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The Ikaros zinc finger transcription factor Eos has been commonly implicated in regulatory T cells to promote their immunosuppressive functions. Paradoxically, a new role is emerging for Eos in promoting pro-inflammatory responses of conventional CD4+T cells in the dysregulated setting of autoimmunity. Even so, the precise role of Eos in regulating the differentiation and function of healthy effector CD4+T cell subsets remains unclear. Here, we find that Eos is a positive regulator of CD4+T helper 2 (TH2) cells—effector T cells implicated in the induction of allergic asthma. Using murine in vitro TH2 cells and an in vivo house dust mite asthma model, we found that Eos-deficient T cells had reduced expression of key TH2 transcription factors, effector cytokines, and differentiation receptors. Mechanistically, among various TH2-polarizing pathways, the IL-2/STAT5 axis and its downstream TH2 gene targets emerged as one of the most significantly downregulated networks in Eos deficiency. Using in vitro TH2 cells and overexpression of Eos zinc-finger-domain mutants, we discovered that Eos forms a novel complex with and supports the tyrosine-phosphorylated signaling activity of STAT5. Overall, these data define a novel regulatory mechanism whereby Eos promotes IL-2/STAT5 activity to facilitate TH2 differentiation.

Natural killer (NK) cell suppression of T cells is a key determinant of viral pathogenesis and vaccine efficacy. This process involves perforin-dependent elimination of activated CD4 T cells during the first three days of infection. Although this mechanism requires cell-cell contact, NK cells and T cells typically reside in different compartments of lymphoid tissues at steady state. Here, we show that NK-cell suppression of T cells is associated with a transient accumulation of NK cells within T cell-rich sites of the spleen during lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. The chemokine receptor CXCR3 is required for relocation to T-cell zones and suppression of antiviral T cells. Accordingly, this NK-cell migration is mediated by type I interferon (IFN)-dependent promotion of CXCR3 ligand expression. In contrast, adenoviral vectors that weakly induce type I IFN and do not stimulate NK-cell inhibition of T cells also do not promote measurable redistribution of NK cells to T-cell zones. Provision of supplemental IFN could rescue NK-cell migration during adenoviral vector immunization. Thus, type I IFN and CXCR3 are critical for properly positioning NK cells to constrain antiviral T-cell responses. Development of strategies to curtail migration of NK cells between lymphoid compartments may enhance vaccine-elicited immune responses.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 is a novel and highly pathogenic coronavirus and is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The high morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 and the lack of an approved drug or vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 underscores the urgent need for developing effective antiviral therapies. Therapeutics that target essential viral proteins are effective at controlling virus replication and spread. Coronavirus Spike glycoproteins mediate viral entry and fusion with the host cell, and thus are essential for viral replication. To enter host cells, the Spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronavirus, SARS-CoV, bind the host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor through their receptor binding domains (RBDs). Here, we rationally designed a panel of ACE2-derived peptides based on the RBD-ACE2 binding interfaces of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV. Using SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV Spike-pseudotyped viruses, we found that a subset of peptides inhibits Spike-mediated infection with IC50 values in the low millimolar range. We identified two peptides that bound Spike RBD in affinity precipitation assays and inhibited infection with genuine SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, these peptides inhibited the replication of a common cold causing coronavirus, which also uses ACE2 as its entry receptor. Results from the infection experiments and modeling of the peptides with Spike RBD identified a 6-amino-acid (Glu37-Gln42) ACE2 motif that is important for SARS-CoV-2 inhibition. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 with peptide-based inhibitors. These findings will allow for the successful development of engineered peptides and peptidomimetic-based compounds for the treatment of COVID-19.

ObjectiveReview the effect of orthostatic hypotension (OH) and rapid-eye-movement sleep behavioural disorder (RBD) on survival, cognitive impairment and postural stability, and discuss pathogenic mechanisms involved in the association of these two common non-motor features with relevant clinical outcomes in α-synucleinopathies.MethodsWe searched PubMed (January 2007–February 2019) for human studies of OH and RBD evaluating cognitive impairment, postural instability, and survival in Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and pure autonomic failure (PAF). Included studies were analysed for design, key results and limitations as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. ResultsOH and RBD showed a positive association with cognitive impairment in PD and DLB, conflicting association in PAF, and no association in MSA. OH was correlated with incident falls and postural instability in PD and DLB but not in MSA. The association between RBD and postural instability was inconclusive; positive in five studies, negative in seven. OH, but not RBD, correlated with reduced survival in PD, DLB and MSA. The combination of OH and RBD was associated with cognitive impairment and more rapid progression of postural instability.ConclusionsOH and RBD yielded individual and combined negative effects on disability in α-synucleinopathies, reflecting a 'malignant' phenotype of PD with early cognitive impairment and postural instability. Underlying mechanisms may include involvement of selected brainstem cholinergic and noradrenergic nuclei. This article has been accepted for publication in 'Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry', 2019 following peer review, and the Version of Record can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2019-320846. Deposited by shareyourpaper.org and openaccessbutton.org. We've taken reasonable steps to ensure this content doesn't violate copyright. However, if you think it does you can request a takedown by emailing help@openaccessbutton.org.

Follicular helper T cells (TFH) are critical for vaccine and infection elicitation of long-lived humoral immunity, but exaggerated TFH responses can promote autoimmunity and other pathologies. Unfortunately, no clinical interventions are currently available for selective depletion of TFH cells to alleviate these disease conditions. We engineered a novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that facilitates specific targeting of cells highly expressing human programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), a cardinal feature of TFH cells. CAR-expressing natural killer (NK) cells robustly degranulate in response to PD-1, resulting in discriminatory elimination of human tonsil TFH cells while sparing other T and B-cell subsets. Given that CAR NK cells are emerging as a safe and effective alternative to CAR T cells in cancer immunotherapy, our results suggest a new, clinically-translatable application of CAR NK cells for selective depletion of pathogenic TFH cells in specific disease states.

Ddx3xencodes a DEAD box RNA helicase implicated in antiviral immunity and tumorigenesis. We find that hematopoieticDdx3xdeficiency inVav1-Cremice (ΔDdx3x) results in altered leukocyte composition of secondary lymphoid tissues, including a marked reduction in mature B cells. This paucity of peripheral B cells is associated with deficits in B-cell development in the bone marrow, including reduced frequencies of small pre-B cells. Bone marrow chimera experiments reveal a B-cell intrinsic effect ofDdx3xdeletion. Mechanistically, ΔDdx3xsmall pre-B cells exhibit lower expression ofBrwd1, a histone reader that restricts recombination at the immunoglobulin kappa (Igk)locus. In fact, the B-cell deficits in ΔDdx3xmice resemble those ofBrwd1mutant mice, and both strains of mice exhibit defectiveIgkrearrangement in small pre-B cells. The contribution ofDdx3xtoBrwd1expression and light chain rearrangement constitutes the first evidence of a role for an RNA helicase in promoting B-cell development.