Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Splenic dendritic cell-targeting mRNA transfection of H-type ionizable lipid-based LNPs for enhancing tumor immunotherapy

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.018

Figure Lengend Snippet: In vivo DC maturation and T cell activation in C57BL/6J mice induced by mOVA/H 18 NPs through intravenous injection. C57BL/6J mice were vaccinated with different formulations on Day 0 and Day 5. On Day 10, the spleens of mice were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry. Quantification analysis of (A) CD80 + CD86 + DCs and (B) CD40 + DCs in the spleen. Quantification analysis of (C) CD3 + CD4 + T cells and (D) CD3 + CD8 + T cells in the spleen. (E) Quantification analysis and (F) representative flow cytometry contour plots of OVA-specific CD8 + T cells among all cell populations in the spleen. (G) Quantification analysis and (H) representative flow cytometry contour plots of IFN-γ + CD8 + T cells among all cell populations in the spleen. (I) Quantification results and (J) representative images of IFN- γ -secreting immune cells in the spleen of mice analyzed by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay. Data were shown as mean ± SD (n = 3).

Article Snippet: Quantification analysis of (C) CD3 + CD4 + T cells and (D) CD3 + CD8 + T cells in the spleen. (E) Quantification analysis and (F) representative flow cytometry contour plots of OVA-specific CD8 + T cells among all cell populations in the spleen. (G) Quantification analysis and (H) representative flow cytometry contour plots of IFN-γ + CD8 + T cells among all cell populations in the spleen. (I) Quantification results and (J) representative images of IFN- γ -secreting immune cells in the spleen of mice analyzed by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay.

Techniques: In Vivo, Activation Assay, Injection, Flow Cytometry, Enzyme-linked Immunospot

Journal: iScience

Article Title: Distinct CD8 + T cell types associated with COVID-19 severity in unvaccinated HLA-A2 + patients

doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115880

Figure Lengend Snippet: Information on 11 selected HLA-A2-binding 9-mer peptides derived from the SARS-CoV-2 genome (A) Workflow of HLA-A2-binding peptide prediction with NETMHCpan4.1 and IFN-γ ELISpot assay of PBMCs from 24 patients with COVID-19 using 31 predicted peptides ( and ). (B) Homology of 11 selected peptides among SARS-CoV-2 variants and other strains (as indicated). “YES” indicates that more than 90% of epitope sequences matched within 200 selected peptide sequences from the database . Otherwise, the % of matched sequences is shown. “NO” indicates no matched sequences. (C) Information on the SARS-CoV-2 genome and mapping of 11 selected peptides on its genome.

Article Snippet: anti-human-IFN-γ antibody , MABTECH , Cat# 3420-3-250; RRID: AB_907283.

Techniques: Binding Assay, Derivative Assay, Enzyme-linked Immunospot

Journal: iScience

Article Title: Distinct CD8 + T cell types associated with COVID-19 severity in unvaccinated HLA-A2 + patients

doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115880

Figure Lengend Snippet: IFN-γ ELISpot of CD8 + T cells in PBMCs from HLA-A2 + patients with COVID-19 using selected SARS-CoV-2 peptides (A) Cross-sectional ELISpot assay of HLA-A2-restricted CD8 + T cell responses against 11 selected peptides in PBMCs from 26 patients with mild, 8 with moderate, and 8 with severe COVID-19, respectively. (B) Log10-transformed mean spot-forming cell (SFC) counts (log10[Mean SFC +1]) per patient across 11 peptides in patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19. Each point represents the mean response for one patient across 11 peptides ( n = 42 patients). A +1 pseudocount is added before the log10 transformation to accommodate zero values. Statistical comparisons were performed using a negative binomial mixed-effects model with Holm-Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. NS: not significant. (C) Longitudinal ELISpot assay of HLA-A2-restricted CD8 + T cell responses against selected peptides in PBMCs from patients with mild and moderate COVID-19 (as indicated).

Article Snippet: anti-human-IFN-γ antibody , MABTECH , Cat# 3420-3-250; RRID: AB_907283.

Techniques: Enzyme-linked Immunospot, Transformation Assay

Journal: Molecular Therapy Oncology

Article Title: AAV immuno-gene therapy platform delivering vectorized cytokines defines a new modality for high-grade glioma treatment

