{"title":"Localization in vesicles, clusters and supramolecular complexes as key elements of LAT function","authors":"Laura E. McMillan, C. Wülfing","doi":"10.37349/ei.2023.00094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2023.00094","url":null,"abstract":"Linker for activation of T cells (LAT) is a central adaptor protein in proximal T cell activation. A key element of its adaptor function is the efficiency with which LAT interacts with its binding partners. Such efficiency is controlled by the local concentration of LAT as well as the vicinity to up- and downstream interaction partners, i.e. LAT localization. Several factors control LAT localization. LAT is a palmitoylated transmembrane protein and traffics between vesicular compartments and the plasma membrane. Membrane heterogeneity and protein-protein interactions can drive LAT clustering, at scales from a few to hundreds if not more molecules. LAT vesicular trafficking through the small, crowded cytoplasm of a T cell and the commonly nm scale clusters are difficult to access experimentally, in particular in the physiological interaction of T cells binding to antigen presenting cells (APCs) with a highly undulating interface. Only in recent years have technological advances begun to provide better access. Based on such advances, three elements of LAT localization are discussed in conjunction: vesicular trafficking as it regulates LAT transport towards, insertion into, and removal from the plasma membrane; LAT clustering as it increases local LAT concentrations; LAT-anchored supramolecular signaling complexes as they embed LAT in a dense network of interaction partners. Consistent with the important role of LAT localization for its function, each of these processes regulates LAT activity and the efficiency of T cell activation.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46406324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. Carri, Erika Schwab, Enrique Podaza, Heli M. Garcia Alvarez, J. Mordoh, M. Nielsen, M. M. Barrio
{"title":"Beyond MHC binding: immunogenicity prediction tools to refine neoantigen selection in cancer patients","authors":"I. Carri, Erika Schwab, Enrique Podaza, Heli M. Garcia Alvarez, J. Mordoh, M. Nielsen, M. M. Barrio","doi":"10.37349/ei.2023.00091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2023.00091","url":null,"abstract":"In the last years, multiple efforts have been made to accurately predict neoantigens derived from somatic mutations in cancer patients, either to develop personalized therapeutic vaccines or to study immune responses after cancer immunotherapy. In this context, the increasing accessibility of paired whole-exome sequencing (WES) of tumor biopsies and matched normal tissue as well as RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) has provided a basis for the development of bioinformatics tools that predict and prioritize neoantigen candidates. Most pipelines rely on the binding prediction of candidate peptides to the patient’s major histocompatibility complex (MHC), but these methods return a high number of false positives since they lack information related to other features that influence T cell responses to neoantigens. This review explores available computational methods that incorporate information on T cell preferences to predict their activation after encountering a peptide-MHC complex. Specifically, methods that predict i) biological features that may increase the availability of a neopeptide to be exposed to the immune system, ii) metrics of self-similarity representing the chances of a neoantigen to break immune tolerance, iii) pathogen immunogenicity, and iv) tumor immunogenicity. Also, this review describes the characteristics of these tools and addresses their performance in the context of a novel benchmark dataset of experimentally validated neoantigens from patients treated with a melanoma vaccine (VACCIMEL) in a phase II clinical study. The overall results of the evaluation indicate that current tools have a limited ability to predict the activation of a cytotoxic response against neoantigens. Based on this result, the limitations that make this problem an unsolved challenge in immunoinformatics are discussed.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49326276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vitor Rodrigues da Costa, O. F. Souza, Michelli Ramires Teixeira, A.L. Alievi, H. Vigerelli, R. P. Araldi
{"title":"Inflammasomes driven inflammation in lung cancer revisited: a short review","authors":"Vitor Rodrigues da Costa, O. F. Souza, Michelli Ramires Teixeira, A.L. Alievi, H. Vigerelli, R. P. Araldi","doi":"10.37349/ei.2023.00090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2023.00090","url":null,"abstract":"Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The main risk factor for lung cancer is exposure to chemicals present in cigarettes and atmospheric pollutants, which, among other mechanisms, can increase the risk of cancer by inducing pulmonary inflammation. Among the complex features of inflammatory processes, the role of inflammasomes has attracted increasing attention due to their role in different stages of carcinogenesis. Inflammasomes are intracellular multiprotein complexes that when activated promote the maturation of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and IL-18, pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in the promotion, progression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, and resistance to therapy of lung cancer. In this way, this review summarizes the recent findings of inflammasome research in different stages of lung cancer, with a focus on non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and highlights these multiprotein complexes as promising targets for cancer therapy.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43318099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Aragão, S. G. Feitosa, H. Veras, Cícero Gilmário A. P. de Lima Filho, Karinne da S. Assunção, Luana M. Arrais, Sara Lívia M. Teixeira
