Article
Immunology
Nathalie Balandraud, Isabelle Auger, Jean Roudier
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between HLA-DRB1 and the risk of developing RA, and the results suggest that the HLA-DRB1 genotypic risks of developing RA correlate with the likelihoods of binding PAD4 peptides.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Minjie Xu, Rong Du, Wenping Xing, Xueting Chen, Jian Wan, Shengqing Wang, Li Xiong, Kutty Selva Nandakumar, Rikard Holmdahl, Hui Geng
Summary: Citrullinated neoepitopes have been identified as key triggers for the synthesis of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This study investigated the expression of citrullinated proteins and enzymes in human platelets and platelet-derived microparticles (PDP). The results revealed the presence of citrullinated autoantigens in platelets and PDPs, suggesting that they could be potential targets for ACPA in RA. These findings provide valuable insights into the role of platelets in triggering ACPA production in RA.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Beatriz Hernaez-Estrada, Ainhoa Gonzalez-Pujana, Andoni Cuevas, Ander Izeta, Kara L. L. Spiller, Manoli Igartua, Edorta Santos-Vizcaino, Rosa Maria Hernandez
Summary: Hair follicle-derived MSCs have unique immunomodulatory capacities and are advantageous as an alternative source due to their relatively painless and minimally risky extraction procedure. These cells show minimal responsiveness to pro-inflammatory environments, effectively inhibit the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, promote the induction of regulatory T cells, and skew macrophages towards M2 phenotypes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aleksander Roszczyk, Michal Zych, Katarzyna Zielniok, Natalia Krata, Jadwiga Turlo, Marzenna Klimaszewska, Radoslaw Zagozdzon, Beata Kaleta
Summary: The polysaccharides isolated from Lentinula edodes, particularly the Se-Le-30 fraction, have shown immunomodulatory effects on human T lymphocytes by inhibiting proliferation of CD3-stimulated T cells and enhancing cytokine synthesis. These findings suggest the potential use of Se-Le-30 as a therapeutic compound in immunomodulation research.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rodica Balasa, Smaranda Maier, Adina Hutanu, Septimiu Voidazan, Sebastian Andone, Mirela Oiaga, Doina Manu
Summary: This study provides evidence that Cladribine selectively and transiently depletes B and T cells, leading to an immunomodulatory effect in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It induces an anti-inflammatory phenotype by altering the secretion of cytokines.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anjali Somal, Irfan A. Bhat, Sriti Pandey, Mohd Matin Ansari, B. Indu, Bibhudatta S. K. Panda, Mukesh Kumar Bharti, Vikash Chandra, G. Saikumar, G. Taru Sharma
Summary: This study compared the immunomodulatory potential of caprine MSCs derived from fetal adnexa and found that cWJ MSCs and cAS MSCs showed significantly higher inhibition of PBMCs proliferation compared to cCB and cAF MSCs. The mRNA expression profile of immunomodulatory cytokines and growth factors varied among different sources of caprine fetal adnexa MSCs, suggesting a modulation of immunomodulation potential by different molecules.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Chia Chen, Chung-Ming Huang, Ting-Yuan Liu, Ning Wu, Chia-Jung Chan, Peng-Yu Shih, Hsin-Han Chen, Shih-Yin Chen, Fuu-Jen Tsai
Summary: Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that causes non-infectious inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. It can lead to severe health problems, impact daily life, and even result in death. Diagnosis of RA is often based on the presence of blood serological markers, but about 20% of patients have negative results for these markers, making diagnosis difficult and delaying treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yibo He, Changrong Ge, Alex Moreno-Giro, Bingze Xu, Christian M. Beusch, Katalin Sandor, Jie Su, Lei Cheng, Erik Lonnblom, Christina Lundqvist, Linda M. Slot, Dongmei Tong, Vilma Urbonaviciute, Bibo Liang, Taotao Li, Gonzalo Fernandez Lahore, Mike Aoun, Vivianne Malmstrom, Theo Rispens, Patrik Ernfors, Camilla I. Svensson, Hans Ulrich Scherer, Rene E. M. Toes, Inger Gjertsson, Olov Ekwall, Roman A. Zubarev, Rikard Holmdahl
Summary: Although anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), their in vivo functions remain unclear. In this study, monoclonal ACPAs derived from RA patients were expressed in mice and their functions were analyzed. One of the antibodies, clone E4, showed a protective effect against antibody-induced arthritis in mice, suggesting therapeutic potential for ACPAs in RA.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Gandhi Radis-Baptista
Summary: Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short polypeptides that have the ability to interact selectively with certain cell membranes, translocate across membranes, and accumulate in the cell cytoplasm and other subcellular compartments. They can intracellularly deliver various substances and nanomaterials, with potential applications in biomedicine and pharmaceutical biotechnology. Studies on venom peptides from animals have demonstrated their cell-penetrating activities and potential for modifying cell selectivity and target applications.
