This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro protease inactivates specific interferons by cleaving glycosylated variants, but interferon redundancy maintains antiviral activity.

bioRxiv · Sep 8, 2026 · PreprintBiochemistry

Correlates of protection against African swine fever virus identified by a systems immunology approach

Kirill Lotonin, Francisco Brito, Kemal Mehinagic, Obdulio García-Nicolás, Matthias Liniger, Noelle Donzé, Sylvie Python, Stephanie C. Talker, T.C.W. Ploegaert, Nicolas Ruggli, Charaf Benarafa, Artur Summerfield

This study identifies innate and adaptive immune correlates of protection against ASFV using a systems immunology approach in pigs.

eLife · Jun 29, 2026Peer-reviewedImmunology

A bovine-derived influenza A virus (H5N1) shows efficient replication in well-differentiated human nasal epithelial cells at the temperature of the upper airways

Étori Aguiar Moreira, Samuel Constant, Charlene Constant, Lisa Butticaz, Michele Wyler, Teodora David, Peter M. Grin, Charaf Benarafa, Volker Thiel, Marco P. Alves, Gert Zimmer

This study shows that a bovine-derived H5N1 virus replicates efficiently in human nasal epithelial cells at both 37°C and 33°C, with specific mutations enhancing replication at lower temperatures.

bioRxiv · May 22, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology

Dual Role of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Humoral and CD8⁺ T Cell Memory Post COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination

Chiara Pizzichetti, Irene Latino, Tommaso Virgilio, Arianna Capucetti, Kamil Chahine, Luciano Cascione, Simone G. Moro, Melanie Brügger, Nedim Kozarac, Alain Pulfer, Louis L. Renner, Roshan S. Thakur, Charaf Benarafa, Daniel F. Legler, Santiago González

This study shows that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are critical for both humoral and CD8⁺ T cell memory responses after Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccination.

bioRxiv · Jun 13, 2025 · PreprintImmunology