332 research outputs found

    Dealing with Danger in the CNS: The Response of the Immune System to Injury

    Get PDF
    Fighting pathogens and maintaining tissue homeostasis are prerequisites for survival. Both of these functions are upheld by the immune system, though the latter is often overlooked in the context of the CNS. The mere presence of immune cells in the CNS was long considered a hallmark of pathology, but this view has been recently challenged by studies demonstrating that immunological signaling can confer pivotal neuroprotective effects on the injured CNS. In this review, we describe the temporal sequence of immunological events that follow CNS injury. Beginning with immediate changes at the injury site, including death of neural cells and release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and progressing through innate and adaptive immune responses, we describe the cascade of inflammatory mediators and the implications of their post-injury effects. We conclude by proposing a revised interpretation of immune privilege in the brain, which takes beneficial neuro-immune communications into account

    RIPK3-Dependent Recruitment of Low-Inflammatory Myeloid Cells Does Not Protect from Systemic Salmonella Infection

    Get PDF
    ABSTRACT Regulated macrophage death has emerged as an important mechanism to defend against intracellular pathogens. However, the importance and consequences of macrophage death during bacterial infection are poorly resolved. This is especially true for the recently described RIPK3-dependent lytic cell death, termed necroptosis. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is an intracellular pathogen that precisely regulates virulence expression within macrophages to evade and manipulate immune responses, which is a key factor in its ability to cause severe systemic infections. We combined genetic and pharmacological approaches to examine the importance of RIPK3 for S. Typhimurium-induced macrophage death using conditions that recapitulate bacterial gene expression during systemic infection in vivo. Our findings indicate that noninvasive S. Typhimurium does not naturally induce macrophage necroptosis but does so in the presence of pan-caspase inhibition. Moreover, our data suggest that RIPK3 induction (following caspase inhibition) does not impact host survival following S. Typhimurium infection, which differs from previous findings based on inert lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections. Finally, although necroptosis is typically characterized as highly inflammatory, our data suggest that RIPK3 skews the peritoneal myeloid population away from an inflammatory profile to that of a classically noninflammatory profile. Collectively, these data improve our understanding of S. Typhimurium-macrophage interactions, highlight the possibility that purified bacterial components may not accurately recapitulate the complexity of host-pathogen interactions, and reveal a potential and unexpected role for RIPK3 in resolving inflammation. IMPORTANCE Macrophages employ multiple strategies to limit pathogen infection. For example, macrophages may undergo regulated cell death, including RIPK3-dependent necroptosis, as a means of combatting intracellular bacterial pathogens. However, bacteria have evolved mechanisms to evade or exploit immune responses. Salmonella is an intracellular pathogen that avoids and manipulates immune detection within macrophages. We examined the contribution of RIPK3 to Salmonella-induced macrophage death. Our findings indicate that noninvasive Salmonella does not naturally induce necroptosis, but it does so when caspases are inhibited. Moreover, RIPK3 induction (following caspase inhibition) does not impact host survival following Salmonella systemic infection. Finally, our data show that RIPK3 induction results in recruitment of low-inflammatory myeloid cells, which was unexpected, as necroptosis is typically described as highly inflammatory. Collectively, these data improve our understanding of pathogen-macrophage interactions, including outcomes of regulated cell death during infection in vivo, and reveal a potential new role for RIPK3 in resolving inflammation

    The Ursinus Weekly, May 12, 1952

    Get PDF
    WSGA to install officers at banquet on Thursday • Sororities hold dances, elections • Ruby selects photographer • College physician, famous coach, dies • WAA gives banquet • Bus. Ad. club takes poll • Queen and court reign at May Day pageant • Commencement, Baccalaureate speakers announced • Rosicrucians to entertain new members • Curtain Club, Alpha Psi elect new presidents • Four fraternities pick new officers • Voegler to speak at Pottstown • Campus groups hold annual elections: IRC, FTA, French Club • Queen to be on TV • Editorials: Good idea; Class struggle; Capitalistic noise and smoke • Class of 1952 is invited to Alumni Association dinner • Phila. Story is grand success • Alumni group plans banquet • Pinned • Ursinus routs Pharmacy with twenty run splurge • Snell\u27s Belles win in opener • Feist hurls five hitter, Bears rout Drexel, 9-4 • Physics Department develops film loops for better teaching • Famous columnist and editor speaks to FTA • Plans of \u2752 graduates reveal varied interests • Elizabethtown wins with eight run inning, 10 to 3 • Belles trounce West Chester • Men\u27s tennis squad victor • JV softball team whips Drexel 8-3 • Ursinus cinder men lose close meet to Albright • Ursinus finishes second in track • Y plans hot dog roast for May 14 • Marine representative speaks • Engagement • Marriagehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1544/thumbnail.jp

