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Michael Fischbach

@mfgrp.bsky.social
1.2K followers 27 following 55 posts

Liu (Liao) Family Professor of Bioengineering, ChEM-H @Stanford.

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Reposted by Michael Fischbach
Gabriel Victora @victora.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Cool germinal center acrobatics from Juhee Pae et al, check it out! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
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Reposted by Michael Fischbach
Tami Lieberman @contaminatedsci.bsky.social · 26/12/2024
This pair of papers demonstrating strong and systemic immune responses to skin commensals applied topically to unbroken skin, including induction of B cells for vaccination. www.nature.com/articles/s41... www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions - Nature
Nature - Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions
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Dmitri Petrov @petrovadmitri.bsky.social · 26/12/2024
These are my favorites too! 🤯
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Christopher Barnes @cobarnes27.bsky.social · 24/12/2024
What an amazing story that was such a blast to collaborate on with @mfgrp.bsky.social lab!!! Phenomenal work led by @djenetbousbaine.bsky.social and all co-authors!! Unroll this thread and be amazed 🤯👇🏾
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ImmunoSketch @actuallypublished.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
Scientists turned a harmless skin bacterium into a powerful vaccine delivery tool, boosting immunity in the lungs and nose. @mfgrp.bsky.social @djenetbousbaine.bsky.social @nature.com t.co/xXXCJx5VYm #ImmunoSky 🧪
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Itai Yanai @itaiyanai.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
A typical project for an incoming graduate student might involve 1–2 weeks of planning and 2–5 years of execution, [yet] the problem you choose will influence the impact of your work just as much as the quality of your execution. @mfgrp.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/6KMh...
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ᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
Insanely creative and original immunology and bioengineering work from the Fischbach Lab at Stanford with high translational potential Full article in NATURE: www.nature.com/articles/s41... Follow the scientists: @mfgrp.bsky.social @djenetbousbaine.bsky.social @katebauman.bsky.social
goodnewsnetwork.org
Stanford Scientists Transform Ubiquitous Skin Bacterium into a Topical Vaccine Against Tetanus
Even better, it’s cheap, entirely pain-free, no need to stand in a line, and not followed by fever, swelling, redness, or a sore arm.
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Reposted by Michael Fischbach
Taia Wang Laboratory @wanglaboratory.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
Beautiful work with exciting implications for topical vaccination by @mfgrp.bsky.social ✨ Give this a read 👇
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Stanford Department of Bioengineering @bioe-stanford.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
Vaccines, but make it skincare!🧴🧬 Congratulations to Stanford BioE Professor Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social & @djenetbousbaine.bsky.social for engineering a skin bacterium that could lead to needle-free vaccines.
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Reposted by Michael Fischbach
Djenet Bousbaine @djenetbousbaine.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Check out our last pub. from @mfgrp.bsky.social al lab! We discovered that skin commensal microbes induce systemic and local B cell responses upon colonization and took advantage of this knowledge to create topical vaccines using engineered skin microbes. Please read the thread for details.
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Marshall Burke @marshallburke.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Your hand lotion is now also a vaccine. Hot damn
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Christina (Chris) Tobin Kahrstrom @microchris.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Two fascinating papers just out in Nature @natureportfolio.bsky.social: www.nature.com/articles/s41... www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions - Nature
Nature - Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions
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Reposted by Michael Fischbach
Christina (Chris) Tobin Kahrstrom @microchris.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Illuminating thread by author ‪@mfgrp.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/mfgr...
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Andreas Peschel @andreaspeschel.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Brilliant work congrats to the authors!
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Tim Stearns @stearnslab.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Awesome thread from @mfgrp.bsky.social about what might be the most amazing result you'll hear about in 2024: antigens stuck on the surface of the skin bacterium S. epidermidis generate a strong immune response in mouse.
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Reposted by Michael Fischbach
Scott_Boyd_Lab_Stanford @scottboydlab.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
A remarkable story from @mfgrp.bsky.social and colleagues: immunization via skin S. epidermidis generates systemic and mucosal antibody responses.
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Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 11/12/2024
And in a Nature publication double-header, @mfgrp.bsky.social @stanford-chemh.bsky.social collaborates with Yasmine Belkaid and workers in this study reporting on local immune response including antibody generation in response to skin commensals: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions - Nature
Nature - Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions
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Zamin Iqbal @zaminiqbal.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
This is the most amazing thread since they did a similar thing to cure a cancer
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Leyla Asadi, MD PhD @leylaaa.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Wonder. Awe. Excitement. Very cool thread on a very cool finding. #IDSky
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Shai Bel (The Mucus Man) @mucusman.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Holy shit this is amazing!!! 🤯
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Conor McClune @cmcclune.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
discovery that a skin microbe can, without inflammation, induce a systemic B-cell response... and then engineering that microbe into a potent vaccine platform that can be applied as a topical cream. amazing work from @djenetbousbaine.bsky.social and @mfgrp.bsky.social! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Discovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal - Nature
Nature - Discovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal
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Reposted by Michael Fischbach
Sorek Lab @soreklab.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
An amazing discovery, and a very informative and engaging thread. Could develop into a transformative new mode for efficient vaccination
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Reposted by Michael Fischbach
Carolyn King @immunologyking.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
one to savor over the holidays. also so cool to see how the directions of the work between @mfgrp.bsky.social and Belkaid labs diverged.
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Leif Erik Sander 🇪🇺🇺🇦 @sanderlab.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Brilliant 🧵on a fascinating study demonstrating potent systemic and mucosal antibody responses to the common skin commensal Staph. epidermidis. Engineered S. epi expressing or displaying unrelated antigens elicited protective immunity,suggesting it could serve as topical vaccines. 💉
