Megan S. F. Soon

ORCID: 0000-0001-8563-849X
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About
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Research Areas
  • Immune Cell Function and Interaction
  • Malaria Research and Control
  • T-cell and B-cell Immunology
  • Mosquito-borne diseases and control
  • Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
  • Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
  • Complement system in diseases
  • HIV Research and Treatment
  • CAR-T cell therapy research
  • interferon and immune responses
  • Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
  • Viral Infections and Vectors
  • vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
  • Chemokine receptors and signaling
  • Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
  • RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
  • Immune cells in cancer
  • Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
  • Immune responses and vaccinations
  • Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
  • Lymphoma Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Evolution and Genetic Dynamics

Burnet Institute
2025

QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
2016-2024

The University of Queensland
2017-2024

Translational Research Institute
2017-2019

Control of intracellular parasites responsible for malaria requires host IFN-γ+T-bet+CD4+ T cells (Th1 cells) with IL-10 produced by Th1 to mitigate the pathology induced this inflammatory response. However, these IL-10-producing (induced type I regulatory [Tr1]) can also promote parasite persistence or impair immunity reinfection vaccination. Here, we identified molecular and phenotypic signatures that distinguished IL-10-Th1 from IL-10+Tr1 in Plasmodium falciparum-infected people who...

10.1172/jci153733 article EN cc-by Journal of Clinical Investigation 2023-01-02

T-follicular CD4 T (Tfh) cells play essential roles in antibody induction during infection and following vaccination. In humans, peripheral Tfh (pTfh) are commonly analysed based on expression of CXCR3 CCR6, with different subsets pTfh (pTfh1, pTfh2, pTfh17) associated a context-dependent manner. malaria, the specific development is not clear. Several studies human malaria vaccination have identified an important role pTfh2 cells, which associate while pTfh1 do not. However, vitro animal...

10.1101/2025.02.27.640479 preprint EN cc-by-nd bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) 2025-03-02

Parasite-specific antibodies protect against blood-stage Plasmodium infection. However, in malaria-endemic regions, it takes many months for naturally-exposed individuals to develop robust humoral immunity. Explanations this have focused on antigenic variation by Plasmodium, but considered less whether host production of parasite-specific antibody is sub-optimal. In particular, unclear immune factors might limit responses. Here, we explored the effect Type I Interferon signalling via IFNAR1...

10.1371/journal.ppat.1005999 article EN cc-by PLoS Pathogens 2016-11-03

Abstract Plasmodium falciparum malaria drives immunoregulatory responses across multiple cell subsets, which protects from immunopathogenesis, but also hampers the development of effective anti-parasitic immunity. Understanding induced tolerogenic in specific subsets may inform strategies to boost protective immunity during drug treatment and vaccination. Here, we analyse immune landscape with single RNA sequencing P. malaria. We identify type sub-clustered major types. Malaria is associated...

10.1038/s41467-023-43181-7 article EN cc-by Nature Communications 2023-11-15

Humoral immunity develops in the spleen during blood-stage Plasmodium infection. This elicits parasite-specific IgM and IgG, which control parasites protect against malaria. Studies mice have elucidated cells molecules driving humoral to Plasmodium, including CD4+ T cells, B interleukin (IL)-21 ICOS. IL-6, a cytokine readily detected Plasmodium-infected humans, is recognized other systems as driver of immunity. Here, we examined effect infection-induced IL-6 on Plasmodium. Using P. chabaudi...

10.1111/pim.12455 article EN Parasite Immunology 2017-07-27

Abstract We describe an MHC class II (I-Ab)–restricted TCR transgenic mouse line that produces CD4+ T cells specific for Plasmodium species. This line, termed PbT-II, was derived from a cell hybridoma generated to blood-stage berghei ANKA (PbA). PbT-II responded all species and stages tested so far, including rodent (PbA, P. NK65, chabaudi AS, yoelii 17XNL) human (Plasmodium falciparum) parasites as well irradiated PbA sporozoites. can provide help generation of Ab infection control this...

10.4049/jimmunol.1700186 article EN The Journal of Immunology 2017-10-30

Naive CD4+ T cells must differentiate in order to orchestrate immunity Plasmodium, yet understanding of their emerging phenotypes, clonality, spatial distributions, and cellular interactions remains incomplete. Here, we observe that splenic polyclonal toward helper 1 (Th1) follicular (Tfh)-like states exhibit rarer phenotypes not elicited among cell receptor (TCR) transgenic counterparts. TCR clones present at higher frequencies Th1 skewing, suggesting variation major histocompatibility...

