'The pattern recognition receptor, RAGE, has been shown to be involved in adaptive immune responses but its role on the components of these responses is not well understood. We have studied the effects of a small molecule inhibitor of RAGE and the deletion of the receptor (RAGE-/- mice) on T ... More
Immunization with HIV-1 Gag protein conjugated to a TLR7/8 agonist results in the generation of HIV-1 Gag-specific Th1 and CD8+ T cell responses.
AuthorsWille-Reece U, Wu CY, Flynn BJ, Kedl RM, Seder RA,
JournalJ Immunol
PubMed ID15944268
'One strategy to induce optimal cellular and humoral immune responses following immunization is to use vaccines or adjuvants that target dendritic cells and B cells. Activation of both cell types can be achieved using specific TLR ligands or agonists directed against their cognate receptor. In this study, we compared the ... More
Toll-like receptor 9 expression in murine and human adrenal glands and possible implications during inflammation.
AuthorsTran N, Koch A, Berkels R, Boehm O, Zacharowski PA, Baumgarten G, Knuefermann P, Schott M, Kanczkowski W, Bornstein SR, Lightman SL, Zacharowski K
JournalJ Clin Endocrinol Metab
PubMed ID17473064
'Sepsis is a leading cause of death in the Western world and can be associated with failure of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. A coordinated response of the adrenal and immune system is of vital importance for survival during sepsis. Within the immune response, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role by ... More
Extracellular purine metabolism and signaling of CD73-derived adenosine in murine Treg and Teff cells.
CD73-derived adenosine acts as potent inhibitor of inflammation, and regulatory T cells (Treg) have been shown to express CD73 as a novel marker. This study explored the role of endogenously formed adenosine in modulating NF-?B activity and cytokine/chemokine release from murine Treg and effector T cells (Teff) including key enzymes/purinergic ... More
Armed CD4+ Th1 effector cells and activated macrophages participate in bile duct injury in murine biliary atresia.
AuthorsMack CL, Tucker RM, Sokol RJ, Kotzin BL,
JournalClin Immunol
PubMed ID15885644
Biliary atresia (BA) is an inflammatory cholangiopathy of infancy. A proposed mechanism regarding the pathogenesis of BA is that of a virus-induced, immune-mediated injury to bile ducts. The rotavirus (RRV)-induced murine model of BA was utilized to determine the hepatic inflammatory response related to ductal obstruction and if the immune ... More
Mesenchymal stem cells secrete multiple cytokines that promote angiogenesis and have contrasting effects on chemotaxis and apoptosis.
AuthorsBoomsma RA, Geenen DL,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID22558198
We have previously shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) improve function upon integration in ischemic myocardium. We examined whether specific cytokines and growth factors produced by MSCs are able to affect angiogenesis, cellular migration and apoptosis. Conditioned media (CM) was prepared by culturing MSC for 48 hours. CM displayed significantly ... More
Abatacept limits breach of self-tolerance in a murine model of arthritis via effects on the generation of T follicular helper cells.
Abatacept modulates CD28-mediated T cell costimulation and is efficacious in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Its mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated but will likely reveal critical pathologic pathways in RA. We show that abatacept substantially modulated Ag-specific T and B cell responses in vivo. Ag-specific T ... More
Mycoplasma pneumoniae induces host-dependent pulmonary inflammation and airway obstruction in mice.
AuthorsFonseca-Aten M, Ríos AM, Mejías A, Chávez-Bueno S, Katz K, Gómez AM, McCracken GH, Hardy RD
JournalAm J Respir Cell Mol Biol
PubMed ID15626776
Respiratory tract infections result in wheezing in a subset of patients. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common etiologic agent of acute respiratory infection in children and adults that has been associated with wheezing in 20-40% of individuals. The current study was undertaken to elucidate the host-dependent pulmonary and immunologic response to ... More
Intranasal interleukin-12 therapy inhibits Mycoplasma pneumoniae clearance and sustains airway obstruction in murine pneumonia.
AuthorsSalvatore CM, Fonseca-Aten M, Katz-Gaynor K, Gomez AM, Hardy RD
JournalInfect Immun
PubMed ID18039833
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia and is associated with asthma. Evidence links M. pneumoniae respiratory disease severity with interleukin-12 (IL-12) concentrations in respiratory secretions. We evaluated the effects of IL-12 therapy on microbiologic, inflammatory, and pulmonary function indices of M. pneumoniae pneumonia in mice. BALB/c mice were ... More
Gasoline exhaust emissions induce vascular remodeling pathways involved in atherosclerosis.
Epidemiological evidence indicates that environmental air pollutants are positively associated with the development of chronic vascular disease; however, the mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. In the present study we examined molecular pathways associated with chronic vascular disease in atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice, including markers of vascular remodeling ... More