Search results for "IMMUNOLOGY"

Increased survival of honeybees in the laboratory after simultaneous exposure to low doses of pesticides and bacteria

2018

Recent studies of honeybees and bumblebees have examined combinatory effects of different stressors, as insect pollinators are naturally exposed to multiple stressors. At the same time the potential influences of simultaneously occurring agricultural agents on insect pollinator health remain largely unknown. Due to different farming methods, and the drift of applied agents and manure, pollinators are most probably exposed to insecticides but also bacteria from organic fertilizers at the same time. We orally exposed honeybee workers to sub-lethal doses of the insecticide thiacloprid and two strains of the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis, which can occur in manure from farming animals. Our re…

An essential role for the IL-2 receptor in Treg cell function

2016

Regulatory T cells (Treg cells), which have abundant expression of the interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R), are reliant on IL-2 produced by activated T cells. This feature indicates a key role for a simple network based on the consumption of IL-2 by Treg cells in their suppressor function. However, congenital deficiency in IL-2R results in reduced expression of the Treg cell lineage-specification factor Foxp3, which has confounded experimental efforts to understand the role of IL-2R expression and signaling in the suppressor function of Treg cells. Using genetic gain- and loss-of-function approaches, we found that capture of IL-2 was dispensable for the control of CD4+ T cells but was important …

Interleukin-2 Functionalized Nanocapsules for T Cell-Based Immunotherapy.

2016

A major demand on immunotherapy is the direct interference with specific immune cells in vivo. In contrast to antibody-engineered nanoparticles to control dendritic cells function, targeting of T cells for biomedical applications still remains an obstacle as they disclose reduced endocytic activities. Here, by coupling the cytokine interleukin-2 (IL-2) to the surface of hydroxyethyl starch nanocapsules, we demonstrated a direct and specifc T cell targeting in vitro and in vivo by IL-2 receptor-mediated internalization. For this purpose, defined amounts of azide-functionalized IL-2 were linked to alkyne-functionalized hydroxyethyl starch nanocapsules via copper-free click reactions. In combi…

Editorial: The Molecular Mechanisms of Cyclic AMP in Regulation of Immunity and Tolerance

2017

Exogenous TNFR2 activation protects from acute GvHD via host T reg cell expansion

2015

Activation of TNFR2 with a novel agonist expands T reg cells in vivo and protects allo-HCT recipients from acute GvHD while sparing antilymphoma and antiinfectious properties of transplanted donor T cells.

The emerging role of IL-1 inhibition in patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes

2018

Background Although in the past, prevention of the joint destruction and disability was strongly emphasised in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), at present, a growing body of evidence is focused at identifying the best management of associated comorbidities, such as Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Recently, the hypothesis that blocking pro-inflammatory activity may be helpful in the treatment of some comorbidities has been proposed in RA patients. Objective We reviewed the role of IL-1β during RA and T2D, the efficacy of IL-1 blocking agents in controlling both diseases and, possible, decreasing the concomitant enhanced atherosclerotic process. Method After literature search, the available evidence has bee…

ILC3 in Axial Spondyloarthritis: the Gut Angle

2019

Purpose of Review: A growing body of evidence supports the relevance of the interleukin-23/interleukin-17 (IL-23/IL-17) pathway for the pathogenesis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and its treatment. Recently, innate lymphoid cells (ILC), a heterogeneous family of immune effector cells, have been identified as a relevant contributor in tissue homeostasis, partially via IL-23/IL-17 axis. This review describes the biology and the origins of the group 3 ILCs (ILC3s) in humans, focusing on their role in the pathogenesis of axSpA. Recent Findings: Clinical trials showed the effectiveness of IL23/IL-17 axis inhibition in both spondyloarthritis (SpA) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Recent…

Course of serum autoantibodies in patients after acute angle-closure glaucoma attack

2017

Background The aim of our current investigation was to analyze the autoantibody -reactivities of patients after acute angle closure glaucoma (AACG) by means of a protein microarray approach to identify intraocular pressure (IOP)-dependent antibodies. Methods Collected sera from different study time points (AACG n = 6, 0, 2, 4 and 12 weeks) and control group (CTRL n = 11, 0 and 12 weeks) were analyzed. Protein-microarrays were incubated with sera and occurring immunoreactivities were visualized with fluorescence labeled anti-human-IgG antibodies. To detect changes, spot intensities were digitized and compared with statistical techniques. Results Three autoantibodies with significant level-al…

Cytokine profile of breast cell lines after different radiation doses

2017

Purpose: Ionizing radiation (IR) treatment activates inflammatory processes causing the release of a great amount of molecules able to affect the cell survival. The aim of this study was to analyze the cytokine signature of conditioned medium produced by non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cell line MCF10A, as well as MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, after single high doses of IR in order to understand their role in high radiation response. Materials and methods: We performed a cytokine profile of irradiated conditioned media of MCF10A, MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines treated with 9 or 23 Gy, by Luminex and ELISA analyses. Results: Overall, our results show that both 9 Gy and 23 …

Competition between strains of Borrelia afzelii inside the rodent host and the tick vector

2018

Multiple-strain pathogens often establish mixed infections inside the host that result in competition between strains. In vector-borne pathogens, the competitive ability of strains must be measured in both the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector to understand the outcome of competition. Such studies could reveal the existence of trade-offs in competitive ability between different host types. We used the tick-borne bacteriumBorrelia afzeliito test for competition between strains in the rodent host and the tick vector, and to test for a trade-off in competitive ability between these two host types. Mice were infected via tick bite with either one or two strains, and these mice were subse…