Article
Immunology
Tan Wan Jiun, Haslina Taib, Wan Majdiah Wan Mohamad, Suharni Mohamad, Wan Syamimee Wan Ghazali
Summary: This study found no significant association between the bacterial load of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a primary periodontal pathogen, and the levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontitis. Despite the prevalence of periodontitis among RA patients, the bacterial load does not have an impact on the production of anti-CCP antibodies.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yaling Yu, Huimin Xiao, Guoke Tang, Hongshu Wang, Junjie Shen, Yi Sun, Shuaiqun Wang, Wei Kong, Yimin Chai, Xuanzhe Liu, Xing Wang, Gen Wen
Summary: A light-sensitive decellularized dermal extracellular matrix-derived hydrogel was developed, which exhibited fast gelling performance, biomimetic porous microstructure, and abundant bioactive functions. In vivo experiments demonstrated that this hydrogel significantly promoted skin wound healing, improved tissue and collagen expression, and enhanced angiogenesis. Furthermore, the hydrogel facilitated the transition of macrophage phenotype from M1 to M2, contributing to skin regeneration. Thus, this decellularized dermal matrix-derived bioactive hydrogel shows promise for clinical translation in the treatment of cutaneous wound healing.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Gabriel C. A. Costa, Fernando A. A. Silva, Veronica M. Manzato, Ricardo J. S. Torquato, Yamile G. Gonzalez, Luiz F. Parizi, Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior, Aparecida S. Tanaka
Summary: In this study, a recombinant chimeric protein composed of three different tick saliva proteins was constructed and tested in rabbit immunization experiments. The results showed that the chimeric protein had protective effects and antimicrobial activity. These findings suggest that the chimeric protein has potential value for tick control.
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Na Li, Ying Ma, Niuniu Chen, Xiaoyu Tang, Shanshan Lv
Summary: This study investigates the effect of microwave on the stability of peptide bonds in silk protein, and finds that microwave irradiation causes minor damage and negligible cleavage of the peptide bonds compared to conventional heating methods, making it suitable for silk protein dissolution.
