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Key Points A trimeric extracellular moiety of APRIL has enhanced binding to BCMA and TACI compared with monomeric APRIL when incorporated into a CAR. T cells transduced with a trimeric APRIL-based CAR are a promising approach for the treatment of MM.

Highlights d CD8 + T cell function and survival is impaired in HSAN-I patients with SPTLC2 mutation d Mouse CD8 + T cells require SPTLC2 to protect against viral infections d SPTLC2-mediated sphingolipid synthesis prevents mTORC1 hyperactivation and cell death d Sphingolipid supplementation restores SPTLC2-deficient CD8 + T cell effector function

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease involving multiple organs. It is currently accepted that several genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors are contributing to its development. Innate immunity may have a great influence in autoimmunity through Toll-like receptors. TLR-7 recognizing single-strand RNA has been involved in SLE. Its activation induces intracellular signal with attraction of MyD88 and NF-kBp65, leading to IFN-α synthesis which correlate with disease activity.ObjectiveTo assess the expression of TLR-7, MyD88, and NF-kBp65 in B lymphocytes of Mayan women with SLE.MethodsOne hundred patients with SLE and 100 healthy controls, all of them Mayan women, were included. TLR-7 was analyzed on B and T lymphocytes, and MyD88 and NF-kB only in B lymphocytes. Serum INF-α level was evaluated by ELISA.ResultsSignificant expression (p < 0.0001) of TLR-7 in B and T lymphocytes and serum IFN-α increased (p = 0.034) was observed in patients. MyD88 and NF-kBp65 were also increased in B lymphocytes of patients. TLR-7 and NF-kBp65 expression correlated, but no correlation with INF-α and disease activity was detected.ConclusionData support the role of TLR-7 and signal proteins in the pathogenesis of SLE in the Mayan population of Yucatán.

The link between cancer and aberrant glycosylation has recently become evident. Glycans and their altered forms, known as tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs), are diverse, complex and difficult to target therapeutically. Lectins are naturally occurring glycan-binding proteins  that offer a unique opportunity to recognise TACAs. T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have proven to be a successful immunotherapy against leukaemias, but so far have shown limited success in solid tumours. We developed a panel of lectin-CARs that recognise the glycosphingolipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), which is overexpressed in various cancers, such as Burkitt's lymphoma, colorectal, breast and pancreatic. We have selected the following lectins: Shiga toxin's B-subunit from Shigella dysenteriae, LecA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the engineered lectin Mitsuba from Mytilus galloprovincialis as antigen-binding domains and fused them to a well-known second-generation CAR. The Gb3-binding lectin-CARs have demonstrated target-specific cytotoxicity against Burkitt's lymphoma-derived cell lines as well as solid tumour cells from colorectal and triple-negative breast cancer. Our findings reveal the big potential of lectin-based CARs as therapeutical applications to target Gb3 and other TACAs expressed in haematological malignancies and solid tumours.

In the version of this article initially published, in Fig. 4, the graph in panel f duplicated the graph in panel e. The correct Fig. 4e,f are shown below. The statement about data collection and analysis at the end of the Fig. 4 caption was also incorrect. The correct statement is "Data from at least three independent experiments were pooled and analyzed using an ANOVA test. " The errors have been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

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