{"title":"SARS-CoV-2 infection activates the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase-stimulator of interferon genes pathway in the lung: a review","authors":"G. Aragão, S. G. Feitosa, H. Veras, Cícero Gilmário A. P. de Lima Filho, Karinne da S. Assunção, Luana M. Arrais, Sara Lívia M. Teixeira","doi":"10.37349/ei.2023.00089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2023.00089","url":null,"abstract":"The infection of COVID-19 is directly linked to the destruction of lung epithelial cells, and the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) system has been implicated in the pathology of respiratory infections. This study aimed to systematize the relationship between the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and the cGAS-STING system’s activation in the lungs. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an RNA virus that belongs to the Coronaviridae family whose genetic material is produced by a single positive RNA molecule (RNA+). The cGAS-STING signaling pathway has emerged as a key mediator of injury caused by infection and cellular or tissue stress. The cGAS-STING cyclic pathway is part of innate immunity and is activated from cytosolic DNA responses present in newly formed syncytia, by cell-to-cell fusion, in target of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression and SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Although this pathway is canonically understood to be responsive to both pathogen-derived and host-derived DNA, it has been demonstrated to cross-communicate with the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs). cGAS-STING activation is significant to interferon production, mainly type-I interferons (IFN-I), in a SARS-CoV-2 infection scenario, indicating a major antiviral role of the cGAS-STING pathway. It was identified that in SARS-CoV-2 the cGAS-STING axis is activated, but the inflammatory response could be specific for nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in infected cells, and that this axis is potentiated by a cytokine storm produced by the immune system’s cells.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48744832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Role of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 5 in B- and T-lymphocytes","authors":"Mari Hikosaka Kuniishi, N. Ishii, T. So","doi":"10.37349/ei.2023.00088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2023.00088","url":null,"abstract":"Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-associated factors (TRAFs) are a family of intracellular signaling adaptors that associate with the cytoplasmic tails of a diverse range of lymphocyte receptors, including members of the TNFR superfamily, the Toll-like receptor (TLR)/interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor superfamily, and the IL-6 receptor family that are major targets for therapeutic intervention for inflammatory diseases. TRAF5 is one of the seven family members of the TRAF family and is highly expressed by B- and T-lymphocytes. As compared to other family members, the biological and pathophysiological functions of TRAF5 have remained ambiguous since its discovery. TRAF5 promotes lymphocyte signaling for the TNFR family molecules such as glucocorticoid-induced TNFR family-related protein (GITR), CD27, and CD40. In contrast, TRAF5 limits the activity of the common signaling receptor subunit glycoprotein 130 kDa (gp130) in CD4+ T cells that requires signaling by IL-6 and IL-27. TRAF5 also restrains TLR signaling in B cells. Thus, TRAF5 regulates lymphocyte signaling in both positive and negative ways. This review will summarize the findings of recent studies of TRAF5 in terms of how TRAF5 regulates signaling in lymphocytes and other cell types and how TRAF5 expression contributes to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in mice and humans.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43667552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Innate immune cell and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 interaction","authors":"N. Cortes-Perez","doi":"10.37349/ei.2023.00087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2023.00087","url":null,"abstract":"Coronavirus disease caused by the recently emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) represents a major public health that has submerged the world into a crisis unprecedented in the modern era. A better understanding of the innate immune response could help to fight this pandemic and be better prepared for potential future outbreaks. Interestingly, innate immune cells can develop a non-specific memory termed trained immunity. This review details recent evidence concerning the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with innate immune cells, in particular those in which the trained immunity activity has been demonstrated.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49127815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fidaa Bouezzedine, Ranim El Baba, S. Morot-Bizot, M. Diab‐Assaf, G. Herbein
{"title":"Cytomegalovirus at the crossroads of immunosenescence and oncogenesis","authors":"Fidaa Bouezzedine, Ranim El Baba, S. Morot-Bizot, M. Diab‐Assaf, G. Herbein","doi":"10.37349/ei.2023.00086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2023.00086","url":null,"abstract":"Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), whose genome is around 235 kb, is a ubiquitous human herpesvirus that infects between 40% and 95% of the population. Though HCMV infection is commonly asymptomatic and leads to subtle clinical symptoms, it can promote robust immune responses and establish lifelong latency. In addition, in immunocompromised hosts, including individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), transplant recipients, and developing fetuses it can lead to severe diseases. Immunosenescence, well-defined as the alterations in the immune system, is linked mainly to aging and has been recently gathering considerable attention. Senescence was characterized by an elevated inflammation and hence considered a powerful contributor to “inflammaging” that is measured mainly by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as well as latent viral infections, for instance, cytomegalovirus (CMV). Inflammaging resulted in a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). HCMV is markedly associated with accelerated aging of the immune system as well as several age-associated diseases that accumulate and subsequently deteriorate the immune responses, thus have been linked to mortality, declined vaccine efficacy, serious diseases, and tumors in the elderly. HCMV triggers or exacerbates immunosenescence; on the other hand, the weakened immune responses and inflammaging favor viral reactivation and highlight the role of HCMV in aging as well as viral-associated tumors. HCMV reactivation resulting in sequential lytic and latent viral cycles could contribute to HCMV genomic variability. Besides the oncomodulatory role and transforming capacities of HCMV, the immune-privileged tumor microenvironment has been considered the main element in tumor progression and aggressiveness. Therefore, the interplay between HCMV, immunosenescence, and cancer will aid in discovering new therapeutic approaches that target HCMV and act as immune response boosters mainly to fight cancers of poor prognosis, particularly in the elderly population.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43677919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Rosario-Cruz, D. Domínguez-García, Saúl López-Silva, Fernando Rosario-Domínguez
