Search results for "tissue homeostasi"
showing 10 items of 61 documents
Extracellular vesicles in the oligodendrocyte microenvironment
2019
Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) recently took centre stage as mediators of cellular crosstalk modulating the tissue microenvironment. Released by all types of neural cells, EVs may execute a broad spectrum of functions ranging from maintenance of neuronal homeostasis and regulation of neural plasticity to the spread of neurodegenerative agents. Myelinating oligodendrocytes and axons form a highly specialized functional entity that depends on intimate interactions within the oligodendrocyte-neuron niche. EVs released by oligodendrocytes are internalized by neurons in response to neuronal signals and exhibit neuroprotective properties but also may influence other cells present in the mi…
Circulating exosomes deliver free fatty acids from the bloodstream to cardiac cells: Possible role of CD36
2019
Regulation of circulating free fatty acid (FFA) levels and delivery is crucial to maintain tissue homeostasis. Exosomes are nanomembranous vesicles that are released from diverse cell types and mediate intercellular communication by delivering bioactive molecules. Here, we sought to investigate the uptake of FFAs by circulating exosomes, the delivery of FFA-loaded exosomes to cardiac cells and the possible role of the FFA transporter CD36 in these processes. Circulating exosomes were purified from the serum of healthy donors after an overnight fast (F) or 20 minutes after a high caloric breakfast (postprandial, PP). Western blotting, Immunogold Electron Microscopy and FACS analysis of circu…
Inflammatory Response Mechanisms of the Dentine–Pulp Complex and the Periapical Tissues
2021
The macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the oral cavity is complex and unique in the human body. Soft-tissue structures are in close interaction with mineralized bone, but also dentine, cementum and enamel of our teeth. These are exposed to intense mechanical and chemical stress as well as to dense microbiologic colonization. Teeth are susceptible to damage, most commonly to caries, where microorganisms from the oral cavity degrade the mineralized tissues of enamel and dentine and invade the soft connective tissue at the core, the dental pulp. However, the pulp is well-equipped to sense and fend off bacteria and their products and mounts various and intricate defense mechanisms. The fron…
Repurposing of Drugs Targeting YAP-TEAD Functions
2018
Drug repurposing is a fast and consolidated approach for the research of new active compounds bypassing the long streamline of the drug discovery process. Several drugs in clinical practice have been reported for modulating the major Hippo pathway’s terminal effectors, namely YAP (Yes1-associated protein), TAZ (transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif) and TEAD (transcriptional enhanced associate domains), which are directly involved in the regulation of cell growth and tissue homeostasis. Since this pathway is known to have many cross-talking phenomena with cell signaling pathways, many efforts have been made to understand its importance in oncology. Moreover, this could be rele…
Single cell RNAseq provides a molecular and cellular cartography of changes to the human endometrium through the menstrual cycle
2018
In a human menstrual cycle, the endometrium undergoes remodeling, shedding, and regeneration which are driven by substantial gene expression changes in the underlying cellular hierarchy. Despite its importance in human fertility and regenerative biology, mechanistic understanding of this unique type of tissue homeostasis remains rudimentary. Here, we characterized the transcriptomic transformation of human endometrium at single cell resolution, dissecting multidimensional cellular heterogeneity of the tissue across the entire natural menstrual cycle. We analyzed 6 endometrial cell types, including a previously uncharacterized ciliated epithelial cell type, during four major phases of endome…
Tc17 biology and function: Novel concepts
2020
Research over the past years has provided increasing understanding about IL-17-producing CD8+ T cells termed Tc17 or IL-17+ CD8+ T cells, their distribution and role in a range of diverse immune processes. These comprise resistance to pathogens and tissue homeostasis, but also contribution to autoimmunity and cancer, as well as involvement in gut inflammation, lung diseases and graft-versus-host-disease. Tc17 cells are regulated by unique differentiation mechanisms distinguishing them from other IL-17-producing T cells, including Th17, mucosal-associated invariant T cells, and γδ17 T cells, thus ensuring their specific function in immune responses. Here, we review recent advances in underst…
Harnessing mechanosensation in next generation cardiovascular tissue engineering
2020
The ability of the cells to sense mechanical cues is an integral component of ”social” cell behavior inside tissues with a complex architecture. Through ”mechanosensation” cells are in fact able to decrypt motion, geometries and physical information of surrounding cells and extracellular matrices by activating intracellular pathways converging onto gene expression circuitries controlling cell and tissue homeostasis. Additionally, only recently cell mechanosensation has been integrated systematically as a crucial element in tissue pathophysiology. In the present review, we highlight some of the current efforts to assess the relevance of mechanical sensing into pathology modeling and manufact…
The good and bad of targeting cancer-associated extracellular matrix
2017
The maintenance of tissue homeostasis requires extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Immune cells actively participate in regenerating damaged tissues contributing to ECM deposition and shaping. Dysregulated ECM deposition characterizes fibrotic diseases and cancer stromatogenesis, where a chronic inflammatory state sustains the ECM increase. In cancer, the ECM fosters several steps of tumor progression, providing pro-survival and proliferative signals, promoting tumor cell dissemination via collagen fibers or acting as a barrier to impede drug diffusion. Interfering with processes leading to chronic ECM deposition, as occurring in cancer, might allow the simultaneous targeting of both pri…
Rheostatic Functions of Mast Cells in the Control of Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses
2017
Mast cells are evolutionarily ancient cells, endowed with a unique developmental, phenotypic, and functional plasticity. They are resident cells that participate in tissue homeostasis by constantly sampling the microenvironment. As a result of their large repertoire of receptors, they can respond to multiple stimuli and selectively release different types and amounts of mediator. Here, we present and discuss the recent mast cell literature, focusing on studies that demonstrate that mast cells are more than a switch that is turned âoffâ when in the resting state and âonâ when in the degranulating state. We propose a new vision of mast cells in which, by operating in a ârheostaticâ…
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…