22 research outputs found
Bullous Dermolysis of the Newborn: Four New Cases and Clinical Review
Bullous dermolysis of the newborn ( BDN ) is a subtype of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa caused by mutations in type VII collagen resulting in disorganized anchoring fibrils and sublamina densa blister formation. Disease activity is usually confined to the first year of life, with restoration of physiologic type VII collagen localization. We report four new cases of BDN and review the utility of immunofluorescence mapping in establishing the diagnosis.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/101784/1/pde12230.pd
Electrotransfer of Single-Stranded or Double-Stranded DNA Induces Complete Regression of Palpable B16.F10 Mouse Melanomas
Enhanced tumor delivery of plasmid DNA with electric pulses in vivo has been confirmed in many preclinical models. Intratumor electrotransfer of plasmids encoding therapeutic molecules has reached Phase II clinical trials. In multiple preclinical studies, a reduction in tumor growth, increased survival or complete tumor regression have been observed in control groups in which vector or backbone plasmid DNA electrotransfer was performed. This study explores factors that could produce this antitumor effect. The specific electrotransfer pulse protocol employed significantly potentiated the regression. Tumor regression was observed after delivery of single-stranded or double-stranded DNA with or without CpG motifs in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice, indicating the involvement of the innate immune system in response to DNA. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the observed antitumor effects are not due to a single factor, but to a combination of factors
Genetic Regulation of the Response to Her-2 DNA Vaccination in Human Her-2 Transgenic Mice
Combining Human and Rat Sequences in Her-2 DNA VaccinesBlunts Immune Tolerance and Drives Antitumor Immunity
Immune tolerance to tumor-associated self-antigens poses a major challenge in the ability to mount an effective cancer vaccine response. To overcome immune tolerance to HER-2, we formulated DNA vaccines that express both human HER-2 and heterologous rat Neu sequences in separate plasmids or as single hybrid constructs that encode HER-2/Neu fusion proteins. Candidate vaccines were tested in Her-2 transgenic (Tg) mice of BALB/c (BALB), BALB/c x C57BL/6 F1 (F1), or C57BL/6 (B6) background, which exhibit decreasing immune responsiveness to HER-2. Analysis of various cocktails or hybrid vaccines defined a requirement for particular combination of HER/2/Neu sequences to effectively prime immune effector cells in HER-2 Tg mice. In B6 HER-2 Tg mice, rejection of HER-2-positive tumors protected mice from HER-2-negative tumors, providing evidence of epitope spreading. Our findings show that a strategy of combining heterologous antigen with self-antigens could produce a potent DNA vaccine that may be applicable to other tumor-associated antigens