Cell Adhesion Molecules and Their Roles and Regulation in the Immune and Tumor Microenvironment

The immune system and cancer have a complex relationship with the immune system playing a dual role in tumor development. The effector cells of the immune system can recognize and kill malignant cells while immune system-mediated inflammation can also promote tumor growth and regulatory cells suppress the anti-tumor responses. In the center of all anti-tumor responses is the ability of the immune cells to migrate to the tumor site and to interact with each other and with the malignant cells. Cell adhesion molecules including receptors of the immunoglobulin superfamily and integrins are of crucial importance in mediating these processes. Particularly integrins play a vital role in regulating all aspects of immune cell function including immune cell trafficking into tissues, effector cell activation and proliferation and the formation of the immunological synapse between immune cells or between immune cell and the target cell both during homeostasis and during inflammation and cancer. In this review we discuss the molecular mechanisms regulating integrin function and the role of integrins and other cell adhesion molecules in immune responses and in the tumor microenvironment. We also describe how malignant cells can utilize cell adhesion molecules to promote tumor growth and metastases and how these molecules could be targeted in cancer immunotherapy.Peer reviewe

Preventing Diabetes in patients with Metabolic Syndrome

The information provided in this handout does not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Minnesota Medical School physicians and faculty. These materials are provided for informational purposes only and are in no way intended to take the place of the advice and recommendations of your personal health care provider. You use the information provided in these handouts at your own risk.Patients with Metabolic Syndrome have an increased risk of developing Diabetes compared to those with impaired glucose tolerance alone. Treatment with acarbose has been shown to reduce the risk of developing Diabetes from 18.7% to 13.5% in patients with Metabolic Syndrome. This provides a relative risk reduction of 27% per year. The number needed to treat to prevent diabetes over 3.3 years was 5.8 in those patients with Metabolic Syndrome. In patients without Metabolic Syndrome, the intervention was less successful with a number needed to treat of 16.5.Haasken, Steven. (2009). Preventing Diabetes in patients with Metabolic Syndrome. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/53690

Fc gamma Receptor III and Fc gamma Receptor IV on Macrophages Drive Autoimmune Valvular Carditis in Mice

Tumourgenetics and immunogenetic