Explore the vast range of titles available.

Abstract Rationale AERAS-402 is a novel tuberculosis vaccine designed to boost immunity primed by bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the only licensed vaccine. Objectives We investigated the safety and immunogenicity of AERAS-402 in healthy Mycobacterium tuberculosis–uninfected BCG-vaccinated adults from a tuberculosis-endemic region of South Africa. Methods Escalating doses of AERAS-402 vaccine were administered intramuscularly to each of three groups of healthy South African BCG-vaccinated adults, and a fourth group received two injections of the maximal dose. Participants were monitored for 6 months, with all adverse effects documented. Vaccine-induced CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell immunity was characterized by an intracellular cytokine staining assay of whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Measurements and Main Results AERAS-402 was well tolerated, and no vaccine-related serious adverse events were recorded. The vaccine induced a robust CD4+ T-cell response dominated by cells coexpressing IFN-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-2 (“polyfunctional” cells). AERAS-402 also induced a potent CD8+ T-cell response, characterized by cells expressing IFN-γ and/or tumor necrosis factor-α, which persisted for the duration of the study. Conclusions Vaccination with AERAS-402 is safe and immunogenic in healthy adults. The immunity induced by the vaccine appears promising: polyfunctional T cells are thought to be important for protection against intracellular pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and evidence is accumulating that CD8+ T cells are also important. AERAS-402 induced a robust and durable CD8+ T-cell response, which appears extremely promising. Clinical trial registered with www.sanctr.gov.za (NHREC no. 1381).

► AERAS-402 boosts BCG immunity. ► AERAS-402 induces higher levels of CD8+ T cells than other TB vaccines. ► AERAS-402 induces polyfunctional CD4++CD8+ T cells. Despite the availability of Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccines, Mycobacterium tuberculosis currently infects billions of people and millions die annually from tuberculosis (TB) disease. New TB vaccines are urgently needed. We studied the ability of AERAS-402, a recombinant, replication-deficient adenovirus type 35 expressing the protective M. tuberculosis antigens Ag85A, Ag85B, and TB10.4, to boost BCG immunity in an area of low TB endemicity. In volunteers primed with BCG 3 or 6 months prior to AERAS-402 boosting, significant CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses were induced. Ag85-specific responses were more strongly boosted than TB10.4-specific responses. Frequencies of TB-specific CD8+ T cells reached>50 fold higher than pre-AERAS boosting levels, remarkably higher than reported in any previous human TB vaccine trial. Multiparameter flow cytometric assays demonstrated that AERAS-402-boosted CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were multifunctional, producing multiple cytokines and other immune effector molecules. Furthermore, boosted T cells displayed lymphoproliferative capacity, and tetramer analyses confirmed that antigen-specific CD8+ T cells were induced. BCG and AERAS-402 vaccinations given 3 and 6 months apart appeared equivalent. Our results indicate that AERAS-402 is a promising TB vaccine candidate that can significantly enhance both CD4+ and CD8+ TB-specific T cell responses after BCG priming. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01378312.

AERAS-402 is a novel tuberculosis vaccine designed to boost immunity primed by bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the only licensed vaccine. We investigated the safety and immunogenicity of AERAS-402 in healthy Mycobacterium tuberculosis-uninfected BCG-vaccinated adults from a tuberculosis-endemic region of South Africa. Escalating doses of AERAS-402 vaccine were administered intramuscularly to each of three groups of healthy South African BCG-vaccinated adults, and a fourth group received two injections of the maximal dose. Participants were monitored for 6 months, with all adverse effects documented. Vaccine-induced CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell immunity was characterized by an intracellular cytokine staining assay of whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. AERAS-402 was well tolerated, and no vaccine-related serious adverse events were recorded. The vaccine induced a robust CD4(+) T-cell response dominated by cells coexpressing IFN-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and IL-2 (\"polyfunctional\" cells). AERAS-402 also induced a potent CD8(+) T-cell response, characterized by cells expressing IFN-gamma and/or tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which persisted for the duration of the study. Vaccination with AERAS-402 is safe and immunogenic in healthy adults. The immunity induced by the vaccine appears promising: polyfunctional T cells are thought to be important for protection against intracellular pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and evidence is accumulating that CD8(+) T cells are also important. AERAS-402 induced a robust and durable CD8(+) T-cell response, which appears extremely promising. Clinical trial registered with www.sanctr.gov.za (NHREC no. 1381).

Summary BCOR and its paralog BCORL1 encode subunits of the Polycomb repressive complex 1.1 (PRC1.1) and are recurrently mutated in myeloid malignancies. We show that leukemia-associated BCOR/BCORL1 mutations unlink the PRC1.1 RING-PCGF enzymatic core from the KDM2B-containing chromatin targeting auxiliary subcomplex, either by causing complete protein loss or expression of a C-terminally truncated protein lacking the PCGF Ub-like fold discriminator (PUFD) domain. By uncoupling PRC1.1 repressive function from target genes, BCOR/BCORL1 mutations activate aberrant cell signaling programs that confer acquired resistance to treatment. This study provides a mechanistic basis for Polycomb repressive dysfunction as a key oncogenic driver in myeloid malignancies and identifies a potential strategy for targeted therapy in BCOR-mutated cancer. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.