Increased Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte production in mixed infections with P. malariae.

Plasmodium falciparum and P. malariae occur endemically in many parts of Africa. Observations from malariotherapy patients suggest that co-infection with P. malariae may increase P. falciparum gametocyte production. We determined P. falciparum gametocyte prevalence and density by quantitative nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (QT-NASBA) after antimalarial treatment of Kenyan children with either P. falciparum mono-infection or P. falciparum and P. malariae mixed infection. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between mixed species infections and microscopic P. falciparum gametocyte prevalence in three datasets from previously published studies. In Kenyan children, QT-NASBA gametocyte density was increased in mixed species infections (P = 0.03). We also observed higher microscopic prevalences of P. falciparum gametocytes in mixed species infections in studies from Tanzania and Kenya (odds ratio = 2.15, 95% confidence interval = 0.99-4.65 and 2.39, 1.58-3.63) but not in a study from Nigeria. These data suggest that co-infection with P. malariae is correlated with increased P. falciparum gametocytemia

Long Term Protection after Immunization with P. berghei Sporozoites Correlates with Sustained IFNγ Responses of Hepatic CD8+ Memory T Cells

Protection against P. berghei malaria can successfully be induced in mice by immunization with both radiation attenuated sporozoites (RAS) arresting early during liver stage development, or sporozoites combined with chloroquine chemoprophylaxis (CPS), resulting in complete intra-hepatic parasite development before killing of blood-stages by chloroquine takes place. We assessed the longevity of protective cellular immune responses by RAS and CPS P. berghei immunization of C57BL/6j mice. Strong effector and memory (TEM) CD8+ T cell responses were induced predominantly in the liver of both RAS and CPS immunized mice while CD4+ T cells with memory phenotype remained at base line levels. Compared to unprotected naïve mice, we found high sporozoite-specific IFNγ ex vivo responses that associated with induced levels of in vivo CD8+ TEM cells in the liver but not spleen. Long term evaluation over a period of 9 months showed a decline of malaria-specific IFNγ responses in RAS and CPS mice that significantly correlated with loss of protection (r2 = 0.60, p<0.0001). The reducing IFNγ response by hepatic memory CD8+ T cells could be boosted by re-exposure to wild-type sporozoites. Our data show that sustainable protection against malaria associates with distinct intra-hepatic immune responses characterized by strong IFNγ producing CD8+ memory T cells

Directing HIV-1 for degradation by non-target cells, using bi-specific single-chain llama antibodies

While vaccination against HIV-1 has been so far unsuccessful, recently broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein were shown to induce long-term suppression in the absence of antiretroviral therapy in patients with antibody-sensitive viral reservoirs. The requirement of neutralizing antibodies indicates that the antibody mediated removal (clearance) of HIV-1 in itself is not efficient enough in these immune compromised patients. Here we present a novel, alternative approach that is independent of a functional immune system to clear HIV-1, by capturing the virus and redirecting it to non-target cells where it is internalized and degraded. We use bispecific antibodies with domains derived from small single chain Llama antibodies (VHHs). These bind with one domain to HIV-1 envelope proteins and with the other domain direct the virus to cells expressing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a receptor that is ubiquitously expressed in the body. We show that HIV envelope proteins, virus-like particles and HIV-1 viruses (representing HIV-1 subtypes A, B and C) are efficiently recruited to EGFR, internalized and degraded in the lysosomal pathway at low nM concentrations of bispecific VHHs. This directed degradation in non-target cells may provide a clearance platform for the removal of viruses and other unwanted agents from the circulation, including toxins, and may thus provide a novel method for curing

