Project description:Yellow fever (YF) was one of the most dangerous infectious diseases of the 18th and 19th centuries, resulting in mass casualties in Africa and the Americas. The etiologic agent is yellow fever virus (YFV), and its live-attenuated form, YFV-17D, remains one of the most potent vaccines ever developed. During the first half of the 20th century, vaccination combined with mosquito control eradicated YFV transmission in urban areas. However, the recent 2016-2018 outbreaks in areas with historically low or no YFV activity have raised serious concerns for an estimated 400-500 million unvaccinated people who now live in at-risk areas. Once a forgotten disease, we highlight here that YF still represents a very real threat to human health and economies. As many gaps remain in our understanding of how YFV interacts with the human host and causes disease, there is an urgent need to address these knowledge gaps and propel YFV research forward.
Project description:Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewable, multipotent stem cells that regulate the phenotype and function of all immune cells that participate in anti-tumor immunity. MSCs modulate the antigen-presenting properties of dendritic cells, affect chemokine and cytokine production in macrophages and CD4+ T helper cells, alter the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T lymphocytes and natural killer cells and regulate the generation and expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and T regulatory cells. As plastic cells, MSCs adopt their phenotype and function according to the cytokine profile of neighboring tumor-infiltrated immune cells. Depending on the tumor microenvironment to which they are exposed, MSCs may obtain pro- and anti-tumorigenic phenotypes and may enhance or suppress tumor growth. Due to their tumor-homing properties, MSCs and their exosomes may be used as vehicles for delivering anti-tumorigenic agents in tumor cells, attenuating their viability and invasive characteristics. Since many factors affect the phenotype and function of MSCs in the tumor microenvironment, a better understanding of signaling pathways that regulate the cross-talk between MSCs, immune cells and tumor cells will pave the way for the clinical use of MSCs in cancer immunotherapy. In this review article, we summarize current knowledge on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that are responsible for the MSC-dependent modulation of the anti-tumor immune response and we discuss different insights regarding therapeutic potential of MSCs in the therapy of malignant diseases.
Project description:This data series contains spotted oligo microarray data from 10 different experiments using Agilent Rat v2 microarrays. This data is being made public in support of Fillon S et al. Journal of Immunology, (2006). Proinflammatory bacterial components are at least partially responsible for causing the clinical features of sepsis, a syndrome that causes >100,000 deaths each year in the US (1). In the case of Gram positive infection, a key bacterial element recognized by the innate immune system is the cell wall, a complex network of peptidoglycan covalently linked to teichoic acids, proteins and lipoproteins. The current model of innate immune recognition of Gram positive bacteria suggests bacterial cell wall interacts with host recognition proteins, such as toll-like receptors (TLR) and Nod proteins. We describe an additional recognition system mediated by the platelet activating factor receptor (PAFr) and directed to the pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) phosphorylcholine that results in uptake of bacterial components into host cells. Intravascular choline-containing cell walls bound to endothelial cells and caused rapid lethality in wild type, Tlr2-/- and Nod2-/- mice, but not in Pafr-/- mice. Cell wall exited the vasculature into the heart and brain, accumulating within endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes and neurons in a PAFr-dependent way. Physiological consequences of the cell wall/PAFr interaction were cell specific, being noninflammatory in endothelial cells and neurons, but causing rapid loss of cardiomyocyte contractility that contributed to death. Thus, PAFr shepherds phosphorylcholine-containing bacterial components such as cell wall into host cells from where the response ranges from quiescence to severe pathophysiology. Keywords: Competitive hybridizations The ten experiments in this series comprise of four distinct experiments, two of which were performed as biological triplicates and two as biological duplicates. The table below describes the overall design in detail: File Name Experiment 16011868017643v41_GEO_format.txt RBCEC Replicate 1 16011868017644v41_GEO_format.txt RBCEC Replicate 2 251186821865v41_GEO_format.txt Neuron Replicate 1 16011868021377v41_GEO_format.txt Neuron Replicate 2 251186821690v41_GEO_format.txt CW/Lyt44 Replicate 1 251186821691v41_GEO_format.txt CW/Lyt44 Replicate 2 251186821692v41_GEO_format.txt CW/Lyt44 Replicate 1 251186821693v41_GEO_format.txt CW+TNF/Lyt44+TNF Replicate 1 251186821694v41_GEO_format.txt CW+TNF/Lyt44+TNF Replicate 2 251186829677v41_GEO_format.txt CW+TNF/Lyt44+TNF Replicate 3
Project description:Tuberculous meningitis is the most devastating manifestation of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and represents a medical emergency. Approximately one half of tuberculous meningitis patients die or suffer severe neurologic disability. The goal of this review will be to review the pathogenic, clinical, and radiologic features of tuberculous meningitis and to highlight recent advancements in translational and clinical science.Pharmacologic therapy includes combination anti-tuberculosis drug regimens and adjunctive corticosteroids. It is becoming clear that a successful treatment outcome depends on an immune response that is neither too weak nor overly robust, and genetic determinants of this immune response may identify which patients will benefit from adjunctive corticosteroids. Recent clinical trials of intensified anti-tuberculosis treatment regimens conducted in Indonesia and Vietnam, motivated by the pharmacologic challenges of treating M. tuberculosis infections of the central nervous system, have yielded conflicting results regarding the survival benefit of intensified treatment regimens. More consistent findings have been observed regarding the relationship between initial anti-tuberculosis drug resistance and mortality among tuberculous meningitis patients. Prompt initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment for all suspected cases remains a key aspect of management. Priorities for research include the improvement of diagnostic testing strategies and the optimization of host-directed and anti-tuberculosis therapies.
