Microbiology & Immunology - Research Publications
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ItemA Novel Whole Blood Assay Detects Flagellin-Specific CD4+ T Cells in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease(W B Saunders Co-Elsevier, 2017-04-01)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableHigh-dimensional Analysis of Human Regulatory T Cells Using Mass Cytometry(American Association of Immunologists, 2016-05-01)
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ItemHUMAN CLEC9A ANTIBODIES DELIVER NY-ESO-1 ANTIGEN TO CD141+DENDRITIC CELLS TO ACTIVATE NAIVE AND MEMORY NY-ESO-1-SPECIFIC CD8+T CELLS(BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2020-11)Background Dendritic cells (DC) are crucial for the efficacy of cancer vaccines, but current vaccines do not harness the key cDC1 subtype required for effective CD8+ T cell mediated tumor immune responses. Vaccine immunogenicity could be enhanced by specific delivery of immunogenic tumor antigens to CD141+ DC, the human cDC1 equivalent. CD141+ DC exclusively express the C-type-lectin-like receptor CLEC9A, which is important for the regulation of CD8+ T cell responses. This study developed a new vaccine that harnesses a human anti-CLEC9A antibody to specifically deliver the immunogenic tumor antigen, NY-ESO-1 to human CD141+ DC. The ability of the CLEC9A-NY-ESO-1 antibody to activate NY-ESO-1 specific naïve and memory CD8+ T cells was examined and compared to a vaccine comprised of a human DEC-205-NY-ESO-1 antibody that targets all human DC. Methods Human anti-CLEC9A, anti-DEC-205 and isotype control IgG4 antibodies were genetically fused to NY-ESO-1 polypeptide. Cross-presentation to NY-ESO-1- epitope specific CD8+ T cells and reactivity of T cell responses in melanoma patients was assessed by IFNγ production following incubation of CD141+ DC and patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells with targeting antibodies. Humanized mice containing human DC subsets and a repertoire of naïve NY-ESO-1-specific CD8+ T cells were used to investigate naïve T cell priming. T cell effector function was measured by expression of IFNγ, MIP-1β, TNF and CD107a and by lysis of target tumor cells. Results CLEC9A-NY-ESO-1 Ab were effective at mediating delivery and cross-presentation of multiple NY-ESO-1 epitopes by CD141+ DC for activation of NY-ESO-1-specific CD8+ T cells. When benchmarked to NY-ESO-1 conjugated to an untargeted control antibody or to anti-human DEC-205, CLEC9A-NY-ESO-1 was superior at ex vivo reactivation of NY-ESO-1-specific T cell responses in melanoma patients. Moreover, CLEC9A-NY-ESO-1 induced priming of naïve NY-ESO-1-specific CD8+ T cells with polyclonal effector function and potent tumor killing capacity in vitro. Conclusions These data advocate human CLEC9A-NY-ESO-1 antibody as an attractive strategy for specific targeting of CD141+ DC to enhance tumour immunogenicity in NY-ESO-1-expressing malignancies. Ethics Approval Written informed consent was obtained for human sample acquisition in line with standards established by the Declaration of Helsinki. Study approval was granted by the Mater Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC13/MHS/83 and HREC13/MHS/86) and The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) Office of Research Protections, Human Research Protection Office (HRPO; A-18738.1, A-18738.2, A-18738.3). All animal experiments were approved by the University of Queensland Animal Ethics Committee and conducted in accordance with the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes in addition to the laws of the United States and regulations of the Department of Agriculture.
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ItemDock8 Regulates Lymphocyte Shape Integrity For Skin Antiviral Responses(SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS, 2014-04)DOCK8 mutations result in an inherited combined immunodeficiency characterized by increased susceptibility to skin and other infections. We show that when DOCK8-deficient T and NK cells migrate through confined spaces, they develop cell shape and nuclear deformation abnormalities that do not impair chemotaxis but contribute to a distinct form of catastrophic cell death we term cytothripsis. Such defects arise during lymphocyte migration in collagen-dense tissues when DOCK8, through CDC42 and p21-activated kinase (PAK), is unavailable to coordinate cytoskeletal structures. Cytothripsis of DOCK8-deficient cells prevents the generation of long-lived skin-resident memory CD8 T cells, which in turn impairs control of herpesvirus skin infections. Our results establish that DOCK8-regulated shape integrity of lymphocytes prevents cytothripsis and promotes antiviral immunity in the skin.
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ItemSpatial and temporal dynamics of dengue in southern Vietnam(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2012-06)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableMicrovascular and endothelial function for risk prediction in dengue: an observational study(ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 2015-02-26)BACKGROUND: Dengue infection can result in a wide spectrum of disease. The defining feature of severe disease is increased capillary permeability, which can lead to hypovolaemic shock. Microvascular and endothelial dysfunction might underlie hypovolaemic shock, but they have not been assessed clinically. We aimed to investigate the use of microvascular assessment as a prognostic method in dengue. METHODS: This is an ongoing prospective observational study that aims to recruit 300 participants: children over the age of 3 years and adults presenting to two outpatient departments in Vietnam with fever of less than 72 h duration and suspected dengue, and patients admitted to hospital with warning signs or severe disease. Participants are being clinically assessed daily for 6 days, and 2 weeks later. Microvascular imaging using sublingual sidestream darkfield imaging (SDF) and endothelial function testing using peripheral artery tonometry are being performed at enrolment, defervescence, and follow-up FINDINGS: To date, 167 patients have been recruited (92 outpatient arm, 75 inpatient arm, median age 27 years [IQR 21-33], 78 male [47%]). Dengue has been confirmed in 67 individuals in the outpatient arm, of whom 29 (43%) developed warning signs, three (4%) developed severe disease, and 35 had uncomplicated dengue; the other 25 outpatients (27%) were diagnosed as other febrile illness. At enrolment, the reactive hyperaemic index, a marker of endothelial function, was lowest in the patients who went on to develop severe dengue (median 1·54, IQR 1·36-1·77) followed by those who developed warning signs (1·78, 1·43-2·36) and then uncomplicated dengue (2·18, 1·65-2·24). Initial SDF results showed a lower proportion of perfused vessels and mean flow index during the febrile phase of dengue compared with follow-up, and were worst in the severe group at defervescence. INTERPRETATION: This study of vascular function at serial timepoints in dengue is, to our knowledge, the first and most comprehensive. Our preliminary results suggest that microvascular and endothelial dysfunction are associated with severity of dengue, and occur before the appearance of severe clinical manifestations. These techniques might be useful in risk prediction in dengue. A limitation is that a formal sample size could not be calculated because no previous microvascular data in dengue exist. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust.