Search results for "Specificity"
showing 10 items of 2234 documents
Cellular and Molecular Heterogeneity Associated with Vessel Formation Processes
2018
The microvasculature heterogeneity is a complex subject in vascular biology. The difficulty of building a dynamic and interactive view among the microenvironments, the cellular and molecular heterogeneities, and the basic aspects of the vessel formation processes make the available knowledge largely fragmented. The neovascularisation processes, termed vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, arteriogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis, are important to the formation and proper functioning of organs and tissues both in the embryo and the postnatal period. These processes are intrinsically related to microvascular cells, such as endothelial and mural cells. These cells are able to adjust their activities in r…
Identification of Candida auris and related species by multiplex PCR based on unique GPI protein‐encoding genes
2020
Background The pathogen Candida auris is rapidly gaining clinical importance because of its resistance to antifungal treatments and its persistence in hospital environments. Early and accurate diagnosis of C. auris infections is crucial, however, the fungus has often been misidentified by commercial systems. Objectives To develop conventional and real-time PCR methods for accurate and rapid identification of C. auris and its discrimination from closely related species by exploiting the uniqueness of certain glycosylphosphatidylinositol-modified protein-encoding genes. Methods Species-specific primers for two unique putative GPI protein-encoding genes per species were designed for C. auris, …
Spatial clustering of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato within populations of Allen's chipmunks and dusky-footed woodrats in northwestern California.
2017
The ecology of Lyme borreliosis is complex in northwestern California, with several potential reservoir hosts, tick vectors, and genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The primary objective of this study was to determine the fine-scale spatial distribution of different genospecies in four rodent species, the California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi), northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus), dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes), and Allen's chipmunk (Neotamias senex). Rodents were live-trapped between June 2004 and May 2005 at the Hoopa Valley Tribal Reservation (HVTR) in Humboldt County, California. Ear-punch biopsies obtained from each rodent were tested by po…
Targeting distinct myeloid cell populations in vivo using polymers, liposomes and microbubbles
2016
Identifying intended or accidental cellular targets for drug delivery systems is highly relevant for evaluating therapeutic and toxic effects. However, limited knowledge exists on the distribution of nano- and micrometer-sized carrier systems at the cellular level in different organs. We hypothesized that clinically relevant carrier materials, differing in composition and size, are able to target distinct myeloid cell subsets that control inflammatory processes, such as macrophages, neutrophils, monocytes and dendritic cells. Therefore, we analyzed the biodistribution and in vivo cellular uptake of intravenously injected poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide) polymers, PEGylated liposomes…
Insect pathogenicity in plant-beneficial pseudomonads: phylogenetic distribution and comparative genomics
2016
Bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas occupy diverse environments. The Pseudomonas fluorescens group is particularly well-known for its plant-beneficial properties including pathogen suppression. Recent observations that some strains of this group also cause lethal infections in insect larvae, however, point to a more versatile ecology of these bacteria. We show that 26 P. fluorescens group strains, isolated from three continents and covering three phylogenetically distinct sub-clades, exhibited different activities toward lepidopteran larvae, ranging from lethal to avirulent. All strains of sub-clade 1, which includes Pseudomonas chlororaphis and Pseudomonas protegens, were highly insecticidal…
Characterization of a Fetal Liver Cell Population Endowed with Long-Term Multiorgan Endothelial Reconstitution Potential.
2016
et al.
Analysis of platelet function and dysfunction.
2014
SummaryAlthough platelets act as central players of haemostasis only their cross-talk with other blood cells, plasma factors and the vascular compartment enables the formation of a stable thrombus. Multiple activation processes and complex signalling networks are responsible for appropriate platelet function. Thus, a variety of platelet function tests are available for platelet research and diagnosis of platelet dysfunction. However, universal platelet function tests that are sensitive to all platelet function defects do not exist and therefore diagnostic algorithms for suspected platelet function disorders are still recommended in clinical practice.Based on the current knowledge of human p…
Activation of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 by human chorionic gonadotropin exerts a therapeutic effect on hepatic injury and…
2017
Incidence and prevalence of inflammatory liver diseases has increased over the last years, but therapeutic options are limited. Pregnancy induces a state of immune tolerance, which can result in spontaneous improvement of clinical symptoms of certain autoimmune diseases including autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). We investigated the immune-suppressive mechanisms of the human pregnancy hormone, chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in the liver. hCG signaling activates silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1), which deacetylates forkhead box o3 (FOXO3a), leading to repression of proapoptotic gene expression, because the immunosuppressive consequence attributed to the absence of caspas…
IL4 Primes the Dynamics of Breast Cancer Progression via DUSP4 Inhibition
2017
Abstract The tumor microenvironment supplies proinflammatory cytokines favoring a permissive milieu for cancer cell growth and invasive behavior. Here we show how breast cancer progression is facilitated by IL4 secreted by adipose tissue and estrogen receptor–positive and triple-negative breast cancer cell types. Blocking autocrine and paracrine IL4 signaling with the IL4Rα antagonist IL4DM compromised breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and tumor growth by downregulating MAPK pathway activity. IL4DM reduced numbers of CD44+/CD24− cancer stem-like cells and elevated expression of the dual specificity phosphatase DUSP4 by inhibiting NF-κB. Enforced expression of DUSP4 drove conversio…
Thymus-derived regulatory T cells are positively selected on natural self-antigen through cognate interactions of high functional avidity
2016
Regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing Foxp3 transcripton factor are essential for immune homeostasis. They arise in the thymus as a separate lineage from conventional CD4+Foxp3- T (Tconv) cells. Here, we show that the thymic development of Treg cells depends on the expression of their endogenous cognate self-antigen. The formation of these cells was impaired in mice lacking this self-antigen, while Tconv cell development was not negatively affected. Thymus-derived Treg cells were selected by self-antigens in a specific manner, while autoreactive Tconv cells were produced through degenerate recognition of distinct antigens. These distinct modes of development were associated with the expressi…