ADVANCED FIBER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yi Sun Choi, Eunseon Jeong, Jung Seung Lee, Su Kyeom Kim, Sung-Hyun Jo, Yun-Gon Kim, Hak-Joon Sung, Seung-Woo Cho, Yoonhee Jin
Summary: Lymph node extracellular matrix (LNEM) can mimic lymph node microenvironments and enhance immunomodulatory effects, promoting M2 macrophage polarization and secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In a 3D LNEM environment, macrophage phagocytic function is improved, showing potential for drug testing and tissue healing applications. LNEM hydrogel implantation facilitates macrophage recruitment and polarization towards M2 phenotype for tissue healing, indicating the utility of 3D immune system-mimicking biomaterials in tissue modeling and regenerative medicine.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Lisha Ma, Wensheng Wang, Lisha Li, Ying Chen, Binxuan Chen, Miaoli Shao, Yongjun Cheng, Renfang Zhou
Summary: This study evaluated a novel fully automated immunoturbidimetric assay for the detection of anti-CCP antibodies and compared it with the conventional ELISA method. The results showed that the four anti-CCP assays provided similar diagnostic information for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with Qiangsheng's method being potentially more useful for large scale clinical screening due to its shorter testing time.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Abdulla Watad, Nicola L. Bragazzi, Giovanni Damiani, Ella Nissan, Doron Comaneshter, Arnon D. Cohen, Howard Amital
Summary: The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was found to be significantly higher in DM/PM patients compared to controls, suggesting a potential association between these autoimmune disorders and thyroid disorders. More research is needed to fully understand this relationship.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ella Nissan, Abdulla Watad, Arnon D. Cohen, Kassem Sharif, Johnatan Nissan, Howard Amital, Ora Shovman, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi
Summary: This study found a significant association between polymyositis (PM) and epilepsy, with dermatomyositis (DM) showing a non-significant positive trend. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of epilepsy comorbidity in patients with immune-mediated myopathies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hussein Mahajna, Keren Vaknin, Jennifer Ben Shimol, Abdulla Watad, Arsalan Abu-Much, Naim Mahroum, Ora Shovman, Yehuda Shoenfeld, Howard Amital, Tima Davidson
Summary: This study evaluated the diagnostic yield of 18FDG-PET/CT in the work-up of FUO and found that the test is particularly effective in diagnosing patients with anemia and weight loss, with a high accuracy rate for FUO diagnosis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yanina Ivashko-Pachima, Maram Ganaiem, Inbar Ben-Horin-Hazak, Alexandra Lobyntseva, Naomi Bellaiche, Inbar Fischer, Gilad Levy, Shlomo Sragovich, Gidon Karmon, Eliezer Giladi, Shula Shazman, Boaz Barak, Illana Gozes
Summary: This study found that different mutations in activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) have varying levels of impairments on microtubule (MT) function, with the NAPV portion of NAPVSIPQ having biological activity. The researchers discovered that a specific mutation, p.Lys408Valfs*31, regained a SH3-binding motif due to a frameshift insertion, suggesting retained toxic function. They also found that NAP normalized MT activities in all ADNP mutations, while SKIP showed reduced efficacy in terms of MT-Tau interactions. Additionally, the study revealed a direct and indirect association between ADNP and SHANK3, providing insights for further research on the functions of these two genes.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Milena Tocut, Gilad Halpert, Avishai M. Tsur, Kassem Sharif, Harald Heidecke, Yair Levy, Abdulla Watad, Howard Amital, Yehuda Shoenfeld
Summary: The study reveals a significant association between the levels of circulating autoantibodies targeting autonomic nervous system receptors and symptoms such as memory impairment, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbances in women with SBIs.
Article
Neurosciences
Gidon Karmon, Shlomo Sragovich, Gal Hacohen-Kleiman, Inbar Ben-Horin-Hazak, Petr Kasparek, Bjorn Schuster, Radislav Sedlacek, Metsada Pasmanik-Chor, Paschalis Theotokis, Olga Touloumi, Sofia Zoidou, Linxuan Huang, Pei You Wu, Roy Shi, Oxana Kapitansky, Alexandra Lobyntseva, Eliezer Giladi, Guy Shapira, Noam Shomron, Stefan Bereswill, Markus M. Heimesaat, Nikolaos Grigoriadis, R. Anne McKinney, Moran Rubinstein, Illana Gozes
Summary: The study used CRISPR-Cas9 editing to create mice with a mutation similar to the most common ADNP syndrome mutation. NAP was found to correct the abnormal gene expression and has potential as a drug target for ADNP syndrome. This research provides valuable insights into the pathology and potential treatment options for ADNP syndrome.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Aviram Akuka, Niv Ben-Shabat, Abdulla Watad, Avishai M. Tsur, Scott Ehrenberg, Dennis McGonagle, Doron Comaneshter, Roy Beinart, Arnon D. Cohen, Howard Amital