A genome-wide genetic map of NB-LRR disease resistance loci in potato

Like all plants, potato has evolved a surveillance system consisting of a large array of genes encoding for immune receptors that confer resistance to pathogens and pests. The majority of these so-called resistance or R proteins belong to the super-family that harbour a nucleotide binding and a leucine-rich-repeat domain (NB-LRR). Here, sequence information of the conserved NB domain was used to investigate the genome-wide genetic distribution of the NB-LRR resistance gene loci in potato. We analysed the sequences of 288 unique BAC clones selected using filter hybridisation screening of a BAC library of the diploid potato clone RH89-039-16 (S. tuberosum ssp. tuberosum) and a physical map of this BAC library. This resulted in the identification of 738 partial and full-length NB-LRR sequences. Based on homology of these sequences with known resistance genes, 280 and 448 sequences were classified as TIR-NB-LRR (TNL) and CC-NB-LRR (CNL) sequences, respectively. Genetic mapping revealed the presence of 15 TNL and 32 CNL loci. Thirty-six are novel, while three TNL loci and eight CNL loci are syntenic with previously identified functional resistance genes. The genetic map was complemented with 68 universal CAPS markers and 82 disease resistance trait loci described in literature, providing an excellent template for genetic studies and applied research in potato

Long-term RAS and CPS^a protection following <i>P. berghei</i> sporozoite challenge^b.

a<p>CPS mice received 24-days chloroquine treatment. Three of the six naïve mice challenged at t = 3months receive the same chloroquine treatment.</p>b<p>Mice were challenged by i.v. injection of 10.000 WT sporozoites. Protection was defined as negative blood-smears at day 21 after challenge.</p

Phenotypic analyses CD44hi T-cells.

<p>(A) Gating strategy. After lymphocytes gating based on forward-scatter (FSC) and side-scatter (SSC) properties, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were selected. Total memory T cells were gated based on high CD44 expression. T cells with effector memory (T_EM) and central memory (T_CM) phenotype were identified based on CD62L expression. (B) CD8+CD44hi and CD4+CD44hi T-cell pool at day 40 post-immunization with high or lose dose. Composition of the CD8+CD44hi and CD4+CD44hi T-cell pool was assessed in the liver (left panel), spleen (central panel) or PBMC (right panel) of mice immunized by high and low dose of RAS or CPS. Results are from 2 independent experiments (n_RAS = 10; n_CPS = 10; n_naïve = 13) and cells from individual mice assayed. Error bars represent standard error of the mean (SEM). * = p<0.05, ** = p<0.005, *** = p<0.0001.</p

Re-exposure by sporozoite challenge increases memory CD8+ T cell response.

<p>Levels of CD8+ T_EM were measured before (C-1) and after (C+21) challenge at 3, 6 or 9 months after RAS and CPS immunization (A) – individual values for each time point and median are plotted. IFNγ response by hepatic CD8+CD44hi T cells was measured by intracellular staining before (C-1) and after (C+21) challenge at 3, 6 or 9 months post-immunization (B) – error bars represent SEM. * = p<0.05, ** = p<0.005, *** = p<0.0001.</p

Declined specific IFNγ response by hepatic CD8+ memory T cells over time.

<p>Sporozoite specific IFNγ response by hepatic CD8+CD44hi T cells was measured by intracellular staining at 3 months post-immunization (A) – individual values and median are plotted. Longevity of the specific (sporozoites) and non-specific (PMA/Ionomycin) IFNγ response was further assessed 6 and 9 months after immunization (B) – error bars represent SEM. * = p<0.05, ** = p<0.001.</p

IFNγ response by liver and spleen CD8+CD44hi T cells.

<p>At day 62, liver and spleen cells collected from immune RAS or CPS mice were stimulated for 24 hours ex vivo with cryo-conserved <i>Pb</i>spz. IFNγ response was assessed by intracellular cytokine staining prior to flow-cytometry measurement (2 experiments). The percentage of IFNγ+ lymphocytes upon stimulation with PMA and ionomycin was similar between RAS (n = 15), CPS (n = 10) and naïve (n = 6) mice in the liver (6.9%, 5.2%, 5.1%) or spleen (1.33%, 1.65%, 1.1%). * = p<0.05, ** = p<0.001.</p