Search results for "Immune system"

Enhanced in vivo targeting of murine nonparenchymal liver cells with monophosphoryl lipid A functionalized microcapsules.

2014

A broad spectrum of infectious liver diseases emphasizes the need of microparticles for targeted delivery of immunomodulatory substances to the liver. Microcapsules (MCs) are particularly attractive for innovative drug and vaccine formulations, enabling the combination of antigen, drugs, and adjuvants. The present study aimed to develop microcapsules characterized by an enhanced liver deposition and accelerated uptake by nonparenchymal liver cells (NPCs). Initially, two formulations of biodegradable microcapsules were synthesized from either hydroxyethyl starch (HES) or mannose. Notably, HES-MCs accumulated primarily in the liver, while mannose particles displayed a lung preference. Functio…

2018

The design of multifunctional polymer-based vectors, forming pDNA vaccines, offers great potential in cancer immune therapy. The transfection of dendritic immune cells (DCs) with tumour antigen-encoding pDNA leads to an activation of the immune system to combat tumour cells. In this work, we investigated the chemical attachment of DEC205 antibodies (aDEC205) as DC-targeting structures to polyplexes of P(Lys)-b-P(HPMA). The conjugation of a synthetic block copolymer and a biomacromolecule with various functionalities (aDEC205) requires bioorthogonal techniques to avoid side reactions. Click chemistry and in particular the strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) can provide the req…

Core Cross-Linked Polymeric Micelles for Specific Iron Delivery: Inducing Sterile Inflammation in Macrophages.

2021

Iron is an essential co-factor for cellular processes. In the immune system, it can activate macrophages and represents a potential therapeutic for various diseases. To specifically deliver iron to macrophages, iron oxide nanoparticles are embedded in polymeric micelles of reactive polysarcosine-block-poly(S-ethylsulfonyl-l-cysteine). Upon surface functionalization via dihydrolipoic acid, iron oxide cores act as crosslinker themselves and undergo chemoselective disulfide bond formation with the surrounding poly(S-ethylsulfonyl-l-cysteine) block, yielding glutathione-responsive core cross-linked polymeric micelles (CCPMs). When applied to primary murine and human macrophages, these nanoparti…

Effect of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Table Olives on the ImmuneInflammatory Responses: Potential Clinical Applications

2017

Background and Objective: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the common element among the Mediterranean countries. It can be considered a nutraceutical and functional food, thanks to its bioactive compounds. It can act and modulate different processes linked to ageing and age-related diseases related to a common chronic low grade inflammation. Depending on the cultivar, the growth conditions, the period of harvesting, the productive process and time of product storage, EVOO could contain different amount of vegetal components. Of course, the same is for table olives. Methods: The aim of our review is to summarize the effects of EVOO and table olives on the immunemediated inflammatory respons…

CD8+CD45RA+CD27-CD28-T-cell subset in PBL of cervical cancer patients representing CD8+T-cells being able to recognize cervical cancer associated ant…

2003

Objective In response to antigenic stimulation, naive MHC-class I restricted and antigen-specific CD8+CD45RA+CD28+T-cells undergo clonal expansion and differentiate into CD8+CD45RO+ memory T-cells. Upon re- encounter with the nominal antigen, CD45RO+ T-cells are able to convert to CD8+CD45RA+CD28-T-cells displaying potent immune effector functions, including TNF-alpha production. This T-cell subpopulation constitutes a minor population in healthy individuals. In the present study we are currently evaluating whether this particular T-cell subset in PBL represents CD8+T-cells which may be able to recognize cervical cancer associated antigens provided by HPV 16 E7. Material and methods Flow-cy…

Urticaria in Pediatrics and During Pregnancy and Lactation: Highlights on Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management

2021

Chronic urticaria (CU) in children as in adults is characterized by the presence of itchy wheals, angioedema, or both daily or almost daily for at least 6 weeks. Most cases of urticaria in the pediatric age group are acute [1–4]. CU is sub-classified as spontaneous (occurring without a known trigger) or inducible. There are also cases of spontaneous and inducible forms that co-exist. The chronic subtypes occur continuously but also recurrently, often in association with infections. In this chapter we will touch briefly on the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of acute urticaria in children. However, our primary goal is to highlight key findings regarding the epidemiology, dia…

Model for Generation of Large Numbers of Primary, Inflammatory Skin-Derived Neutrophils, and Macrophages

2012

Tissue macrophages and inflammatory neutrophils represent important cells of the innate immune system responsible for various important tasks, i.e., elimination of pathogens and/or granuloma formation. Isolation of large numbers of primary phagocytes is vital for research with these cells. Within this protocol, we present a strategy for isolation of large numbers of inflammatory neutrophils and macrophages from murine skin that allows for follow-up in vivo or in vitro studies.

Cellular Models and Assays to Study NLRP3 Inflammasome Biology

2020

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multi-protein complex that initiates innate immunity responses when exposed to a wide range of stimuli, including pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Inflammasome activation leads to the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 and to pyroptotic cell death. Over-activation of NLRP3 inflammasome has been associated with several chronic inflammatory diseases. A deep knowledge of NLRP3 inflammasome biology is required to better exploit its potential as therapeutic target and for the development of new selective drugs. To this purpose, in the past few years, several tools have…

Acute organ failure following the loss of anti-apoptotic cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein involves activation of innate immune receptors

2014

Apoptosis signaling is involved in both physiological tissue homeostasis and acute and chronic diseases. The role of regulatory apoptosis signaling molecules and their organ-specific functions are less defined. Therefore, we investigated the loss of the anti-apoptotic cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (cFLIP) and the mechanisms of the resulting lethal organ failure in vivo using inducible knockout mice. These were generated by crossing floxed cFLIP mice to a tamoxifen inducible Rosa26-creERT2 mouse strain. Death following global loss of cFLIP resulted from liver failure, accumulation of M1-polarized macrophages and accompanying hepatic cell death and inflammation. Apoptosis was also promine…

Cardiac Glycosides Exert Anticancer Effects by Inducing Immunogenic Cell Death

2012

Some successful chemotherapeutics, notably anthracyclines and oxaliplatin, induce a type of cell stress and death that is immunogenic, hence converting the patient's dying cancer cells into a vaccine that stimulates antitumor immune responses. By means of a fluorescence microscopy platform that allows for the automated detection of the biochemical hallmarks of such a peculiar cell death modality, we identified cardiac glycosides (CGs) as exceptionally efficient inducers of immunogenic cell death, an effect that was associated with the in- hibition of the plasma membrane Na + - and K + -dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na + /K + -ATPase). CGs ex- acerbated the antineoplastic effects of DN…