATIONALE:Needle-free intranasal vaccines offer major potential advantages, especially against pathogens entering via mucosal surfaces. As yet, there is no effective vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a ubiquitous pathogen of global importance that preferentially infects respiratory epithelial cells; new strategies are urgently required. OBJECTIVES:Here, we report the safety and immunogenicity of a novel mucosal RSV F protein vaccine linked to an immunostimulatory bacterium-like particle (BLP). METHODS:In this phase I, randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 48 healthy volunteers aged 18-49 years were randomly assigned to receive placebo or SynGEM (low- or high-dose) intranasally by prime-boost administration. The primary outcome was safety and tolerability, with secondary objectives assessing virus-specific immunogenicity. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:There were no significant differences in adverse events between placebo and vaccinated groups. SynGEM induced systemic plasmablast responses and significant, durable increases in RSV-specific serum antibody in healthy seropositive adults. Volunteers given low-dose SynGEM (140 µg F, 2mg BLP) required a boost at day 28 to achieve plateau responses with a maximum fold-change of 2.4, whereas high-dose recipients (350 µg F, 5mg BLP) achieved plateau responses with a fold-change of 1.5 after first vaccination that remained elevated up to 180 days post-vaccination irrespective of further boosting. Palivizumab-like antibodies were consistently induced, but F protein site Ø-specific antibodies were not detected and virus-specific nasal IgA responses were heterogeneous, with strongest responses in individuals with lower pre-existing antibody levels. CONCLUSIONS:SynGEM is thus the first non-replicating intranasal RSV subunit vaccine to induce persistent antibody responses in human volunteers. Clinical trial registration available at www.clinicaltrials.gov, ID NCT02958540

COVAC1 phase 2a expanded safety and immunogenicity study of a self-amplifying RNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2

BACKGROUND: Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulated self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) is well tolerated and immunogenic in SARS-CoV-2 seronegative and seropositive individuals aged 18-75. METHODS: A phase 2a expanded safety and immunogenicity study of a saRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate LNP-nCoVsaRNA, was conducted at participating centres in the UK between 10th August 2020 and 30th July 2021. Participants received 1 μg then 10 μg of LNP-nCoVsaRNA, ∼14 weeks apart. Solicited adverse events (AEs) were collected for one week post-each vaccine, and unsolicited AEs throughout. Binding and neutralisating anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody raised in participant sera was measured by means of an anti-Spike (S) IgG ELISA, and SARS-CoV-2 pseudoneutralisation assay. (The trial is registered: ISRCTN17072692, EudraCT 2020-001646-20). FINDINGS: 216 healthy individuals (median age 51 years) received 1.0 μg followed by 10.0 μg of the vaccine. 28/216 participants were either known to have previous SARS-CoV2 infection and/or were positive for anti-Spike (S) IgG at baseline. Reactogenicity was as expected based on the reactions following licensed COVID-19 vaccines, and there were no serious AEs related to vaccination. 80% of baseline SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals (147/183) seroconverted two weeks post second immunization, irrespective of age (18-75); 56% (102/183) had detectable neutralising antibodies. Almost all (28/31) SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals had increased S IgG binding antibodies following their first 1.0 μg dose with a ≥0.5log10 increase in 71% (22/31). INTERPRETATION: Encapsulated saRNA was well tolerated and immunogenic in adults aged 18-75 years. Seroconversion rates in antigen naïve were higher than those reported in our dose-ranging study. Further work is required to determine if this difference is related to a longer dosing interval (14 vs. 4 weeks) or dosing with 1.0 μg followed by 10.0 μg. Boosting of S IgG antibodies was observed with a single 1.0 μg injection in those with pre-existing immune responses. FUNDING: Grants and gifts from the Medical Research Council UKRI (MC_PC_19076), the National Institute for Health Research/Vaccine Task Force, Partners of Citadel and Citadel Securities, Sir Joseph Hotung Charitable Settlement, Jon Moulton Charity Trust, Pierre Andurand, and Restore the Earth

Secondary necrosis of apoptotic neutrophils induced by the human cathelicidin LL-37 is not proinflammatory to phagocytosing macrophages

Cathelicidins are CHDP with essential roles in innate host defense but also more recently associated with the pathogenesis of certain chronic diseases. These peptides have microbicidal potential and the capacity to modulate innate immunity and inflammatory processes. PMN are key innate immune effector cells with pivotal roles in defense against infection. The appropriate regulation of PMN function, death, and clearance is critical to innate immunity, and dysregulation is implicated in disease pathogenesis. The efferocytosis of apoptotic PMN, in contrast to necrotic cells, is proposed to promote the resolution of inflammation. We demonstrate that the human cathelicidin LL-37 induced rapid secondary necrosis of apoptotic human PMN and identify an essential minimal region of LL-37 required for this activity. Using these LL-37-induced secondary necrotic PMN, we characterize the consequence for macrophage inflammatory responses. LL-37-induced secondary necrosis did not inhibit PMN ingestion by monocyte-derived macrophages and in contrast to expectation, was not proinflammatory. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effects of apoptotic PMN on activated macrophages were retained and even potentiated after LL-37-induced secondary necrosis. However, this process of secondary necrosis did induce the release of potentially harmful PMN granule contents. Thus, we suggest that LL-37 can be a potent inducer of PMN secondary necrosis during inflammation without promoting macrophage inflammation but may mediate host damage through PMN granule content release under chronic or dysregulated conditions

Removing the Threat of Diclofenac to Critically Endangered Asian Vultures

Veterinary use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug diclofenac in South Asia has resulted in the collapse of populations of three vulture species of the genusGyps to the most severe category of global extinction risk. Vultures are exposed to diclofenac when scavenging on livestock treated with the drug shortly before death. Diclofenac causes kidney damage, increased serum uric acid concentrations, visceral gout, and death. Concern about this issue led the Indian Government to announce its intention to ban the veterinary use of diclofenac by September 2005. Implementation of a ban is still in progress late in 2005, and to facilitate this we sought potential alternative NSAIDs by obtaining information from captive bird collections worldwide. We found that the NSAID meloxicam had been administered to 35 captiveGyps vultures with no apparent ill effects. We then undertook a phased programme of safety testing of meloxicam on the African white-backed vultureGyps africanus, which we had previously established to be as susceptible to diclofenac poisoning as the endangered AsianGyps vultures. We estimated the likely maximum level of exposure (MLE) of wild vultures and dosed birds by gavage (oral administration) with increasing quantities of the drug until the likely MLE was exceeded in a sample of 40G. africanus. Subsequently, sixG. africanus were fed tissues from cattle which had been treated with a higher than standard veterinary course of meloxicam prior to death. In the final phase, ten Asian vultures of two of the endangered species(Gyps bengalensis,Gyps indicus) were dosed with meloxicam by gavage; five of them at more than the likely MLE dosage. All meloxicam-treated birds survived all treatments, and none suffered any obvious clinical effects. Serum uric acid concentrations remained within the normal limits throughout, and were significantly lower than those from birds treated with diclofenac in other studies. We conclude that meloxicam is of low toxicity toGyps vultures and that its use in place of diclofenac would reduce vulture mortality substantially in the Indian subcontinent. Meloxicam is already available for veterinary use in India