Tuure Kinnunen

Yes, Tregs finally getting the spotlight they deserve! 🙌

How a Ph.D. is like riding a bike This researcher struggled in grad school—until he embraced it as a time for learning

“You are here to learn to ride a bicycle, not to invent a bicycle.”

"Now, I’m about to establish my own research group. I feel ready to design and invent my own bicycle. I’ll remind my trainees that their job, first and foremost, is to learn how to ride."

www.science.org/content/arti...

Monoclonal antibodies 50 year anniversary!

Many thanks to all our collaborators at Kuopio University Hospital, @varhahyvinvointi.bsky.social, @pohde.bsky.social, @utu.fi, @helsinki.fi, @unioulu.bsky.social, and to the funders of the study: Foundation for Pediatric Research, Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation and ISLAB Laboratory Centre.

Taken together, our data supports the view that autoantibodies generated in JIA likely target either multi-molecular antigen structures (like dsDNA-nucleosome complexes) and/or posttranslationally modified nuclear proteins, possibly formed during inflammatory processes in the joints.

However, no purified antigen appears to explain this reactivity. Interestingly, around 20% of JIA patients exhibited antibody reactivity to artificial nucleosome-dsDNA complexes, but not to isolated nucleosomes or dsDNA.

We studied a large collection of plasma samples from JIA patients and age-matched controls, using a variety of both clinical-grade and exploratory autoantibody assays. We confirmed previous findings that autoantibodies in JIA appear to target chromatin structures.

New science out from our group! This time on autoantibody specifities in juvenile idiopathic arthritis #JIA #immunosky #medsky. @uniuef.bsky.social

It is well known that antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are prevalent in JIA patients, but the actual autoantigen targeted has remained elusive.

Currently in Boston at +37C, luckily most of the time in air-conditioned conference halls…

Huge thanks for this big effort to all our collaborators at @uniuef.bsky.social @utu.fi @unioulu.bsky.social @helsinki.fi and to our funders: Research Council of Finland, Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation and @sigridjuselius.bsky.social

This could potentially complicate the use of cTph cells as blood biomarkers in autoimmune diseases.

Finally, we show that the CXCR5-PD1hi cells are more hererogeneous at the single cell level than CXCR5+PD1hi cells and TCR sharing is demonstrated also with CXCR5-PD1lo cells. This suggests that the putative "cTph" cells contain other T cell subsets besides those with a true Tph signature.

Second, we investigated the phenotype of cTfh and cTph using flow cytometry and single cell omics. We confirm previous studies that blood CXCR5-PD1hi (cTph) and CXCR5+PD1hi (cTfh) cells share B-cell helper features. However, no phenotypic changes are seen in T1D, just an increase in frequency.

It turns out that no changes are seen at this point, only later, i.e. a few years before clinical disease onset, and more dominantly for cTph than cTfh cells, suggesting that the increase of these cells in blood is associated with disease progression and hypothetically ectopic lymphoid structures.

Here, we addressed a few outstanding questions. First: what is the exact timing of cTfh and cTph increase during the disease process? For this, we analysed rare samples collected at the time of seroconversion, i.e. the earliest detectable time point of autoimmunity.

Links to the previous studies:

diabetesjournals.org/diabetes/art...

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

This study complements our earlier studies on the role of these "B-cell helper" T cells in T1D, where we have shown that both cTfh and cTph are increased in the blood of children with newly diagnosed T1D and also in prediabetic autoantibody-positive (AAb+) children.

The Frequency but not the Phenotype of Circulating Peripheral T Helper Cells is Increased at Later Stages of Progression to Type 1 Diabetes Frequencies of circulating T peripheral helper (cTph) and activated T follicular helper (cTfh) cells increase close to the diagnosis of clinical type 1 diabetes, but not at the onset of autoimmunity.....

New results on the role of circulating T follicular (cTfh) and T peripheral helper (cTph) cells in type 1 diabetes out at @eurjimmunol.bsky.social: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

#immunosky #T1D #autoimmunity

There is always the Midsummer next year!

Vaccines are rigorously tested, they are effective, and they save lives. More than 150 million lives have been saved in the past 50 years thanks to vaccines!

But you may be worried about what's in them?
So, let’s break it down ⬇

Great news, well deserved! Congratulations Eliisa!

Postdoctoral Researcher/Doctoral Researcher/Project Researcher, Translational Immunology The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher/Doctoral Researcher/Project Researcher (Translational Immunology) position in Kuopio. The position will be fill

Interested in translational human immunology? We are currently recruiting a PhD student or a post-doc to work on an exciting project to to study immune changes leading to the development of type 1 diabetes. #immunosky #sciencejobs uef.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

Multiple recent studies, including 3 impressive natural experiments, consistently show a link between Shingles vaccines and reduced dementia. This week a nationwide S Korea study added a reduction of cardiovascular events
My summary Table. More here on dementia erictopol.substack.com/p/the-shingl...

More data is emerging that one shot of HPV vaccine is already efficient for protection, and boosters would not be needed. This change could both help increase vaccine compliance and reduce costs, both of which could increase HPV vaccine coverage globally.

Links to the papers suggesting protection on development of MS and T1D:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

CMV infection appears to improve anti-PD1 therapy efficacy and reduce the risk of immune-mediated toxicity of the therapy. CMV may have positive immunomodulatory effects, as evidenced also by previous reports suggesting a protective effect on development of autoimmune diseases like T1D and MS.

Finland invests in research excellence – new funding call by Research Council of Finland to support recruitment of international talents The Research Council of Finland (RCF) has launched a funding call to improve universities’ ability to recruit international experts to Finland. In line with the RCF’s strategy, the call wi...

Are you a professor or assistant professor level researcher in the US or elsewhere outside of Finland? Looking for new opportunities in an inspiring and well-connected research environment? Finland might be just the place for you.

Reach out to Finnish universities to explore what’s possible.

Gather 'round Bluesky, while I tell the hoary tale of epidemic vs. endemic.

How can it be that pandemic interventions that were vitally important in 2020 are marginally effective in 2025?

Science will give us the answers!

Follow me...

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The Shingles Vaccine and Reduction of Dementia A compelling new study adds to the body of data supporting some protection provided by the vaccine

A major paper @nature.com this week found a significant decline in dementia after an outdated Shingles vaccine.
I've reviewed the study and many other relevant ones here
erictopol.substack.com/p/the-shingl...

Amazing study showing protective effect of herpes zoster vaccination against dementia with interesting sex differences @sexdiffimmunity.bsky.social
#vaccines work! #immunosky #medsky