Search results for "COMMUNICATION"
showing 10 items of 9338 documents
Identification of neuronal and angiogenic growth factors in an in vitro blood-brain barrier model system: Relevance in barrier integrity and tight ju…
2016
We previously demonstrated that the co-cultivation of endothelial cells with neural cells resulted in an improved integrity of the in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB), and that this model could be useful to evaluate the transport properties of potential central nervous system disease drugs through the microvascular brain endothelial. In this study we have used real-time PCR, fluorescent microscopy, protein arrays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to determine which neural- and endothelial cell-derived factors are produced in the co-culture and improve the integrity of the BBB. In addition, a further improvement of the BBB integrity was achieved by adjusting serum concentrations and grow…
Activation and selective IL-17 response of human Vγ9Vδ2 T lymphocytes by TLR-activated plasmacytoid dendritic cells.
2016
// Elena Lo Presti 1,2 , Nadia Caccamo 1,2 , Valentina Orlando 1,2 , Francesco Dieli 1,2 and Serena Meraviglia 1,2 1 Central Laboratory of Advanced Diagnosis and Biomedical Research (CLADIBIOR), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy 2 Department of Biopathology and Medical Biotechnologies (DIBIMED), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy Correspondence to: Serena Meraviglia, email: // Keywords : γδ T cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, IL-17, TLR activation, proliferation, Immunology and Microbiology Section, Immune response, Immunity Received : July 20, 2016 Accepted : August 02, 2016 Published :August 31, 2016 Abstract Vγ9Vδ2 T cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are two distinc…
Co-chaperone Hsp70/Hsp90-organizing protein (Hop) is required for transposon silencing and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) biogenesis
2017
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are 26–30-nucleotide germ line-specific small non-coding RNAs that have evolutionarily conserved function in mobile genetic element (transposons) silencing and maintenance of genome integrity. Drosophila Hsp70/90-organizing protein homolog (Hop), a co-chaperone, interacts with piRNA-binding protein Piwi and mediates silencing of phenotypic variations. However, it is not known whether Hop has a direct role in piRNA biogenesis and transposon silencing. Here, we show that knockdown of Hop in the germ line nurse cells (GLKD) of Drosophila ovaries leads to activation of transposons. Hop GLKD females can lay eggs at the same rate as wild-type counterparts, but the e…
A webGIS-based system for real time shelf life prediction
2016
Technologies to acquire and monitor changes in the product shelf life were described.Four different SL predictive models were considered.A simulated transport using a prototype of Smart Logistic Unit was analysed.Real time shelf life prediction system was implemented in a webGIS platform. Shelf-life (SL) prediction and Least Shelf-life First Out (LSFO) stock strategy are important factors in perishable food supply chain in order to reduce quality and economic losses.In particular, distribution represents one of the main critical phases in logistic chain management and only the introduction of monitoring procedure can allow a reduction in food losses. Literature shows several mathematical mo…
Decentralised trust-management inspired by ant pheromones
2017
Computational trust is increasingly utilised to select interaction partners in open technical systems consisting of heterogeneous, autonomous agents. Current approaches rely on centralised elements for managing trust ratings (i.e. control and provide access to aggregated ratings). Consider a grid computing application as illustrating example: agents share their computing resources and cooperate in terms of processing computing jobs. These agents are free to join and leave, and they decide on their own with whom to interact. The impact of malicious or uncooperative agents can be countered by only cooperating with agents that have shown to be benevolent: trust relationships are established. T…
Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Expression in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Modulates Cancer Cell Growth and Migration
2017
AbstractTumor stroma-secreted growth factors, cytokines, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) influence tumor development from early stages to the metastasis phase. Previous studies have demonstrated downregulation of ROS-producing extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD3) in thyroid cancer cell lines although according to recent data, the expression of SOD3 at physiological levels stimulates normal and cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, to analyze the expression of SOD3 in tumor stroma, we characterized stromal cells from the thyroid. We report mutually exclusive desmoplasia and inflammation in papillary and follicular thyroid cancers and the presence of multipotent mesenchymal stem/stroma…
Pterostilbene Decreases the Antioxidant Defenses of Aggressive Cancer Cells In Vivo: A Physiological Glucocorticoids- and Nrf2-Dependent Mechanism
2016
Abstract Aims: Polyphenolic phytochemicals have anticancer properties. However, in mechanistic studies, lack of correlation with the bioavailable concentrations is a critical issue. Some reports had suggested that these molecules downregulate the stress response, which may affect growth and the antioxidant protection of malignant cells. Initially, we studied this potential underlying mechanism using different human melanomas (with genetic backgrounds correlating with most melanomas), growing in nude mice as xenografts, and pterostilbene (Pter, a natural dimethoxylated analog of resveratrol). Results: Intravenous administration of Pter decreased human melanoma growth in vivo. However, Pter, …
Cholera Toxin Subunit B for Sensitive and Rapid Determination of Exosomes by Gel Filtration.
2020
We developed a sensitive fluorescence-based assay for determination of exosome concentration. In our assay, Cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) conjugated to a fluorescence probe and a gel filtration technique (size-exclusion chromatography) are used. Exosomal membranes are particularly enriched in raft-forming lipids (cholesterol, sphingolipids, and saturated phospholipids) and in GM1 ganglioside. CTB binds specifically and with high affinity to exosomal GM1 ganglioside residing in rafts only, and it has long been the probe of choice for membrane rafts. The CTB-gel filtration assay allows for detection of as little as 3 × 108 isolated exosomes/mL in a standard fluorometer, which has a sensitivit…
Oxidative stress biomarkers in Fabry disease: is there a room for them?
2020
Abstract Background Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder, caused by deficient activity of the alpha-galactosidase A enzyme leading to progressive and multisystemic accumulation of globotriaosylceramide. Recent data point toward oxidative stress signalling which could play an important role in both pathophysiology and disease progression. Methods We have examined oxidative stress biomarkers [Advanced Oxidation Protein Products (AOPP), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), thiolic groups] in blood samples from 60 patients and 77 healthy controls. Results AOPP levels were higher in patients than in controls (p < 0.00001) and patients presented decreased levels of…