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Damian Maseda @dmaseda.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Co-opting a skin commensal to design new vaccines! An amazingly creative and thoughtful new approach that integrates our knowledge of immune system responses. #ImmunoSky
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Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 11/12/2024
Check out this bombshell publication by Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social and coworkers @stanford-chemh.bsky.social @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social, imagine a cancer immune therapy/vaccine where treatment begins and ends with a painless topical skin treatment! 🤯 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Discovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal - Nature
Nature - Discovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Finally, we are deeply grateful to Mark Leslie, @dpessential.bsky.social, Solina Chau, and Marc Benioff for supporting this work via the Microbiome Therapies Initiative. 55/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
We couldn't have done this without generous financial support from Open Philanthropy, @gatesfoundation.bsky.social, @helmsleytrust.bsky.social, @su2c.bsky.social, @czbiohub.bsky.social, and NIH, and incredible institutional support from @stanford-chemh.bsky.social, IMA, and Stanford BioE. 54/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Christina Tobin Kåhrström and our referees were kind and constructive. Our paper was greatly improved by their suggestions. 🙏 53/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
A few notes of gratitude. First, many thanks to @brucegoldman for explaining this so clearly... 52/55 med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...
med.stanford.edu
Stanford scientists transform ubiquitous skin bacterium into a topical vaccine
Stanford University scientists’ findings in mice could translate into a radical, needle-free vaccination approach that would also eliminate reactions including fever, swelling and pain.
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Finally, the level of antibody against S. epi in humans is striking. Are the human T and B cell repertoires full of clones specific for microbial colonists? 51/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Fourth, is there a way to access this topical route of entry without the bacterial cell? If we understand the mechanism of uptake, can we hitch a ride using purified components applied topically? 50/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Third, can this approach be optimized and extended to other pathogens? More on this soon. 49/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Second, how does skin colonization induce IgA in the pulmonary and nasal mucosa? Is it due to incidental nasal colonization or do IgA-producing B cells travel from the skin to mucosal surfaces? Does the response spread to the vaginal, gut & rectal mucosa? 48/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
There are several open questions. First, what is the mechanism of sampling? What exactly is captured (whole cell or a fragment), by which APC(s), and what is the relay that transmits antigen to GCs and tertiary lymphoid structures? 47/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
4) Most vaccines are administered by intramuscular injection. S. epi is topical; it could be formulated in a cream and administered without a needle or a healthcare worker, which could facilitate low-cost distribution. 46/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
3) Most traditional vaccines require a barrier breach and result in an inflammatory response (i.e., fever and swelling). Vaccination with S. epidermidis is topical and does not induce inflammation. 45/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
2) Conventional = one-time bolus w/ subsequent booster doses. Colonization is fundamentally different; antigen is encountered in a slow/steady fashion over weeks. Conventional vaccines delivered slow/steady yield better and broader responses. 44/55 www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S00...
cell.com
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
1) Protein-based subunit vaccines are more immunogenic when multivalent (e.g., nanoparticle-based), facilitating a more robust B cell response. S. epi displaying an Aap-scaffolded epitope is, in essence, a particulate immunogen with much higher valency. 43/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Second, recall that we observed a very high level of antibody against S. epi in human serum. This makes us think that engineered S. epi could be therapeutically relevant - a new kind of vaccine that is different in four ways: 42/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Major distinguishing feature: it is *pre-emptive*. The host reaches outside, grabs bacteria (or bacterial fragments), brings them inside, & develops an immune response against them. In a very real sense, the host is *vaccinating itself* against the colonist. 41/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
OK, so what did we learn? Let's start w/ the initial question: What does the immune system intend to do when it sees a colonist? Don't want to over-generalize, but at least for S. epi, the immune response is much more pathogen-like that we had realized. 40/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Aap-sc-TTFC & the conventional vaccine both elicit a potent response in the bloodstream. However, when we looked in the pulmonary & nasal mucosa, we found that Aap-sc-TTFC had elicited a strong IgA response; the conventional nanoparticle vaccine had not. 39/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Conventional vaccines (administered i.m.) only elicit antibodies in circulation. There is a great need for vaccines that also elicit antibodies in the lungs and nostrils - these would be particularly helpful to block transmission of respiratory viruses. 38/55 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Challenges for developing broad-based mucosal vaccines for respiratory viruses - Nature Biotechnology
Nature Biotechnology - Challenges for developing broad-based mucosal vaccines for respiratory viruses
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
But there is more. Antibodies exist mainly in two places: in circulation, where they protect against pathogens in the bloodstream; and in the mucosal surfaces of the lung and nostrils, where they protect against pathogen entry. 37/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
To our surprise, Aap-sc-TTFC elicited a massive response - even stronger than the original genetically encoded (Aap-TTFC) strain, and almost as potent as the hottest conventional vaccine we could find. Titers from engineered S. epi are stronger than a typical mRNA vaccine. 36/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
1) The original (genetically encoded) strain, Aap-TTFC, applied topically; and 2) an extremely potent nanoparticle vaccine w/ the same immunogen (Mi3-TTFC), administered intramuscularly w/ adjuvant. 35/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Djenet conjugated recombinant TTFC-SpyTag to the Aap-SpyCatcher strain and colonized mice (we refer to this strain as Aap-sc-TTFC). She compared this to two other test articles: 34/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
At this point I got on board. Transient contact with antigen can be enough to yield a long-lasting B cell response. Maybe this impermanent labeling approach might work after all, if only weakly? 33/55
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Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Djenet engineered S. epi to express a variant of Aap that displays SpyCatcher. When she incubated these cells with recombinant GFP-SpyTag, not only were the cells labeled but the copy number was very high (we estimate ~40,000-50,000/cell). 32/55
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