Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus with homology to Dengue virus (DENV), has become a public health emergency. By characterizing memory lymphocytes from ZIKV-infected patients, we dissected ZIKV-specific and DENV-cross-reactive immune responses. Antibodies to nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) were largely ZIKV-specific and were used to develop a serological diagnostic tool. In contrast, antibodies against E protein domain I/II (EDI/II) were cross-reactive and, although poorly neutralizing, potently enhanced ZIKV and DENV infection in vitro and lethally enhanced DENVdisease in mice. Memory Tcells against NS1 or E proteins were poorly cross-reactive, even in donors preexposed to DENV. The most potent neutralizing antibodies were ZIKV-specific and targeted EDIII or quaternary epitopes on infectious virus. An EDIII-specific antibody protected mice from lethal ZIKV infection, illustrating the potential for antibody-based therapy.A fter its introduction into Brazil in 2015, Zika virus (ZIKV) has spread rapidly, and in February 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (1-3). The main route of ZIKV infection is through bites by Aedes mosquitos, but the virus may also be sexually (4) and vertically transmitted (5). Although most of the ZIKV infections are asymptomatic or cause only mild symptoms, there is evidence that ZIKV infection can lead to neurological complications, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults (6) and congenital birth defects, including microcephaly in the developing fetus (5,7,8), likely through its ability to infect human neural progenitor cells (9).Whereas flavivirus envelope (E) proteins mediate fusion and are the main target of neutralizing antibodies, the nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) is secreted by infected cells and is involved in immune evasion and pathogenesis (10). Two recent studies showed a high level of structural similarity between the E protein of ZIKV and that of other flaviviruses-such as dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and West Nile virus (WNV)-but also revealed distinct features that may be related to the ZIKV neurotropism (11,12). Similarly, the structural analysis of ZIKV NS1 revealed conserved features with NS1 of other flaviviruses, although with different electrostatic characteristics (13).A phenomenon that is characteristic of certain flaviviruses is the disease-enhancing activity of cross-reactive antibodies elicited by previous infections by heterologous viruses, termed antibodydependent enhancement (ADE). In the case of DENV, for which four serotypes are known, there is epidemiological evidence that a primary infection protects from reinfection with the same serotype but represents a risk factor for the development of severe disease upon reinfection with a different serotype (14). The exacerbated disease is triggered by E-and prM-specific antibodies that fail to neutralize the incoming virus but instead enhance its capture by Fc receptor-expressing (FcR + ) cells, leading to enhanced vi...
The spillovers of β-coronaviruses in humans and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants highlight the need for broad coronavirus countermeasures. We describe five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) cross-reacting with the stem helix of multiple β-coronavirus spike glycoproteins isolated from COVID-19 convalescent individuals. Using structural and functional studies we show that the mAb with the greatest breadth (S2P6) neutralizes pseudotyped viruses from three different subgenera through inhibition of membrane fusion and delineate the molecular basis for its cross-reactivity. S2P6 reduces viral burden in hamsters challenged with SARS-CoV-2 through viral neutralization and Fc-mediated effector functions. Stem helix antibodies are rare, oftentimes of narrow specificity and can acquire neutralization breadth through somatic mutations. These data provide a framework for structure-guided design of pan-β-coronavirus vaccines eliciting broad protection.
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder caused by the loss of neurons that produce hypocretin. The close association with HLA-DQB1*06:02, evidence for immune dysregulation and increased incidence upon influenza vaccination together suggest that this disorder has an autoimmune origin. However, there is little evidence of autoreactive lymphocytes in patients with narcolepsy. Here we used sensitive cellular screens and detected hypocretin-specific CD4 T cells in all 19 patients that we tested; T cells specific for tribbles homologue 2-another self-antigen of hypocretin neurons-were found in 8 out of 13 patients. Autoreactive CD4 T cells were polyclonal, targeted multiple epitopes, were restricted primarily by HLA-DR and did not cross-react with influenza antigens. Hypocretin-specific CD8 T cells were also detected in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of several patients with narcolepsy. Autoreactive clonotypes were serially detected in the blood of the same-and even of different-patients, but not in healthy control individuals. These findings solidify the autoimmune aetiology of narcolepsy and provide a basis for rapid diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Distinct types of CD4(+) T cells protect the host against different classes of pathogens. However, it is unclear whether a given pathogen induces a single type of polarized T cell. By combining antigenic stimulation and T cell receptor deep sequencing, we found that human pathogen- and vaccine-specific T helper 1 (T(H)1), T(H)2, and T(H)17 memory cells have different frequencies but comparable diversity and comprise not only clones polarized toward a single fate, but also clones whose progeny have acquired multiple fates. Single naïve T cells primed by a pathogen in vitro could also give rise to multiple fates. Our results unravel an unexpected degree of interclonal and intraclonal functional heterogeneity of the human T cell response and suggest that polarized responses result from preferential expansion rather than priming.
The coronavirus spike (S) glycoprotein attaches to host receptors and mediates viral fusion. Using a broad screening approach, we isolated from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) immune donors seven monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind to all human-infecting coronavirus S proteins. This class of mAbs recognize the fusion peptide and acquire affinity and breadth through somatic mutations. Despite targeting a conserved motif, only some mAbs show broad neutralizing activity in vitro against alpha- and beta-coronaviruses, including animal coronavirus WIV-1 and PDF-2180. Two selected mAbs also neutralize Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 authentic viruses and reduce viral burden and pathology in vivo. Structural and functional analyses show that the fusion peptide-specific mAbs bind with different modalities to a cryptic epitope, which is hidden in prefusion stabilized S, and becomes exposed upon binding of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) or ACE2-mimicking mAbs.
The third edition of Flow Cytometry Guidelines provides the key aspects to consider when performing flow cytometry experiments and includes comprehensive sections describing phenotypes and functional assays of all major human and murine immune cell subsets. Notably, the Guidelines contain helpful tables highlighting phenotypes and key differences between human and murine cells. Another useful feature of this edition is the flow cytometry analysis of clinical samples with examples of flow cytometry applications in the context of autoimmune diseases, cancers as well as acute and chronic infectious diseases. Furthermore, there are sections detailing tips, tricks and pitfalls to avoid. All sections are written and peer-reviewed by leading flow cytometry experts and immunologists, making this edition an essential and state-of-the-art handbook for basic and clinical researchers.
The identification of CD4+ T cell epitopes is instrumental for the design of subunit vaccines for broad protection against coronaviruses. Here we demonstrate in COVID-19-recovered individuals a robust CD4+ T cell response to naturally processed SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleoprotein (N), including effector, helper, and memory T cells. By characterizing 2943 S-reactive T cell clones from 34 individuals, we found that 34% of clones and 93% of individuals recognized a conserved immunodominant S346-365 region within the RBD comprising nested HLA-DR- and HLA-DP-restricted epitopes. Using pre- and post-COVID-19 samples and S proteins from endemic coronaviruses, we identify cross-reactive T cells targeting multiple S protein sites. The immunodominant and cross-reactive epitopes identified can inform vaccination strategies to counteract emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Natalizumab (NZM), a humanized monoclonal IgG4 antibody to α4 integrins, is used to treat patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) 1,2 , but in about 6% of the cases persistent neutralizing anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) are induced leading to therapy discontinuation 3,4 . To understand the basis of the ADA response and the mechanism of ADA-mediated neutralization,
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.