'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
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
Humanized HLA-DR4 mice fed with the protozoan pathogen of oysters Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) do not develop noticeable pathology but elicit systemic immunity.
AuthorsWijayalath W, Majji S, Kleschenko Y, Pow-Sang L, Brumeanu TD, Villasante EF, Vasta GR, Fernández-Robledo JA, Casares S,
Journal
PubMed ID24498105
Perkinsus marinus (Phylum Perkinsozoa) is a marine protozoan parasite responsible for
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
IFN-gamma-induced chemokines synergize with pertussis toxin to promote T cell entry to the central nervous system.
AuthorsMillward JM, Caruso M, Campbell IL, Gauldie J, Owens T
JournalJ Immunol
PubMed ID17548656
Inflammation of the CNS, which occurs during multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, is characterized by increased levels of IFN-gamma, a cytokine not normally expressed in the CNS. To investigate the role of IFN-gamma in CNS, we used intrathecal injection of a replication-defective adenovirus encoding murine IFN-gamma (AdIFNgamma) to IFN-gamma-deficient ... More
Ascaris suum-derived products suppress mucosal allergic inflammation in an interleukin-10-independent manner via interference with dendritic cell function.
AuthorsMcConchie BW, Norris HH, Bundoc VG, Trivedi S, Boesen A, Urban JF, Keane-Myers AM
JournalInfect Immun
PubMed ID16966410
We have previously demonstrated that protection from allergic inflammation by Ascaris suum infection was characterized by a global increase in interleukin-10 (IL-10) and the development of protective CD4(+)/CD25(+) T cells (L. Schopf, S. Luccioli, V. Bundoc, P. Justice, C. C. Chan, B. J. Wetzel, H. H. Norris, J. F. Urban, ... More
Neisseria meningitidis PorB, a Toll-like receptor 2 ligand, improves the capacity of Francisella tularensis lipopolysaccharide to protect mice against experimental tularemia.
Francisella tularensis causes severe pneumonia that can be fatal if it is left untreated. Due to its potential use as a biological weapon, research is being conducted to develop an effective vaccine and to select and study adjuvant molecules able to generate a better and long-lasting protective effect. PorB, a ... 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