SARS-CoV-2 RBD trimer protein adjuvanted with Alum-3M-052 protects from SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune pathology in the lung.

There is a great need for the development of vaccines that induce potent and long-lasting protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Multimeric display of the antigen combined with potent adjuvant can enhance the potency and longevity of the antibody response. The receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein is a primary target of neutralizing antibodies. Here, we developed a trimeric form of the RBD and show that it induces a potent neutralizing antibody response against live virus with diverse effector functions and provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in mice and rhesus macaques. The trimeric form induces higher neutralizing antibody titer compared to monomer with as low as 1µg antigen dose. In mice, adjuvanting the protein with a TLR7/8 agonist formulation alum-3M-052 induces 100-fold higher neutralizing antibody titer and superior protection from infection compared to alum. SARS-CoV-2 infection causes significant loss of innate cells and pathology in the lung, and vaccination protects from changes in innate cells and lung pathology. These results demonstrate RBD trimer protein as a suitable candidate for vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.

Vaccine induction of antibodies and tissue-resident CD8+ T cells enhances protection against mucosal SHIV-infection in young macaques.

Antibodies and cytotoxic T cells represent 2 arms of host defense against pathogens. We hypothesized that vaccines that induce both high-magnitude CD8+ T cell responses and antibody responses might confer enhanced protection against HIV. To test this hypothesis, we immunized 3 groups of nonhuman primates: (a) Group 1, which includes sequential immunization regimen involving heterologous viral vectors (HVVs) comprising vesicular stomatitis virus, vaccinia virus, and adenovirus serotype 5-expressing SIVmac239 Gag; (b) Group 2, which includes immunization with a clade C HIV-1 envelope (Env) gp140 protein adjuvanted with nanoparticles containing a TLR7/8 agonist (3M-052); and (c) Group 3, which includes a combination of both regimens. Immunization with HVVs induced very high-magnitude Gag-specific CD8+ T cell responses in blood and tissue-resident CD8+ memory T cells in vaginal mucosa. Immunization with 3M-052 adjuvanted Env protein induced robust and persistent antibody responses and long-lasting innate responses. Despite similar antibody titers in Groups 2 and 3, there was enhanced protection in the younger animals in Group 3, against intravaginal infection with a heterologous SHIV strain. This protection correlated with the magnitude of the serum and vaginal Env-specific antibody titers on the day of challenge. Thus, vaccination strategies that induce both CD8+ T cell and antibody responses can confer enhanced protection against infection.

Bioactive lipids ALIAmides differentially modulate inflammatory responses of distinct subsets of primary human T lymphocytes.

Autacoid local injury antagonist amides (ALIAmides) are a family of endogenous bioactive acyl ethanolamides that include the renowned palmitoyl ethanolamide (PEA), oleoyl ethanolamide (OEA), and stearoyl ethanolamide (SEA), and that are involved in several biologic processes such as nociception, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. The role of ALIAmides in the control of inflammatory processes has recently gained much attention and prompted the use of these molecules or their analogs, and the pharmacologic manipulation of their endogenous levels, as plausible therapeutic strategies in the treatment of several chronic inflammatory conditions. Since chronic inflammation is mainly driven by cells of adaptive immunity, particularly T lymphocytes, we aimed at investigating whether such bioactive lipids could directly modulate T-cell responses. We found that OEA, PEA, and eicosatrienoyl ethanolamide (ETEA) could directly inhibit both T-cell responses by reducing their production of TNF-α and IFN-γ from CD8 T cells and TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 from CD4 T cells. Furthermore, neither SEA nor docosatrienoyl ethanolamide (DTEA) could affect cytokine production from both T cell subsets. Interestingly, unlike OEA and ETEA, PEA was also able to enhance de novo generation of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)-expressing regulatory T cells from CD4-naive T cells. Our findings show for the first time that specific ALIAmides can directly affect different T-cell subsets, and provide proof of their anti-inflammatory role in chronic inflammation, ultimately suggesting that these bioactive lipids could offer novel tools for the management of T-cell dependent chronic inflammatory diseases.-Chiurchiù, V., Leuti, A., Smoum, R., Mechoulam, R., Maccarrone, M. Bioactive lipids ALIAmides differentially modulate inflammatory responses of distinct subsets of primary human T lymphocytes.

Stearic acid induces proinflammatory cytokine production partly through activation of lactate-HIF1α pathway in chondrocytes.

The biomechanics stress and chronic inflammation in obesity are causally linked to osteoarthritis. However, the metabolic factors mediating obesity-related osteoarthritis are still obscure. Here we scanned and identified at least two elevated metabolites (stearic acid and lactate) from the plasma of diet-induced obese mice. We found that stearic acid potentiated LDH-a-dependent production of lactate, which further stabilized HIF1α protein and increased VEGF and proinflammatory cytokine expression in primary mouse chondrocytes. Treatment with LDH-a and HIF1α inhibitors notably attenuated stearic acid-or high fat diet-stimulated proinflammatory cytokine production in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, positive correlation of plasma lactate, cartilage HIF1α and cytokine levels with the body mass index was observed in subjects with osteoarthritis. In conclusion, saturated free fatty acid induced proinflammatory cytokine production partly through activation of a novel lactate-HIF1α pathway in chondrocytes. Our findings hold promise of developing novel clinical strategies for the management of obesity-related diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Magnesium stearate: an underestimated allergen.