10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114317 article EN cc-by-nc Cell Reports 2024-06-01

Abstract Differentiation of CD4+ Th cells is critical for immunity to malaria. Several innate immune signaling pathways have been implicated in the detection blood-stage Plasmodium parasites, yet their influence over cell remains unclear. In this study, we used Plasmodium-reactive TCR transgenic T cells, termed PbTII during nonlethal P. chabaudi AS and yoelii 17XNL infection mice, examine development vivo. We found no role caspase1/11, stimulator IFN genes, or mitochondrial...

10.4049/jimmunol.1700782 article EN The Journal of Immunology 2018-01-10

Severe malaria and associated high parasite burdens occur more frequently in humans lacking robust adaptive immunity to Plasmodium falciparum Nevertheless, the host may partly control blood-stage numbers while is gradually established. Parasite has typically been attributed enhanced removal of parasites by host, although vivo quantification this phenomenon remains challenging. We used a unique approach determine fate single cohort semisynchronous, berghei ANKA- or yoelii 17XNL-parasitized...

10.1073/pnas.1618939114 article EN Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2017-07-03

Plasmodium parasites invade and multiply inside red blood cells (RBC). Through a cycle of maturation, asexual replication, rupture release multiple infective merozoites, parasitised RBC (pRBC) can reach very high numbers in vivo, process that correlates with disease severity humans experimental animals. Thus, controlling pRBC prevent or ameliorate malaria. In endemic regions, circulating parasite-specific antibodies associate immunity to parasitemia. Although vitro assays reveal protective...

10.1371/journal.ppat.1007599 article EN cc-by PLoS Pathogens 2019-02-27

Inhibiting the host inflammatory response to malaria represents a potential strategy improve clinical outcomes and inhibit immunoregulatory pathways that underlie suboptimal development of antiparasitic immunity. Ruxolitinib is JAK 1/2 inhibitor reduces biomarkers when used in myeloproliferative disorders, inhibits type-1 interferons enhances CD4+ T cell immunity combined with anti-parasitic drugs animal models. Here we report results double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial...

10.1101/2025.03.26.25324737 preprint EN medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) 2025-03-28

Abstract Background Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax are parasites responsible for most malaria cases globally. In areas where these species co-exist, individuals gain protection from more rapidly, important biological differences between may impact the immune response. CD4 T cells key drivers of immunity to malaria, both as effector helper cells, with T-follicular (Tfh) having roles in antibody development. Comparative studies on cell responses limited. Methods We assessed adults either...

10.1101/2025.04.28.651092 preprint EN cc-by-nc bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) 2025-04-29

Abstract Combinations of mAbs that target various components T-cell activation/inhibition may work synergistically to improve antitumor immunity against cancer. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential combining an anticancer vaccination strategy with antibodies targeting immune stimulatory (4-1BB) and inhibitory (PD-1) receptor, in a preclinical model spontaneously arising c-Myc–driven B-cell lymphoma. Eμ-myc transgenic mice, reveal 4-1BB agonistic mAb treatment alone was...

10.1158/2326-6066.cir-16-0249 article EN Cancer Immunology Research 2017-01-24

Monocytosis is considered a poor prognostic factor for many cancers, including B cell lymphomas. The mechanisms by which different monocyte subsets support the growth of lymphoma poorly understood. Using pre-clinical mouse model non-Hodgkin's (B-NHL), we investigated impact tumor progression on circulating levels, subset distribution and their activity, with focus immune suppression. B-NHL development corresponded significant expansion initially classical (Ly6Chi) non-classical (Ly6Clo)...

10.1080/2162402x.2017.1393599 article EN OncoImmunology 2017-10-23

Immunomodulatory therapies can effectively control haematological malignancies. Previously we reported the effectiveness of combination immunotherapies that centre on 4-1BB-targeted co-stimulation CD8 + T cells, particularly when simultaneously harnessing immune adjuvant properties Natural Killer (NKT) cells. The objective this study was to assess agonistic anti-4-1BB antibody-based therapy against two aggressive forms acute myeloid leukemia (AML).Anti-4-1BB treatment alone resulted in...

10.1080/2162402x.2018.1486952 article EN OncoImmunology 2018-07-26

Abstract Children in malaria-endemic regions can experience repeated Plasmodium infections over short periods of time. Effects re-infection on multiple co-existing CD4 + T cell subsets remain unresolved. Here, we examine antigen-experienced cells during mice, using scRNA-seq/TCR-seq and spatial transcriptomics. TCR transgenic EM initiate rapid Th1/Tr1 recall responses prior to proliferating, while GC Tfh counterparts are refractory, with CM /Tfh-like exhibiting modest non-proliferative...

10.1038/s41467-024-49879-6 article EN cc-by Nature Communications 2024-06-28
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