Article
Immunology
Wei Zhang, Eun-Koung An, Juyoung Hwang, Jun-O Jin
Summary: The study found that LPS can directly stimulate pDCs via the TLR4/MD2 pathway and promote the activation of pDCs and cDCs. cDCs may contribute to the enhancement of IFN-alpha production in pDCs.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tomotoshi Sugita, Sotaro Sampei, Kento Koketsu
Summary: Lacto-N-fucopentaose III (LNFP III) is a human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) that has potential health benefits in infants. This study explores the production of LNFP III using engineered Escherichia coli. A new alpha 1,3-fucosyltransferase (alpha 1,3-FucT) from Parabacteroides goldsteinii (PgsFucT) was identified, which showed specific reactivity for GlcNAc in the LacNAc skeleton. The E. coli strain expressing PgsFucT achieved high yields of LNFP III with decreased byproduct formation compared to previous studies.
JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Praneeth R. Kuninty, Karin Binnemars-Postma, Ahmed Jarray, Kunal P. Pednekar, Marcel A. Heinrich, Helen J. Pijffers, Hetty ten Hoopen, Gert Storm, Peter van Hoogevest, Wouter K. den Otter, Jai Prakash
Summary: In this study, engineered nanoliposomes mimic peroxidated phospholipids and specifically target tumor-associated macrophages. The nanoliposomes are efficiently taken up by M2 macrophages and can reduce premetastatic niche or tumor growth in vivo upon treatment with inhibitors or drugs.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Caigui Xiang, Chen Fan, Qiukai Lu, Moting Liu, Huimin Lu, Chunlan Feng, Yanwei Wu, Bing Wu, Heng Li, Wei Tang
Summary: Our study demonstrated that CSF-1R expression was increased in HDM-induced experimental asthma and inhibition of CSF-1R significantly affected the disease severity of asthma by suppressing allergic mediators secretion, airway epithelium dysfunction, and inflammatory cells infiltration. Furthermore, CSF-1R inhibitor could notably restrain the polarization and expression of transcriptional factors of alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs) induced by IL-4/IL-13 and reduce the recruitment of CSF1R-dominant macrophages in both acute and chronic allergic airway inflammation models.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jiqing Tang, Jun Liu, Qiaojuan Yan, Zhenglong Gu, Avery August, Weishan Huang, Zhengqiang Jiang
Summary: This study demonstrates that KMOS can ameliorate intestinal inflammation and improve intestinal immunity by modulating macrophage function in a SIGNR1-mediated pathway.
MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuan-Tung Chu, Min-Tser Liao, Kuo-Wang Tsai, Kuo-Cheng Lu, Wan-Chung Hu
Summary: A comprehensive framework has been established to understand immunological pathways, and specific associations between immune responses and immune receptors have been identified. These findings contribute to the identification of biomarkers for immune cells and provide insights into host immunological pathways.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nour Eissa, Omar Elgazzar, Hayam Hussein, Geoffrey N. Hendy, Charles N. Bernstein, Jean-Eric Ghia
Summary: The CHGA-derived peptide PST exacerbates the severity of ulcerative colitis by decreasing AAM functions and disrupting epithelial homeostasis, thus promoting the inflammatory process.
Review
Immunology
Kenneth K. Y. Ting, Jenny Jongstra-Bilen, Myron I. Cybulsky
Summary: Recent advances in immunometabolism have highlighted the role of metabolites in fine-tuning inflammatory responses in myeloid cells. Competition for cofactors regulates the balance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathways, allowing for precise control of the inflammatory response.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Qinqin Liu, Mingqiang Hua, Chen Zhang, Ruiqing Wang, Jinting Liu, Xinyu Yang, Fengjiao Han, Ming Hou, Daoxin Ma
Summary: The bone marrow microenvironment in AML patients exhibits immunosuppressive features, and NLRP3-activated BMDCs are found to promote the differentiation of Th1 cells while inhibiting leukemia cell proliferation. This study sheds light on potential immunotherapeutic strategies for AML patients.
Article
Immunology
Patrick Fernandes Rodrigues, Athanasios Kouklas, Grozdan Cvijetic, Nicolas Bouladoux, Mladen Mitrovic, Jigar V. Desai, Djalma S. Lima-Junior, Michail S. Lionakis, Yasmine Belkaid, Robert Ivanek, Roxane Tussiwand
Summary: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a critical role in immune responses, but recent studies have discovered a previously unknown immune subset called pDC-like cells. These cells not only resemble pDCs but also have features of conventional DCs (cDCs). It has been found that a significant proportion of cDC2s originate from these pDC-like cells, which can be referred to as pre-DC2. This precursor subset responds to homeostatic cytokines and differentiates into cDC2, which prime T helper 17 (TH17) cells. The development of pre-DC2 into specific cDC2 subsets requires the transcription factor KLF4 and plays a role in regulating immune responses at barrier sites.