Magnesium stearate is a substance often used as a diluent in the manufacture of medical tablets, capsules and powders. Moreover it is usually found as a food additive or pharmaceutical excipient. We report the first case of a 28 years old woman affected by an allergic reaction from this substance with an urticarial manifestation.

Synthesis of alpha,alpha-trehalose 2,3- and 2,3'-diesters with palmitic and stearic acid: potential immunoreactants for the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.

Regioselective monoacylation, by the stannylation method, of 4,6:4',6'-di-O-benzylidene-alpha,alpha-trehalose with palmitoyl or stearoyl chloride afforded the 2-palmitate and 2-stearate of the diacetal, whereas partial diacylation led to the corresponding 2,3'-dipalmitate and 2,3'-distearate. Protection of the monoesters in the 2',3' positions by cyclizing silylation with 1,3-dichloro-1,1,3,3-tetraisopropyldisiloxane, followed by acylation of the silyl ethers, gave the fully protected 2,3-dipalmitate, 2,3-distearate, and 2-palmitate-3-stearate. Small proportions of other isomers and triesters were also produced in these reactions. Desilylation and debenzylidenation of the diesters finally furnished 2,3- and 2,3'-di-O-palmitoyl-2,3- and 2,3'-di-O-stearoyl-, and 2-O-palmitoyl-3-O-stearoyl-alpha,alpha-trehalose.

Immunochemical studies of conjugates of isomaltosyl oligosaccharides to lipid: production and characterization of mouse hybridoma antibodies specific for stearyl-isomaltosyl oligosaccharides.

Twelve C57BL/6J hybridoma clones, 9, 2 and 1 from mice immunized with stearyl-isomaltotetraose, stearyl-isomaltopentaose and stearyl-isomaltohexaose respectively were characterized. Seven produced IgA and 5 IgM. The specificities and sizes of their combining sites were determined by quantitative precipitin and precipitin inhibition assays. All 12 hybridoma antibodies precipitated with alpha 1----6 dextran B512 and linear dextran LD7, indicating that they recognize an internal -Glc alpha 1----6Glc alpha 1----6Glc- determinant. This in contrast with the results with rabbit antisera obtained in response to the same immunogen which recognize the non-reducing terminal determinant Glc alpha 1----6Glc alpha 1----6Glc-. Of the 12 hybridoma antibodies, 1 has an antibody combining site complementary to 4 alpha 1----6-linked glucoses while others have combining sites complementary to isomaltohexaose or isomaltoheptaose. The large combining-site sizes found in C57BL/6 hybridoma clones may be related to the pre-existing clonal repertoire in this strain. Binding constants of monomers of these antibodies for dextran B512 and isomaltoheptaose determined by affinity electrophoresis range from 1.4 X 10(3) to 4.6 X 10(5) ml/g and from 1.2 X 10(3) to 3.5 X 10(4) M-1 respectively, which is consistent with previous studies in the anti-dextran B512 system. The use of synthetic glycolipids as antigens enables us to study the gene control of antibody responses to glycolipids and to investigate the combining-site specificities of antibodies to a single antigenic determinant. Results so far show that all 12 hybridoma proteins are different despite the simplicity of the antigens. The findings provide further insight into the specificity of antibody combining sites.

Immunosuppression in experimental African trypanosomiasis. Polyclonal B-cell activation and mitogenicity of trypanosome-derived saturated fatty acids.

Changes in antibody responses in adult mice infected with Trypanosoma congolense and subsequently challenged with unrelated antigens (sheep red blood cells and pneumococcal polysaccharide) were studied. Immune responses were significantly depressed within 1 week of infection, and complete suppression of both IgM and IgG responses to both types of antigen was established 15 days after immunization. Coincidentally with the development of high parasitaemias, background IgM plaque-forming cell responses to sheep red cell antigen significantly increased in non-immunized T. congolense-infected animals. Autolysates of T. congolense and chloroform-soluble extracts of the autolyzed trypanosome were found to be mitogenic in vitro for the spleen cells of normal mice. Fractionation of these extracts by thin-layer chromatography indicated that the mitogenic activity migrated with the free fatty acids. Substitution of the relevant saturated and unsaturated free fatty acids in the autolyzed trypanosome extracts with commercial pure fatty acids in the mouse spleen cultures indicated that the mitogenicity was due to palmitic and stearic acids. It is suggested that the general immunosuppressing effect of trypanosomes may be attributed, at least in part, to the polyclonal activation, and subsequent depletion and/or clonal exhaustion of B-cells as a result of blastogenic stimulus from the parasites. This may operate, at least in part, through the generation of B-cell mitogenic saturated fatty acids.