Search results for "IMMUNOLOGY"
showing 10 items of 9651 documents
Arginase 1 Is a Marker of Myeloid-Mediated Immunosuppression with Prognostic Meaning in Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma
2016
Abstract Purpose : Neutrophilia is hallmark of classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL), but its precise characterization remains elusive. We aimed at investigating the immunosuppressive role of high-density neutrophils in HL. Experimental design : First, N-HL function was evaluated in vitro, showing increased arginase (Arg-1) expression and activity compared to healthy subjects. Second, we measured serum level of Arg-1 (s-Arg-1) by ELISA in two independent, training (N=40) and validation (N=78) sets. Results : s-Arg-1 was higher in patients with advanced stage (p=0.045), B-symptoms (p=0.0048) and a positive FDG-PET scan after two cycles of chemotherapy (PET-2, p=0.012). Baseline levels of s-Arg-1 &g…
Palbociclib - from Bench to Bedside and Beyond.
2016
Endocrine therapy is the cornerstone in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. During the last decades, much has been learned about the subtle regulation of the cell cycle. In this tightly regulated network, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) play a pivotal role. Especially CDK4/6 is the key regulator of the G1-S transition. Realizing its importance, specific inhibitors of CDK4/6 were developed. The drug most advanced in clinical development in this class is palbociclib (PD 0332991). This review highlights preclinical data and brings into focus early clinical trials that led to an accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as first-line treatment in co…
Analysis of miRNA expression profile induced by short term starvation in breast cancer cells treated with doxorubicin
2017
// Sergio Rizzo 1, * , Antonina Cangemi 1, * , Antonio Galvano 1, * , Daniele Fanale 1 , Silvio Buscemi 2 , Marcello Ciaccio 3 , Antonio Russo 1 , Sergio Castorina 4, 5, # and Viviana Bazan 1, # 1 Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy 2 Department of Internal and Specialistic Medicine (DIBIMIS), Laboratory of Clinical Nutrition, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy 3 Section of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Medicine, Department of Biopathology and Medical Biotechnology, University of Palermo, U.O.C. Laboratory Medicine, Policlinico University Hospital, Palermo, Italy 4 Fondazione Mediterranea…
Pharmacogenomics and the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.
2016
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clinically and biologically heterogeneous malignancy that is primarily treated with combinations of cytarabine and anthracyclines. Although this scheme remains effective in most of the patients, variability of outcomes in patients has been partly related with their genetic variability. Several pharmacogenetic studies have analyzed the impact of polymorphisms in genes encoding transporters, metabolizers or molecular targets of chemotherapy agents. A systematic review on all eligible studies was carried out in order to estimate the effect of polymorphisms of anthracyclines and cytarabine pathways on efficacy and toxicity of AML treatment. Other emerging gene…
A catch-22: Interleukin-22 and cancer.
2017
Barrier surfaces of multicellular organisms are in constant contact with the environment and infractions to the integrity of epithelial surfaces is likely a frequent event. Interestingly, components of the immune system, that can be activated by environmental compounds such as the microbiota or nutrients, are interspersed among epithelial cells or directly underlie the epithelium. It is now appreciated that immune cells continuously receive and integrate signals from the environment. Curiously, such continuous reception of stimulation does not normally trigger an inflammatory response but mediators produced by immune cells in response to such signals seem to rather promote barrier integrity…
Can Immunogenic Chemotherapies Relieve Cancer Cell Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors?
2019
The unprecedented clinical activity of checkpoint blockade in several types of cancers has formally demonstrated that anti-tumor immune responses are crucial in cancer therapy. Durable responses seen in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) show that they can trigger the establishment of long-lasting immunologic memory. This beneficial outcome is however achieved for a limited number of patients. In addition, late relapses are emerging suggesting the development of acquired resistances that compromise the anticancer efficacy of ICI. How can this be prevented through combination therapies? We here review the functions of immune checkpoints, the successes of ICI in treating…
Cestode parasites release extracellular vesicles with microRNAs and immunodiagnostic protein cargo.
2017
Intercellular communication is crucial in multiple aspects of cell biology. This interaction can be mediated by several mechanisms including extracellular vesicle (EV) transfer. EV secretion by parasites has been reported in protozoans, trematodes and nematodes. Here we report that this mechanism is present in three different species of cestodes, Taenia crassiceps, Mesocestoides corti and Echinococcus multilocularis. To confirm this we determined, in vitro, the presence of EVs in culture supernatants by transmission electron microscopy. Interestingly, while T. crassiceps and M. corti metacestodes secrete membranous structures into the culture media, similar vesicles were observed in the int…
IL-33 promotes food anaphylaxis in epicutaneously sensitized mice by targeting mast cells
2016
Background Cutaneous exposure to food allergens predisposes to food allergy, which is commonly associated with atopic dermatitis (AD). Levels of the epithelial cytokine IL-33 are increased in skin lesions and serum of patients with AD. Mast cells (MCs) play a critical role in food-induced anaphylaxis and express the IL-33 receptor ST2. The role of IL-33 in patients with MC-dependent food anaphylaxis is unknown. Objective We sought to determine the role and mechanism of action of IL-33 in patients with food-induced anaphylaxis in a model of IgE-dependent food anaphylaxis elicited by oral challenge of epicutaneously sensitized mice. Methods Wild-type, ST2-deficient, and MC-deficient Kit W-sh/…
Associations of epstein-barr virus-positive gastric adenocarcinoma with circulating mediators of inflammation and immune response
2018
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive gastric adenocarcinoma exhibits locally intense inflammation but systemic manifestations are uncertain. Our study examined whether circulating mediators of inflammation and immune response differ by tumor EBV status. From a Latvian series of 302 gastric cancer cases, we measured plasma levels of 92 immune-related proteins in the 28 patients with EBV-positive tumors and 34 patients with EBV-negative tumors. Eight markers were statistically significantly higher with tumor EBV positivity: chemokine C-C motif ligand (CCL) 20 (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.6; p-trend = 0.001), chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 9 (OR = 3.6; p-trend = 0.003), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1; OR…
Promises and Pitfalls in the Use of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Multiple Myeloma
2018
In the biology of multiple myeloma (MM), immune dysregulation has emerged as a critical component for novel therapeutic strategies. This dysfunction is due to a reduced antigen presentation, a reduced effector cell ability and a loss of reactive T cells against myeloma, together with a bone marrow microenvironment that favors immune escape. The Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) pathway is associated with the regulation of T cell activation and with the apoptotic pathways of effector memory T cells. Specifically, the binding with PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) on the surface of tumor plasma cells down-regulates T cell-proliferation, thus contributing to the immune escape of tumor cells. In relapsed and/or refr…