SCIENCE IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Federica Piattini, Mai Matsushita, Jonathan Muri, Peter Bretscher, Xiaogang Feng, Stefan Freigang, Jesmond Dalli, Christoph Schneider, Manfred Kopf
Summary: The study revealed that the conditional deletion of Gpx4 in specific myeloid cell lineages in mice did not affect the development and function of certain immune cells, but determined the sensitivity of tissue macrophages to lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis based on activation cues.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Stephane Koda, Beibei Zhang, Qian-Yang Zhou, Na Xu, Jing Li, Ji-Xin Liu, Man Liu, Zi-Yan Lv, Jian-Ling Wang, Yanbiao Shi, Sijia Gao, Qian Yu, Xiang-Yang Li, Yin-Hai Xu, Jia-Xu Chen, B. Oneill Telakeng Tekengne, Gabriel K. Adzika, Ren-Xian Tang, Hong Sun, Kui-Yang Zheng, Chao Yan
Summary: This study reveals that beta 2-AR deficiency alleviates hepatobiliary damage in mice infected with C. sinensis by decreasing the activation and infiltration of M2 macrophages and reducing the production of type 2 cytokines associated with liver fibrosis. Furthermore, it shows that macrophages from Adrb2(-/-) mice exhibit decreased M2 markers and reduced ERK/mTORC1 phosphorylation compared to those from Adrb2(+/+), indicating the role of beta 2-AR in enhancing type 2 immune response through the ERK/mTORC1 signaling pathway in macrophages and their involvement in liver fibrosis.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anette Christ, Pieter G. Goossens, Erwin Wijnands, Han Jin, Bart Legein, Tammy Oth, Aaron Isaacs, Monika Stoll, Joris Vanderlocht, Esther Lutgens, Mat J. A. P. Daemen, Martin Zenke, Erik A. L. Biessen
Summary: Hyperlipidemia significantly affects the activation and immune response of pDCs, particularly in response to pathogen-derived signals.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Taizo Mori, Sachiyo Yoshio, Shiori Yoshikawa, Yuriko Tsustui, Toshihiro Sakata, Yuichi Yoshida, Yuzuru Sakamoto, Hironari Kawai, Yosuke Osawa, Taiji Yamazoe, Yoshihiko Aoki, Simon P. P. Fletcher, Tatsuya Kanto
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated whether the novel Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist GS-986 could activate immune responses involved in hepatitis B virus (HBV) elimination. The results showed that GS-986 stimulated plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to induce follicular helper T cell (Tfh) differentiation and antigen-specific B cell production, which may have potential benefits for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marcelle Mehu, Chandrakala Aluganti Narasimhulu, Dinender K. Singla
Summary: Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by damage to the intima, inflammatory cell recruitment, and lipid accumulation followed by calcification and plaque rupture. Inflammation is believed to play a crucial role in the development and progression of the disease. This paper discusses the various types of inflammatory cells involved in atherosclerosis and their significance in the disease's development and progression. Understanding the role of these cells at different stages of the disease provides valuable insights for targeted therapy.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Jasmine A. McDonald, Piera M. Cirillo, Parisa Tehranifar, Nickilou Y. Krigbaum, Natalie J. Engmann, Barbara A. Cohn, Mary Beth Terry
REPRODUCTIVE TOXICOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Nickilou Y. Krigbaum, Piera M. Cirillo, Julie D. Flom, Jasmine A. McDonald, Mary Beth Terry, Barbara A. Cohn
REPRODUCTIVE TOXICOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrea Angeli, Mariana Pinteala, Stelian S. Maier, Bogdan C. Simionescu, Akram A. Da'dara, Patrick J. Skelly, Claudiu T. Supuran
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2020)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Catherine S. Nation, Akram A. Da'dara, Jeffrey K. Marchant, Patrick J. Skelly
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2020)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Rebecca D. Kehm, Jasmine A. McDonald, Suzanne E. Fenton, Marion Kavanaugh-Lynch, Karling Alice Leung, Katherine E. McKenzie, Jeanne S. Mandelblatt, Mary Beth Terry
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2020)
Article
Immunology
Akram A. Da'dara, Manal Elzoheiry, Samar N. El-Beshbishi, Patrick J. Skelly
Summary: The research shows that schistosomes are able to cleave exogenous vitamin B6 and produce pyridoxal, which helps the parasites participate in essential, vitamin B6-driven metabolism. When the surface enzyme SmAP in schistosomes is suppressed, their ability to cleave exogenous vitamin B6 significantly decreases, indicating the important role of SmAP in parasite's vitamin B6 metabolism.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Jasmine A. McDonald, Roshni Rao, Marley Gibbons, Rajiv Janardhanan, Surinder Jaswal, Ravi Mehrotra, Manoj Pandey, Venkatraman Radhakrishnan, Pooja Ramakant, Nandini Verma, Mary Beth Terry
Summary: The incidence of breast cancer in India, particularly among young women, is rising without population-based mammography screening. Experts convened to discuss this trend, environmental exposures, and clinical implications associated with breast cancer in India, and outlined recommendations for its management. Consensus was reached on the association of late-stage breast cancer prevalence and high mortality rates with detection practices primarily through clinical and self-breast exams rather than mammography. Sessions included discussions on Triple-Negative BC (TNBC) etiology, potential risk factors, limited treatment options, and the need for more rigorous scientific evidence to support reported TNBC rates. The Think Tank session resulted in long-term and short-term goals aimed at reducing breast cancer incidence in India, including regional etiological studies on environmental exposures, standardization for molecular subtyping of breast cancer cases, and enhancing public awareness of breast health.