Project description:The serine/threonine kinase AKT is a key component of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway as it exerts a pivotal role in cell growth, proliferation, survival, and metabolism. Deregulation of this pathway is a common event in breast cancer including hormone receptor-positive (HR+) disease, HER2-amplified, and triple negative tumors. Hence, targeting AKT represents an attractive treatment option for many breast cancer subtypes, especially those resistant to conventional treatments. Several AKT inhibitors have been recently developed and two ATP-competitive compounds, capivasertib and ipatasertib, have been extensively tested in phase I and II clinical trials either alone, with chemotherapy, or with hormonal agents. Additionally, phase III trials of capivasertib and ipatasertib are already under way in HR+ and triple-negative breast cancer. While the identification of predictive biomarkers of response and resistance to AKT inhibition represents an unmet need, new combination strategies are under investigation aiming to boost the therapeutic efficacy of these drugs. As such, trials combining capivasertib and ipatasertib with CDK4/6 inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and PARP inhibitors are currently ongoing. This review summarizes the available evidence on AKT inhibition in breast cancer, reporting both efficacy and toxicity data from clinical trials along with the available translational correlates and then focusing on the potential use of these drugs in new combination strategies.
Project description:ObjectiveTo review the mechanism of action, mechanisms of resistance, in vitro activity, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical data for a novel aminoglycoside.Data sourcesA PubMed search was performed from January 2006 to August 2019 using the following search terms: plazomicin and ACHN-490. Another search was conducted on clinicaltrials.gov for published clinical data. References from selected studies were also used to find additional literature.Study selection and data extractionAll English-language studies presenting original research (in vitro, in vivo, pharmacokinetic, and clinical) were evaluated.Data synthesisPlazomicin has in vitro activity against several multi-drug-resistant organisms, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. It was Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved to treat complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), including acute pyelonephritis, following phase II and III trials compared with levofloxacin and meropenem, respectively. Despite the FDA Black Box Warning for aminoglycoside class effects (nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, neuromuscular blockade, and pregnancy risk), it exhibited a favorable safety profile with the most common adverse effects being decreased renal function (3.7%), diarrhea (2.3%), hypertension (2.3%), headache (1.3%), nausea (1.3%), vomiting (1.3%), and hypotension (1.0%) in the largest in-human trial.Relevance to patient care and clinical practicePlazomicin will likely be used in the treatment of multi-drug-resistant cUTIs or in combination to treat serious carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infections.ConclusionsPlazomicin appears poised to help fill the need for new agents to treat infections caused by multi-drug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
Project description:Candidiasis is the wide-spread fungal infection caused by numerous strains of yeast, with the prevalence of Candida albicans. The current treatment of candidiasis is becoming rather ineffective and costly owing to the emergence of resistant strains; hence, the exploration of new possible drug targets is necessary. The most promising route is the development of novel antibiotics targeting this pathogen. In this review, we summarize such candidates found in C. albicans and those involved in the transport of (metal) cations, as the latter are essential for numerous processes within the cell; hence, disruption of their fluxes can be fatal for C. albicans.
Project description:Drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) can improve infection treatment by ensuring drug concentration at the right place within the therapeutic window. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs are able to enhance drug localization in target site and to sustainably release the entrapped molecule, reducing the secondary effects caused by systemic antibiotic administration. We have loaded auranofin, a gold compound traditionally used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, into PLGA NPs and their efficiency as antibacterial agent against two Gram-positive pathogens, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes was evaluated. Auranofin-PLGA NPs showed a strong bactericidal effect as cultures of multiresistant pneumococcal strains were practically sterilized after 6?h of treatment with such auranofin-NPs at 0.25??M. Moreover, this potent bactericidal effect was also observed in S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes biofilms, where the same concentration of auranofin-NPs was capable of decreasing the bacterial population about 4 logs more than free auranofin. These results were validated using a zebrafish embryo model demonstrating that treatment with auranofin loaded into NPs achieved a noticeable survival against pneumococcal infections. All these approaches displayed a clear superiority of loaded auranofin PLGA nanocarriers compared to free administration of the drug, which supports their potential application for the treatment of streptococcal infections.
Project description:Antimicrobial resistance of infectious agents is a growing problem worldwide. To prevent the continuing selection and spread of drug resistance, rational design of antibiotic treatment is needed, and the question of aggressive vs. moderate therapies is currently heatedly debated. Host immunity is an important, but often-overlooked factor in the clearance of drug-resistant infections. In this work, we compare aggressive and moderate antibiotic treatment, accounting for host immunity effects. We use mathematical modelling of within-host infection dynamics to study the interplay between pathogen-dependent host immune responses and antibiotic treatment. We compare classical (fixed dose and duration) and adaptive (coupled to pathogen load) treatment regimes, exploring systematically infection outcomes such as time to clearance, immunopathology, host immunization, and selection of resistant bacteria. Our analysis and simulations uncover effective treatment strategies that promote synergy between the host immune system and the antimicrobial drug in clearing infection. Both in classical and adaptive treatment, we quantify how treatment timing and the strength of the immune response determine the success of moderate therapies. We explain key parameters and dimensions, where an adaptive regime differs from classical treatment, bringing new insight into the ongoing debate of resistance management. Emphasizing the sensitivity of treatment outcomes to the balance between external antibiotic intervention and endogenous natural defenses, our study calls for more empirical attention to host immunity processes.