{"title":"Immunoinformatics and tick vaccinology","authors":"R. Rosario-Cruz, D. Domínguez-García, Saúl López-Silva, Fernando Rosario-Domínguez","doi":"10.37349/ei.2023.00085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2023.00085","url":null,"abstract":"Immunoinformatics is an emerging area focused on development and applications of methods used to facilitate vaccine development. There is a growing interest in the field of vaccinology centered on the new omic science named ‘vaccinomics’. However, this approach has not succeeded to provide a solution against major infections affecting both animals and humans, since tick vaccines are still being developed based on conventional biochemical or immunological methods to dissect the molecular structure of the pathogen, looking for a candidate antigen. The availability of complete genomes and the novel advanced technologies, such as data mining, bioinformatics, microarrays, and proteomics, have revolutionized the approach to vaccine development and provided a new impulse to tick research. The aim of this review is to explore how modern vaccinology will contribute to the discovery of new candidate antigens and to understand the research process to improve existing vaccines. Under this concept, the omic age of ticks will make it possible to design vaccines starting from a prediction based on the in silico analysis of gene sequences obtained by data mining using computer algorithms, without the need to keep the pathogen growing in vitro. This new genome-based approach has been named “reverse vaccinology 3.0” or “vaccinomics 1.0” and can be applied to ticks.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41763980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The synergistic effects of the constant region and variable heavy chain families of multimeric immunoglobulin M on its interaction with Fc-mu receptor and antigen","authors":"Wei-Li Ling, S. Gan","doi":"10.37349/ei.2022.00083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2022.00083","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: As the primary response antibody with increasing use as a therapeutic immunoglobulin (Ig) format, IgM is also the largest antibody structure among the five major human isotypes. Spontaneously formed pentamers and hexamers of IgM have avidity effects that could compensate for weaker interactions in monomeric Igs. However, this advantage is counterbalanced by potential steric clashes when binding to multiple large antigens. Recent findings have challenged the expected canonical independence of Fc receptor (FcR) binding at the heavy chain constant (C)-region where the heavy chain C-region isotypes affected antigen binding at the variable (V)-regions, and the variable heavy (VH) families of the V-region affected FcR engagement at the antibody C-regions. With such effects found on other Ig isotypes, IgM candidates need to be investigated with regards to such effects, especially when considering its natural oligomerisation at the C-region that can amplify or modulate such allosteric effects.\u0000Methods: Through a panel of 14 recombinant complementarity determining regions (CDRs)-grafted trastuzumab and pertuzumab VH1-7 IgMs subjected to bio-layer interferometry measurements, the interactions with the antigen human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2), Fc-mu receptor (FcµR), and superantigen Protein L (PpL) were investigated.\u0000Results: Significant effects from the V-regions to mitigate FcµR binding and the IgM C-region bidirectional effect modulating Her2 antigen engagements at the V-regions were found. Additional modulatory effects from superantigen PpL binding on the V-region of the kappa chain (Vκ) mitigating antigen binding were also found, revealing possible novel mechanisms of antibody superantigens that can be moderated by the antibody VH frameworks.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47352678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Role of tyrosine kinase 2 signals during progression of psoriasis","authors":"R. Muromoto, K. Oritani, T. Matsuda","doi":"10.37349/ei.2022.00081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/ei.2022.00081","url":null,"abstract":"Psoriasis is a skin disease characterized by scaly erythema, parakeratosis, and epidermal hyperplasia. Application of imiquimod (IMQ), a ligand for Toll-like receptor 7, produces a mouse model for psoriasis. IMQ application induces scaling, erythema, and thickness in skin lesions, and the symptoms are milder in interleukin-23 p19 (Il23p19)-deficient and Il17a-deficient mice than in wild-type mice; this suggests that the interleukin-23 (IL-23)/T helper 17 (Th17) axis and Th17 cell-secreting cytokines play essential roles in the IMQ-induced psoriasis model. It is notable that a genome-wide association study identified the human tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) gene within the psoriasis susceptibility locus. After IMQ application, mice lacking Tyk2, a mouse homologue of the human TYK2 gene, exhibited significantly lower symptom scores of psoriasis and diminished inflammatory cell infiltration in the skin lesions. Tyk2-deficient mice also failed to increase CD4+IL-17+ or CD4+ interferon-γ+ (IFN-γ+) T cells in the draining lymph nodes or to produce Th17 cell-related cytokines after IMQ application. Furthermore, Tyk2 deficiency led to diminished skin inflammation induced by IL-23 and IL-22 injections. These results indicate that Tyk2-mediated signals in mice contribute to multiple steps of immune and inflammatory responses during the development of psoriasis; therefore, TYK2 targeting may be a promising strategy to treat patients with psoriasis. Recent clinical trials have shown that TYK2 inhibitors have a high overall response rate with good tolerability in the management of psoriasis. This review describes the fundamental mechanisms of Tyk2 inhibition in immune/inflammatory diseases.","PeriodicalId":93552,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of immunology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41547869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}