    NLRP6 negatively regulates innate immunity and host defence against bacterial pathogens

    Get PDF
    Members of the intracellular nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) family contribute to immune responses through activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B), type I interferon and inflammasome signalling(1). Mice lacking the NLR family member NLRP6 were recently shown to be susceptible to colitis and colorectal tumorigenesis(2-4), but the role of NLRP6 in microbial infections and the nature of the inflammatory signalling pathways regulated by NLRP6 remain unclear. Here we show that Nlrp6-deficient mice are highly resistant to infection with the bacterial pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Infected Nlrp6-deficient mice had increased numbers of monocytes and neutrophils in circulation, and NLRP6 signalling in both haematopoietic and radioresistant cells contributed to increased susceptibility. Nlrp6 deficiency enhanced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the canonical NF-kappa B pathway after Toll-like receptor ligation, but not cytosolic NOD1/2 ligation, in vitro. Consequently, infected Nlrp6-deficient cells produced increased levels of NF-kappa B-and MAPK-dependent cytokines and chemokines. Thus, our results reveal NLRP6 as a negative regulator of inflammatory signalling, and demonstrate a role for this NLR in impeding clearance of both Gram-positive and -negative bacterial pathogens

    Liver Is Able to Activate Naïve CD8+ T Cells with Dysfunctional Anti-Viral Activity in the Murine System

    Get PDF
    The liver possesses distinct tolerogenic properties because of continuous exposure to bacterial constituents and nonpathogenic food antigen. The central immune mediators required for the generation of effective immune responses in the liver environment have not been fully elucidated. In this report, we demonstrate that the liver can indeed support effector CD8+ T cells during adenovirus infection when the T cells are primed in secondary lymphoid tissues. In contrast, when viral antigen is delivered predominantly to the liver via intravenous (IV) adenovirus infection, intrahepatic CD8+ T cells are significantly impaired in their ability to produce inflammatory cytokines and lyse target cells. Additionally, intrahepatic CD8+ T cells generated during IV adenovirus infection express elevated levels of PD-1. Notably, lower doses of adenovirus infection do not rescue the impaired effector function of intrahepatic CD8+ T cell responses. Instead, intrahepatic antigen recognition limits the generation of potent anti-viral responses at both priming and effector stages of the CD8+ T cell response and accounts for the dysfunctional CD8+ T cell response observed during IV adenovirus infection. These results also implicate that manipulation of antigen delivery will facilitate the design of improved vaccination strategies to persistent viral infection

    Absolute oxygen-guided radiation therapy improves tumor control in three preclinical tumor models

    Get PDF
    BackgroundClinical attempts to find benefit from specifically targeting and boosting resistant hypoxic tumor subvolumes have been promising but inconclusive. While a first preclinical murine tumor type showed significant improved control with hypoxic tumor boosts, a more thorough investigation of efficacy from boosting hypoxic subvolumes defined by electron paramagnetic resonance oxygen imaging (EPROI) is necessary. The present study confirms improved hypoxic tumor control results in three different tumor types using a clonogenic assay and explores potential confounding experimental conditions.Materials and methodsThree murine tumor models were used for multi-modal imaging and radiotherapy: MCa-4 mammary adenocarcinomas, SCC7 squamous cell carcinomas, and FSa fibrosarcomas. Registered T2-weighted MRI tumor boundaries, hypoxia defined by EPROI as pO2 ≤ 10 mmHg, and X-RAD 225Cx CT boost boundaries were obtained for all animals. 13 Gy boosts were directed to hypoxic or equal-integral-volume oxygenated tumor regions and monitored for regrowth. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to assess local tumor control probability (LTCP). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the hazard ratio of tumor progression of Hypoxic Boost vs. Oxygenated Boost for each tumor type controlling for experimental confounding variables such as EPROI radiofrequency, tumor volume, hypoxic fraction, and delay between imaging and radiation treatment.ResultsAn overall significant increase in LTCP from Hypoxia Boost vs. Oxygenated Boost treatments was observed in the full group of three tumor types (p < 0.0001). The effects of tumor volume and hypoxic fraction on LTCP were dependent on tumor type. The delay between imaging and boost treatments did not have a significant effect on LTCP for all tumor types.ConclusionThis study confirms that EPROI locates resistant tumor hypoxic regions for radiation boost, increasing clonogenic LTCP, with potential enhanced therapeutic index in three tumor types. Preclinical absolute EPROI may provide correction for clinical hypoxia images using additional clinical physiologic MRI

