DreamPharm Products:
Arch Insect Biochem Physiol. 2002 Nov;51(3):136-50.
Identification, characterization, and cloning of an immunoglobulin degrading enzyme in the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis.
Silver GM, Gaines PJ, Hunter SW, Maddux JD, Thomas RE, Wisnewski N.
Heska Corporation, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, USA.
The degradation of cat immunoglobulin G (IgG) in blood-fed adult C. felis midguts was examined. SDS-PAGE analysis of dissected midgut extracts obtained from C. felis that had been blood fed for various times between 0 to 44 h revealed that by 24 h most of the high molecular weight proteins, including the heavy chain of IgG, were digested. A 31-kDa serine protease with IgG degrading activity was purified from fed C. felis midguts by benzamidine affinity chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and cation exchange chromatography. Three primary cleavage products between 30- and 40-kDa were observed when the purified protease was incubated with protein A purified cat IgG. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the products revealed that the IgG degrading protease cleaves after specific cysteine and lysine residues within the hinge region of IgG. The enzyme is also capable of degrading other immunoglobulins, serum albumin, and hemoglobin, suggesting that it may have roles in both combating the host's immune system and providing nutrients for the flea. A cDNA clone encoding the 265 amino acid IgG degrading protease proenzyme was isolated. When expressed in a baculovirus/insect cell expression system, the recombinant protein had the same N-terminus as the processed 237 amino acid mature native protein and possessed IgG degrading activity indistinguishable from the native protein. Arch. Insect Biochem. 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
online pharmacy ref. source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12386841&dopt=Abstract
Orv Hetil. 2002 Sep 1;143(35):2047-54.
[Cytotrophoblast cells from human first-trimester placental villi: isolation, characterization, cultivation and research applications]
[Article in Hungarian]
Szony BJ, Hegedus K, Bata Z, Kemeny L, Bartfai G, Dobozy A, Pal A, Kovacs L, Pusztai R.
Szegedi Tudomanyegyetem, Altalanos Orvostudomanyi Kar, Szent-Gyorgyi Albert Orvos- es Gyogyszeresztudomanyi Centrum, Korelettani Intezet.
INTRODUCTION: Successful implantation and placentation are essential for the normal intrauterine development of the fetus. Trophoblast cell proliferation, differentiation, invasive behaviour and interaction with the maternal immune system are known to have an impact on these processes. Trophoblast cells do not only physically anchor the developing fetus to the uterus, but they give rise to the syncytiotrophoblast. This is the principal endocrine component of the placenta, and participates in essential metabolic processes and in the defence against transplacentally transmitted infections. Therefore, placental trophoblasts play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. AIM OF THE STUDY: The authors summarize their experience with the isolation, characterization and culture of cytotrophoblast cells from first-trimester human placentae. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The simultaneous preparation of highly enriched human placental trophoblast populations from first-trimester placental villi (6-12 weeks of gestation) by sequential trypsinization, Percoll gradient centrifugation, and negative selection with anti-CD45 or HLA-ABC and HLA-DP, DQ, DR immunomagnetic separation is described. Characterization of freshly isolated and cultured cytotrophoblast cells has been performed by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescent staining, measurement of hCG production and analysis of matrix metalloproteinase production by substrate gel zymography. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: On the basis of immunohistochemical and functional data the isolated cells proved to be cytotrophoblasts. This method of isolation and cultivation should facilitate in vitro studies of trophoblast differentiation, invasion, endocrine function, virus interaction, and immunology.
online pharmacy ref. source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12387199&dopt=Abstract
Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2002 Oct;6(5):583-99.
T cell tolerance in transplantation: possibilities for therapeutic intervention.
Cobbold SP.
Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK. stephen.cobbolath.ox.ac.uk
It is now possible to induce donor-specific transplantation tolerance in adult rodents using a number of therapeutic strategies. These include the use of non-depleting monoclonal antibodies against T cell co-receptor and costimulation molecules, and immunisation with tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells. It is a common finding to all of these models of peripheral tolerance, as well as to various mouse models of autoimmune disease, that regulatory CD4(+) T cells are the principle mediators. There are currently no specific markers for regulatory T cells and their activity has been associated with different T cell subsets defined by the expression of activation markers, such as CD25 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), or anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10 and TGF-beta. Differential gene expression analyses have been used to identify potential new markers for regulatory T cells and to find novel targets for therapeutic manipulation of the immune system. The challenge now is to understand the biological principles that allow such immune reprogramming so that they can be safely applied to clinical situations.
online pharmacy ref. source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12387682&dopt=Abstract [PubMed - in process]
Lancet. 2002 Oct 12;360(9340):1152-4.
Pre-eclampsia, antiretroviral therapy, and immune reconstitution.
Wimalasundera RC, Larbalestier N, Smith JH, de Ruiter A, McG Thom SA, Hughes AD, Poulter N, Regan L, Taylor GP.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Guys and St Thomas' NHS Trust, London, UK. r.wimalasunderc.ac.uk
Antiretrovirals are standard treatment for HIV-1-positive women during pregnancy in the UK, but little is known about maternal or fetal safety. In our cohort study of 214 pregnant women with HIV-1 infection, those who received no antiretroviral therapy had a rate of pre-eclampsia significantly lower (none of 61) than those on triple antiretroviral therapy (8 of 76; odds ratio 15.3, 95% CI 0.9-270, p=0.0087). However, the rate of pre-eclampsia in HIV-1-positive women on treatment did not differ from that in uninfected controls (12 of 214; p=0.2). The association of HIV-1-related immune deficiency with a low rate of pre-eclampsia, and the restoration of this rate in women treated with triple antiretroviral therapy to the expected rate indicates a pivotal role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. The clinical presentation of pre-eclampsia and toxic effects of antiretroviral therapy could overlap and complicate diagnosis and management in these patients.
online pharmacy ref. source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12387967&dopt=Abstract
J Virol. 2002 Nov;76(22):11397-404.
Effective postexposure treatment of retrovirus-induced disease with immunostimulatory DNA containing CpG motifs.
Olbrich AR, Schimmer S, Heeg K, Schepers K, Schumacher TN, Dittmer U.
Institut fur Virologie der Universitat Wurzburg, 97078 Wurzburg, Germany.
Therapeutic strategies for the treatment of acute retroviral infections have relied mainly on antiviral drugs. In this study we used the Friend virus model system to demonstrate that enhancement of the immune system can also have dramatic therapeutic effects. Since resistance to Friend virus-induced leukemia in mice is associated with T helper cell type 1 (Th1) immune responses, we enhanced these responses in susceptible mice by treatment with synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides containing unmethylated CpG motifs (CpG-ODN). Treatments begun at 4 days postinfection increased recovery from 6% in the control group to 74% in the CpG-treated group. CpG-mediated recovery was associated with a significant reduction of viral loads in the blood and spleens of treated mice compared to those of control animals. The treatment promoted Th1-type cytokine production by splenocytes of Friend virus-infected mice and augmented Friend virus-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses, but no influence on the virus-specific neutralizing antibody response was observed. Friend virus-specific CD8(+) T cells were critical for effective treatment with CpG-ODN, since in vivo depletion of these cells from treated mice prevented their recovery. Our results demonstrate that CpG-ODN therapy can significantly enhance virus-specific cellular immune responses and prevent retrovirus-induced disease. These findings may have implications for antiviral therapy in general.
online pharmacy ref. source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12388700&dopt=Abstract
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