Reposted by Michael FischbachGabriel Victora @victora.bsky.social · 19/03/2025Cool germinal center acrobatics from Juhee Pae et al, check it out! www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.com 14825
Reposted by Michael FischbachTami Lieberman @contaminatedsci.bsky.social · 26/12/2024This 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.comSkin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions - NatureNature - Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions 2305
Reposted by Michael FischbachDmitri Petrov @petrovadmitri.bsky.social · 26/12/2024These are my favorites too! 🤯 151
Reposted by Michael FischbachChristopher Barnes @cobarnes27.bsky.social · 24/12/2024What 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 🤯👇🏾 1151
Reposted by Michael FischbachImmunoSketch @actuallypublished.bsky.social · 21/12/2024Scientists 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 🧪 0134
Reposted by Michael FischbachItai Yanai @itaiyanai.bsky.social · 20/12/2024A 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... 3419
Reposted by Michael FischbachᐯIᑕTOᖇ ᑎIᘔET, ᗰᗪ @nizet.bsky.social · 16/12/2024Insanely 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.socialgoodnewsnetwork.orgStanford Scientists Transform Ubiquitous Skin Bacterium into a Topical Vaccine Against TetanusEven 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. 1335
Reposted by Michael FischbachTaia Wang Laboratory @wanglaboratory.bsky.social · 13/12/2024Beautiful work with exciting implications for topical vaccination by @mfgrp.bsky.social ✨ Give this a read 👇 091
Reposted by Michael FischbachStanford Department of Bioengineering @bioe-stanford.bsky.social · 13/12/2024Vaccines, 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. 061
Reposted by Michael FischbachDjenet Bousbaine @djenetbousbaine.bsky.social · 12/12/2024Check 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. 3267
Reposted by Michael FischbachMarshall Burke @marshallburke.bsky.social · 12/12/2024Your hand lotion is now also a vaccine. Hot damn 031
Reposted by Michael FischbachChristina (Chris) Tobin Kahrstrom @microchris.bsky.social · 12/12/2024Two fascinating papers just out in Nature @natureportfolio.bsky.social: www.nature.com/articles/s41... www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comSkin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions - NatureNature - Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions 1113
Reposted by Michael FischbachChristina (Chris) Tobin Kahrstrom @microchris.bsky.social · 12/12/2024Illuminating thread by author @mfgrp.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/mfgr... 111
Reposted by Michael FischbachAndreas Peschel @andreaspeschel.bsky.social · 12/12/2024Brilliant work congrats to the authors! 032
Reposted by Michael FischbachTim Stearns @stearnslab.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Awesome 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. 22812
Reposted by Michael FischbachScott_Boyd_Lab_Stanford @scottboydlab.bsky.social · 12/12/2024A remarkable story from @mfgrp.bsky.social and colleagues: immunization via skin S. epidermidis generates systemic and mucosal antibody responses. 131
Reposted by Michael FischbachCarolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 11/12/2024And 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.comSkin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions - NatureNature - Skin autonomous antibody production regulates host-microbiota interactions 1747
Reposted by Michael FischbachZamin Iqbal @zaminiqbal.bsky.social · 11/12/2024This is the most amazing thread since they did a similar thing to cure a cancer 0178
Reposted by Michael FischbachLeyla Asadi, MD PhD @leylaaa.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Wonder. Awe. Excitement. Very cool thread on a very cool finding. #IDSky 061
Reposted by Michael FischbachShai Bel (The Mucus Man) @mucusman.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Holy shit this is amazing!!! 🤯 0171
Reposted by Michael FischbachConor McClune @cmcclune.bsky.social · 11/12/2024discovery 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.comDiscovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal - NatureNature - Discovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal 061
Reposted by Michael FischbachSorek Lab @soreklab.bsky.social · 11/12/2024An amazing discovery, and a very informative and engaging thread. Could develop into a transformative new mode for efficient vaccination 0103
Reposted by Michael FischbachCarolyn King @immunologyking.bsky.social · 11/12/2024one to savor over the holidays. also so cool to see how the directions of the work between @mfgrp.bsky.social and Belkaid labs diverged. 081
Reposted by Michael FischbachLeif Erik Sander 🇪🇺🇺🇦 @sanderlab.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Brilliant 🧵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. 💉 1133
Reposted by Michael FischbachDamian Maseda @dmaseda.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Co-opting a skin commensal to design new vaccines! An amazingly creative and thoughtful new approach that integrates our knowledge of immune system responses. #ImmunoSky 0122
Reposted by Michael FischbachCarolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 11/12/2024Check 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.comDiscovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal - NatureNature - Discovery and engineering of the antibody response to a prominent skin commensal 624272
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Finally, we are deeply grateful to Mark Leslie, @dpessential.bsky.social, Solina Chau, and Marc Benioff for supporting this work via the Microbiome Therapies Initiative. 55/55 330
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024We 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. 54/55 161
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Christina Tobin Kåhrström and our referees were kind and constructive. Our paper was greatly improved by their suggestions. 🙏 53/55 130
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024A few notes of gratitude. First, many thanks to @brucegoldman for explaining this so clearly... 52/55 med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...med.stanford.eduStanford scientists transform ubiquitous skin bacterium into a topical vaccineStanford University scientists’ findings in mice could translate into a radical, needle-free vaccination approach that would also eliminate reactions including fever, swelling and pain. 132
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Finally, 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? 51/55 240
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Fourth, 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? 50/55 170
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Third, can this approach be optimized and extended to other pathogens? More on this soon. 49/55 130
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Second, 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? 48/55 360
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024There 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? 47/55 150
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/20244) 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. 46/55 240
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/20243) 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. 45/55 140
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/20242) 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 130
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/20241) 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. 43/55 110
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Second, 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: 42/55 130
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Major 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 2254
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024OK, 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. 40/55 161
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Aap-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. 39/55 140
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Conventional 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.comChallenges for developing broad-based mucosal vaccines for respiratory viruses - Nature BiotechnologyNature Biotechnology - Challenges for developing broad-based mucosal vaccines for respiratory viruses 170
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024But 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. 37/55 150
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024To 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 1130
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/20241) 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. 35/55 110
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Djenet 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: 34/55 110
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024At 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? 33/55 130
Michael Fischbach @mfgrp.bsky.social · 11/12/2024Djenet 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). 32/55 160