    IL-1-induced Bhlhe40 identifies pathogenic T helper cells in a model of autoimmune neuroinflammation

    Get PDF
    The features that define autoreactive T helper (Th) cell pathogenicity remain obscure. We have previously shown that Th cells require the transcription factor Bhlhe40 to mediate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Here, using Bhlhe40 reporter mice and analyzing both polyclonal and TCR transgenic Th cells, we found that Bhlhe40 expression was heterogeneous after EAE induction, with Bhlhe40-expressing cells displaying marked production of IFN-γ, IL-17A, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. In adoptive transfer EAE models, Bhlhe40-deficient Th1 and Th17 cells were both nonencephalitogenic. Pertussis toxin (PTX), a classical co-adjuvant for actively induced EAE, promoted IL-1β production by myeloid cells in the draining lymph node and served as a strong stimulus for Bhlhe40 expression in Th cells. Furthermore, PTX co-adjuvanticity was Bhlhe40 dependent. IL-1β induced Bhlhe40 expression in polarized Th17 cells, and Bhlhe40-expressing cells exhibited an encephalitogenic transcriptional signature. In vivo, IL-1R signaling was required for full Bhlhe40 expression by Th cells after immunization. Overall, we demonstrate that Bhlhe40 expression identifies encephalitogenic Th cells and defines a PTX–IL-1–Bhlhe40 pathway active in EAE

    Low CCR7-Mediated Migration of Human Monocyte Derived Dendritic Cells in Response to Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Human Metapneumovirus

    Get PDF
    Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and, to a lesser extent, human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3), can re-infect symptomatically throughout life without significant antigenic change, suggestive of incomplete or short-lived immunity. In contrast, re-infection by influenza A virus (IAV) largely depends on antigenic change, suggestive of more complete immunity. Antigen presentation by dendritic cells (DC) is critical in initiating the adaptive immune response. Antigen uptake by DC induces maturational changes that include decreased expression of the chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR2, and CCR5 that maintain DC residence in peripheral tissues, and increased expression of CCR7 that mediates the migration of antigen-bearing DC to lymphatic tissue. We stimulated human monocyte-derived DC (MDDC) with virus and found that, in contrast to HPIV3 and IAV, HMPV and HRSV did not efficiently decrease CCR1, 2, and 5 expression, and did not efficiently increase CCR7 expression. Consistent with the differences in CCR7 mRNA and protein expression, MDDC stimulated with HRSV or HMPV migrated less efficiently to the CCR7 ligand CCL19 than did IAV-stimulated MDDC. Using GFP-expressing recombinant virus, we showed that the subpopulation of MDDC that was robustly infected with HRSV was particularly inefficient in chemokine receptor modulation. HMPV- or HRSV-stimulated MDDC responded to secondary stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide or with a cocktail of proinflammatory cytokines by increasing CCR7 and decreasing CCR1, 2 and 5 expression, and by more efficient migration to CCL19, suggesting that HMPV and HRSV suboptimally stimulate rather than irreversibly inhibit MDDC migration. This also suggests that the low concentration of proinflammatory cytokines released from HRSV- and HMPV-stimulated MDDC is partly responsible for the low CCR7-mediated migration. We propose that inefficient migration of HRSV- and HMPV-stimulated DC to lymphatic tissue contributes to reduced adaptive responses to these viruses
    • …
    corecore