doi: 10.1016/j.omton.2026.201183

Figure Lengend Snippet: Vectorized IFNβ drives durable signaling and complete tumor regression in human glioblastoma models in vivo (A) Sustained hIFNβ secretion in human GBM6 cells treated with AAV9-hIFNβ (red, MOI = 4E5 vg/cell) or recombinant hIFNβ cytokine (r-hIFNβ, purple, 47 IU/mL, equivalent to 114 pg/mL), measured by ELISA at indicated time points. 50% media washouts every 5 h for the first 20 h in the r-hIFNβ condition mimic in vivo cytokine clearance (half-life = 4–5 h). Full media exchanges were performed at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post-treatment. (B) Number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs, p -Adj<0.01) in GBM6 cells 24–96 h post-treatment with AAV9-hIFNβ or r-hIFNβ vs. media controls. (C) Enrichment scores for type I IFN and TNFα response pathways across treatments and time points. (D) Heatmap of the top 10 IFN and TNFα response genes (Log2FC vs. media controls) in GBM6 cells treated as in (A). (E) Schematic of orthotopic PDX (SF11411) and cell line-derived xenograft ([CDX], GBM6-FLuc) studies in athymic nu/nu mice treated intratumorally with saline, AAV9-GFP, or AAV9-hIFNβ via CED. (F) Kaplan-Meier survival curves for PDX mice treated as in (E). Saline = black, AAV9-GFP (2E11 vg/brain) = blue, AAV9-hIFNβ (2E11 vg/brain) = red. Vertical dashed line = day of treatment (day 9). p < 0.04 by log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. n = 30 (10 per treatment arm). (G) Longitudinal BLI of GBM6-FLuc tumor growth in CDX mice treated as in (E). Saline = black, AAV9-GFP (2E11 vg/brain) = blue, AAV9-hIFNβ (2E11 vg/brain) = red. Thin lines = individual mice, thick lines = geometric mean. Vertical dashed line = day of treatment (day 9). ∗ p < 0.04 by Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn’s multiple comparisons correction on day 22. n = 30 (10 per treatment arm). (G′) Representative BLI images from each treatment group 11 days post-treatment. (H) Kaplan-Meier survival curves for CDX mice. p < 0.001 by log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. (I) Distribution of treatment responses in CDX by BLI flux (photons/second) at day 27. Tumor free = BLI flux <2.5 × 10 5 p/s, tumor reduction = ≥30% decrease from assignment on day 9, no change = between 30% decrease and 20% increase from assignment on day 9, tumor growth = ≥20% increase from assignment on day 9, death = mice that died before day 27. (J) Dose-response analysis of AAV9-hIFNβ efficacy in CDX mice. AAV9-GFP (2E11 vg/brain) = blue, AAV9-hIFNβ hi (2E11 vg/brain) = solid red, and AAV9-hIFNβ lo (1E11 vg/brain) = dashed red. Thin lines = individual mice, thick lines = geometric mean. Vertical dashed line = day of treatment (day 9). ∗∗ p < 0.02 by Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn’s multiple comparisons correction on day 20. n = 45 (15 per treatment arm). For data interpretation, tumor burden threshold = 2.5 × 10 5 . (J′) Representative BLI images of tumors 11 days post-treatment. (K) Kaplan-Meier survival curves from (J). p < 0.002 (AAV9-hIFNβ hi), p < 0.005 (AAV9-hIFNβ lo) by log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test compared to AAV9-GFP. (I) Distribution of treatment responses in CDX mice at day 27 by BLI flux as in (I).

Article Snippet: 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after treatment, cell supernatants were collected and IFN variant levels were measured using IFN ELISA kits following the manufacturer’s instructions (human IFNα [PBL Cat# 41135-1], human IFNβ [PBL Cat#41410], and human IFNγ [R&D Systems Cat#: DIF50C]).

Techniques: In Vivo, Recombinant, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Derivative Assay, Saline

Journal: Molecular Therapy Oncology

Article Title: AAV immuno-gene therapy platform delivering vectorized cytokines defines a new modality for high-grade glioma treatment

doi: 10.1016/j.omton.2026.201183

Figure Lengend Snippet: Spatial transcriptomics reveals rapid, localized transcriptional remodeling of the tumor microenvironment following vectorized hIFNβ treatment (A) Coronal brain sections from representative human GBM6-FLuc CDX mice collected pre-treatment (0 h, n = 1) or 48 h ( n = 1) after intratumoral AAV9-hIFNβ infusion (2E11 vg/brain), stained with H&E (left) and subjected to Visium Spatial Gene Expression profiling (right). Annotated clusters were assigned based on anatomical localization and marker gene expression. Dashed lines denote tumor borders. Scale bars, 1 mm. (B) Top 10 marker genes for each spatially resolved cluster identified across 0 h and 48 h datasets. Values are shown as log-normalized expression centered at 0 (Seurat “scale.data”). (C) Spatial expression of canonical human GBM tumor markers ( CD44 , VIM , TOP2A , and NOTCH1 ) delineating tumor and peri-tumor regions before (0 h) (top) and after (bottom) (48 h) AAV9-hIFNβ treatment. (D) Expression maps of the human IFNβ payload and hallmark IFN-response genes ( CXCL10 , IFIT1 , and IFIT2 ), demonstrating tumor-restricted transgene expression and induction of an IFN-specific transcriptional program within 48 h. (E) Spatial expression of host mouse immune-response genes ( Gfap , Ifitm3 , and Irf7 ) showing localized activation of astroglial and innate immune pathways proximal to the tumor. (F) Integrated datasets (0 and 48 h) visualized using canonical correlation analysis (CCA), showing distinct clustering of tumor and peri-tumor regions (left) and enrichment of IFN-response gene module expression (right). (G) Volcano plot depicting differential gene expression between 0- and 48-h tumor clusters. Red, IFN-response genes; gray, other significantly upregulated genes ( p -Adj <0.01); blue, non-significant. (H) Top enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms among upregulated genes in 48-h tumor cells, highlighting interferon and inflammatory response pathways (∗∗ p -Adj <0.01; ∗ p -Adj <0.05).

Article Snippet: 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after treatment, cell supernatants were collected and IFN variant levels were measured using IFN ELISA kits following the manufacturer’s instructions (human IFNα [PBL Cat# 41135-1], human IFNβ [PBL Cat#41410], and human IFNγ [R&D Systems Cat#: DIF50C]).

Techniques: Spatial Transcriptomics, Staining, Gene Expression, Marker, Expressing, Activation Assay