Summary: This study is the first large population-based study conducted on seropositive adults, and it found a positive association between anti-Ro seropositivity and adult cardiac conduction disturbances and, to a lesser extent, cardiac rhythm disturbances.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Maram Ganaiem, Gidon Karmon, Yanina Ivashko-Pachima, Illana Gozes
Summary: By using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, researchers have found that different mutations in the ADNP gene lead to distinct phenotypes in neuroblastoma cells. The p.Pro403* mutation is associated with an increase in the number and length of neurites, while the p.Tyr718* mutation decreases cell numbers. These phenotypic differences are related to increased expression of the mutant proteins in the cytoplasm, and the p.Tyr718* mutation leads to reduced nuclear/cytoplasmic boundaries, which can be corrected by the ADNP-derived drug candidate NAP.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olga Lesya Kukuy, Ron Cohen, Boris Gilburd, Eleanor Zeruya, Talia Weinstein, Timna Agur, Dganit Dinour, Pazit Beckerman, Alexander Volkov, Johnatan Nissan, Tima Davidson, Howard Amital, Yehuda Shoenfeld, Ora Shovman
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between the levels of anti-PLA2R antibodies and disease activity and prognosis in PMN patients in a western population. The findings suggest that higher levels of anti-PLA2R antibodies at diagnosis are associated with higher proteinuria, lower serum albumin and remission after one year.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Efrosiniia Talalai, Denis Gorobets, Gilad Halpert, Avishai M. Tsur, Harald Heidecke, Yair Levy, Abdulla Watad, Miri Blank, Izhak Michaelevski, Yehuda Shoenfeld, Howard Amital
Summary: In this study, the functional activity of purified IgG antibodies derived from symptomatic women with silicone breast implants (SBI) was investigated. It was found that these antibodies dysregulated inflammatory cytokines in activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Additionally, behavioral studies in mice showed that injection of IgG antibodies from symptomatic women with SBI resulted in altered behavior, indicating a potential pathogenic role of these antibodies in SBI-related illness.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yael Lavi, Aristo Vojdani, Gilad Halpert, Kassem Sharif, Yuri Ostrinski, Israel Zyskind, Miriam T. Lattin, Jason Zimmerman, Jonathan Silverberg, Avi Z. Rosenberg, Yehuda Shoenfeld, Howard Amital
Summary: In this cross-sectional study, dysregulated levels of various autoantibodies against neuronal and CNS-related autoantigens were found in convalescent COVID-19 patients. These antibodies were correlated with the severity of the disease and may be associated with the neurological and psychological symptoms commonly reported in COVID-19 patients.
Article
Immunology
Adam Slavick, Victoria Furer, Ari Polachek, Reut Tzemach, Ori Elkayam, Smadar Gertel
Summary: Monocytes play a crucial role in immune response and inflammation, especially in joint diseases. The distribution of synovial monocytes differs among different types of arthritis. Therapeutic agents have the potential to modulate monocyte function and may be used as targets for arthritis treatment.
IMMUNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Polina Kagan, Noy Horesh, Howard Amital, Avishai M. M. Tsur, Abdulla Watad, Arnon D. D. Cohen, Niv Ben-Shabat
Summary: AS patients in Israel have a higher overall risk of cancer compared to controls, especially for solid malignancies, CNS, kidney, and malignancy of unknown primary. Older age, comorbidity of diabetes and IBD, and treatment with DMARDs were associated with a higher risk of solid malignancies within AS patients, while NSAIDs treatment alone had a protective effect.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Assaf Greenbaum, Gilad Halpert, Arad Dotan, Shaked Shivatzki, Harald Heidecke, Ricky Kaplan Neeman, Michael Ehrenfeld, Amit Wolfovitz, Howard Amital, Yael Henkin, Yehuda Shoenfeld
Summary: Many women with silicone breast implants (SBIs) experience hearing impairments, including hearing loss and tinnitus. Audiologic evaluation showed that a majority of women with SBIs exhibited hearing loss. However, removal of the silicone implants led to improvement or resolution of hearing complaints in a significant proportion of women. This suggests a strong association between SBIs and hearing impairments, which needs to be further investigated with larger study populations.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kassem Sharif, Niv Ben-Shabat, Muhammad Mahagna, Uria Shani, Abdulla Watad, Arnon D. Cohen, Howard Amital
Summary: This study found an association between polymyositis and dermatomyositis (PM/DM) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The shared genetic factors may indicate a common pathophysiological background between these two diseases.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2022)