Search results for "Row"
showing 10 items of 9311 documents
Crescere in terre di mafia
2014
Questo studio, in continuità teorica con altri che lo precedono, rappresenta un amplia-mento delle conoscenze sulla relazione tra adolescenza e mafia. La ricerca si è proposta come obiettivo l’esplorazione dell’universo adolescenziale all’interno di specifici contesti sociali in cui la presenza di organizzazioni criminali è pregnante, focalizzando l’attenzione sulle modalità at-traverso cui vengono affrontati i compiti evolutivi all’interno di contesti caratterizzati da alta densità mafiosa e spesso contraddistinti da una percezione dello spazio sociale che rende pro-blematico lo sviluppo personale, economico e politico. La ricerca ha coinvolto 93 adolescenti che vivono in regioni meridiona…
Induction of B-cell development in adult mice reveals the ability of bone marrow to produce B-1a cells
2009
AbstractTo study B-cell development from bone marrow (BM), we generated recombination-activating gene 1 (Rag1)–targeted mice lacking mature lymphocytes. B-cell development can be induced in such mice by B cell–specific restoration of a functional Rag1 transcription unit. Follicular and marginal zone B cells populated the spleen when Rag1 expression was permitted. Notably, the peritoneal cavity was dominated by bona fide B-1a cells, as judged by surface markers and functional properties. These BM-derived B-1a cells exhibited a polyclonal VDJ repertoire with substantial N nucleotide insertions. Nevertheless, physiologic frequencies of phosphatidylcholine-specific B cells were detected. Import…
Controversies on the role of Th17 in cancer: a TGF-β-dependent immunosuppressive activity?
2012
The immune system has important roles in limiting the spread of cancer and shaping the tumor microenvironment. Although the contributions of T helper 17 (Th17) cells (a subtype of CD4(+) T lymphocytes) to autoimmunity and allergy response are well known, their roles in cancer remain ambiguous. Despite adoptive transfer studies indicating that mouse Th17 cells support anticancer immunity, the Th17 cells that naturally infiltrate experimental tumors appear to have a tumor-promoting effect. These contradictory properties can be related to the high degree of plasticity inherent in Th17 cells and their capacity to differentiate into tumoricidal Th1-like cells. Mouse Th17 cells induced by transfo…
Stat3 and Gfi-1 Transcription Factors Control Th17 Cell Immunosuppressive Activity via the Regulation of Ectonucleotidase Expression
2012
International audience; Although Th17 cells are known to promote tissue inflammation and autoimmunity, their role during cancer progression remains elusive. Here, we showed that in vitro Th17 cells generated with the cytokines IL-6 and TGF-β expressed CD39 and CD73 ectonucleotidases, leading to adenosine release and the subsequent suppression of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell effector functions. The IL-6-mediated activation of the transcription factor Stat3 and the TGF-β-driven downregulation of Gfi-1 transcription factor were both essential for the expression of ectonucleotidases during Th17 cell differentiation. Stat3 supported whereas Gfi-1 repressed CD39 and CD73 expression by binding to thei…
Lymphoma cell apoptosis in the liver induced by distant murine cytomegalovirus infection.
2006
ABSTRACTCytomegalovirus (CMV) poses a threat to the therapy of hematopoietic malignancies by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, but efficient reconstitution of antiviral immunity prevents CMV organ disease. Tumor relapse originating from a minimal residual leukemia poses another threat. Although a combination of risk factors was supposed to enhance the incidence and severity of transplantation-associated disease, a murine model of a liver-adapted B-cell lymphoma has previously shown a survival benefit and tumor growth inhibition by nonlethal subcutaneous infection with murine CMV. Here we have investigated the underlying antitumoral mechanism. Virus replication proved to be required, …
Coexpression of TGF-β1 and IL-10 Enables Regulatory T Cells to Completely Suppress Airway Hyperreactivity
2008
Abstract In allergic airway disease, Treg may play an important role in the modulation of airway hyperreactivity (AHR) and inflammation. We therefore investigated the therapeutic potential of Treg in an Ag-dependent murine asthma model. We here describe that AHR can be completely suppressed by adoptive transfer of Treg overexpressing active TGF-β1. Using mice with impaired TGF-β signaling in T cells, we could demonstrate that TGF-β signaling in recipient effector T cells or transferred Treg themselves is not required for the protective effects on AHR. However, the expression of IL-10 by Treg was found to be essential for the suppression of AHR, since Treg overexpressing active TGF-β1 but de…
IL-21 regulates experimental colitis by modulating the balance between Treg and Th17 cells
2007
Regulatory T (T(reg)) cells play a key role in the maintenance of the immune system homeostasis. T(reg) cells can be generated in the periphery under control of TGF-beta, a cytokine involved in the negative control of the immune system. However, TGF-beta cooperates with IL-6 in the generation of Th17 cells, a novel class of effector cells involved in numerous inflammatory diseases, including colitis. Therefore, TGF-beta emerges as a mediator of both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory processes, depending on the local cytokine milieu. Here we demonstrate that IL-21, a type-1 cytokine produced by T cells and involved in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases, prevents the TGF-beta-d…
Epigenetic dysregulation in the developing Down syndrome cortex
2016
Using Illumina 450K arrays, 1.85% of all analyzed CpG sites were significantly hypermethylated and 0.31% hypomethylated in fetal Down syndrome (DS) cortex throughout the genome. The methylation changes on chromosome 21 appeared to be balanced between hypo- and hyper-methylation, whereas, consistent with prior reports, all other chromosomes showed 3–11 times more hyper- than hypo-methylated sites. Reduced NRSF/REST expression due to upregulation of DYRK1A (on chromosome 21q22.13) and methylation of REST binding sites during early developmental stages may contribute to this genome-wide excess of hypermethylated sites. Upregulation of DNMT3L (on chromosome 21q22.4) could lead to de novo methyl…
CAF-like state in primary skin fibroblasts with constitutional BRCA1 epimutation sheds new light on tumor suppressor deficiency-related changes in he…
2016
Constitutive epimutations of tumor suppressor genes are increasingly considered as cancer predisposing factors equally to sequence mutations. In light of the emerging role of the microenvironment for cancer predisposition, initiation, and progression, we aimed to characterize the consequences of a BRCA1 epimutation in cells of mesenchymal origin. We performed a comprehensive molecular and cellular comparison of primary dermal fibroblasts taken from a monozygous twin pair discordant for recurrent cancers and BRCA1 epimutation, whose exceptional clinical case we previously reported in this journal. Comparative transcriptome analysis identified differential expression of extracellular matrix-r…
Epithelial contribution to the profibrotic stiff microenvironment and myofibroblast population in lung fibrosis
2017
The contribution of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to the profibrotic stiff microenvironment and myofibroblast accumulation in pulmonary fibrosis remains unclear. We examined EMT-competent lung epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts from control (fibrosisfree) donors or patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which is a very aggressive fibrotic disorder. Cells were cultured on profibrotic conditions including stiff substrata and TGF-β1, and analyzed in terms of morphology, stiffness, and expression of EMT/myofibroblast markers and fibrillar collagens. All fibroblasts acquired a robust myofibroblast phenotype on TGF-β1 stimulation. Yet IPF myofibroblasts exhibited highe…