CANCER CAUSES & CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ayana K. April-Sanders, Parisa Tehranifar, Erica Lee Argov, Shakira F. Suglia, Carmen B. Rodriguez, Jasmine A. McDonald
Summary: The study found that exposure to parental maltreatment and diagnosis of tonsillitis in childhood may be associated with early menarche in women. However, other indicators of adversities and infectious mononucleosis were not statistically associated with the timing of menarche. The findings suggest that early life experiences may have an impact on reproductive development in girls.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Andrea Angeli, Marta Ferraroni, Akram A. Da'dara, Silvia Selleri, Mariana Pinteala, Fabrizio Carta, Patrick J. Skelly, Claudiu T. Supuran
Summary: This study revealed the inhibitory effects of selenoureido compounds on the tegumental carbonic anhydrase of Schistosoma mansoni, and resolved the X-ray crystal structures of this enzyme in complex with inhibitors, providing important insights into the structural features. The results help identify compounds that specifically inhibit the schistosome enzyme without affecting the human enzyme, laying the groundwork for the development of more potent antiparasitic agents in the future.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David B. Pirovich, Akram A. Da'dara, Patrick J. Skelly
Summary: Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase is a ubiquitous cytosolic enzyme that plays a key role in carbohydrate metabolism, as well as carries out non-enzymatic functions; it has been found on the extracellular surface of pathogens and parasites, contributing to virulence enhancement.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Catherine S. Nation, Akram A. Da'dara, Manal Elzoheiry, Patrick J. Skelly
Summary: Schistosomes promote Treg survival by cleaving NAD and ATP, creating a less hostile immune environment for the parasites.
Review
Parasitology
Patrick J. Skelly, Catherine S. Nation, Akram A. Da'Dara
Summary: Intravascular schistosomes control immune and hemostatic responses by regulating host purinergic signaling molecules and utilize membrane-bound ectonucleotidases to degrade these molecules and provide vital nutrients.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Rebecca D. Kehm, Adana A. M. Llanos, Jasmine A. McDonald, Parisa Tehranifar, Mary Beth Terry
Summary: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and there are multiple risk factors that can be intervened to reduce the burden of breast cancer. However, there is a lack of evidence-based cancer control programs for key risk factors such as alcohol, breastfeeding, and environmental chemical exposures. Even for existing programs on physical activity, obesity, and tobacco control, only a small fraction meets the quality criteria and are developed for populations facing breast cancer disparities. Therefore, there is a need for evidence-based interventions to address important risk factors and reduce breast cancer disparities.
Article
Oncology
Wayne R. Lawrence, Jasmine A. McDonald, Faustine Williams, Meredith S. Shiels, Neal D. Freedman, Ziqiang Lin, Jared W. Magnani
Summary: Chronic stress is hypothesized to be associated with breast cancer, but previous studies have shown mixed results. This study examined the association between self-reported stressful life events and incident breast cancer in postmenopausal women, taking into account estrogen receptor (ER) status and social support. The results showed that there was no relationship between stressful life events and ER-positive breast cancer, but there was an increased risk of ER-negative breast cancer in women with higher levels of stressful life events. This association was stronger in widowed women. Social support did not modify the relationship between stressful life events and ER-negative breast cancer.
CANCER PREVENTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adana A. M. Llanos, Amber Rockson, Kylie Getz, Patricia Greenberg, Eva Portillo, Jasmine A. McDonald, Dede K. Teteh, Justin Villasenor, Carolina Lozada, Jamirra Franklin, Vaishnavi More, Zorimar Rivera-Nunez, Carolyn W. Kinkade, Emily S. Barrett
Summary: Evidence shows that certain groups, such as femme-identifying individuals and racial and ethnic minorities, bear unequal burdens of chemical exposures from personal care products (PCPs). This study used an online questionnaire to assess PCP purchasing and usage behaviors and perceptions among a sample of US adults. The findings indicate that females use more PCPs than males, and there are variations in usage patterns among different racial and ethnic groups. Study participants generally expressed moderate concern about exposures and health effects from using PCPs, with minimal differences by gender, race, and ethnicity.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)