Glycodendrimers in anticancer immunomodulation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pospíšil, Miloslav; Vannucci, L.; Sadalapure, K.; Krist, Pavel; Rossmann, Pavel; Mosca, F.; Fišerová, Anna

2002-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 1 (2002), s. 445 ISSN 1107-3756. [World Congress on Advances in Oncology/7./. Hersonissos, 10.08.2002-12.08.2002] R&D Projects: GA ČR GV312/98/K034; GA AV ČR IAA7020006 Keywords : glycodendrimers * immunomodulation Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.063, year: 2002

How should immunomodulators be optimized when used as combination therapy with anti-tumor necrosis factor agents in the management of inflammatory bowel disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Mark G; Irving, Peter M; Sparrow, Miles P

2015-10-28

In the last 15 years the management of inflammatory bowel disease has evolved greatly, largely through the increased use of immunomodulators and, especially, anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) biologic agents. Within this time period, confidence in the use of anti-TNFs has increased, whilst, especially in recent years, the efficacy and safety of thiopurines has been questioned. Yet despite recent concerns regarding the risk: benefit profile of thiopurines, combination therapy with an immunomodulator and an anti-TNF has emerged as the recommended treatment strategy for the majority of patients with moderate-severe disease, especially those who are recently diagnosed. Concurrently, therapeutic drug monitoring has emerged as a means of optimizing the dosage of both immunomodulators and anti-TNFs. However the recommended therapeutic target levels for both drug classes were largely derived from studies of monotherapy with either agent, or studies underpowered to analyze outcomes in combination therapy patients. It has been assumed that these target levels are applicable to patients on combination therapy also, however there are few data to support this. Similarly, the timing and duration of treatment with immunomodulators when used in combination therapy remains unknown. Recent attention, including post hoc analyses of the pivotal registration trials, has focused on the optimization of anti-TNF agents, when used as either monotherapy or combination therapy. This review will instead focus on how best to optimize immunomodulators when used in combination therapy, including an evaluation of recent data addressing unanswered questions regarding the optimal timing, dosage and duration of immunomodulator therapy in combination therapy patients.

HPV-specific immunotherapy: key role for immunomodulators.

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Van de Wall, Stephanie; Nijman, Hans W; Daemen, Toos

2014-02-01

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women worldwide. The prime causal factor of the disease is a persistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) with individuals failing to mount a sufficient immune response against the virus. Despite the current success of HPV16- and 18-specific prophylactic vaccination, established HPV infections and associated neoplasia require therapeutic vaccines with the induction of cellular immunity. The sustained expression of early proteins E6 and E7 from major oncogenic HPV genotypes in cervical lesions are ideal targets for the design of immunotherapeutic strategies. These strategies, particularly subunit vaccines, may require additional help from immunomodulators to enhance HPV-specific cellular responses. This review discusses recent studies, published since 2008, relating to immunotherapeutic strategies against HPV that include immunomodulators. These immunomodulators fall within the category of toll-like receptor adjuvants for innate immune activation, adjuvants directly contributing to adaptive immunity, such as cytokines and costimulatory molecules, and those that target tumor-induced immunosuppressive mechanisms. Using a combination of these strategies with delivery-based approaches may be most beneficial for the success of therapeutic vaccines against HPV-induced neoplasia in the clinic.

Immunomodulating capacity of kefir.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinderola, Celso G; Duarte, Jairo; Thangavel, Deepa; Perdigón, Gabriela; Farnworth, Edward; Matar, Chantal

2005-05-01

Kefir is a fermented milk produced by the action of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and acetic acid bacteria, trapped in a complex matrix of polysaccharides and proteins. Beyond its inherent high nutritional value as a source of proteins and calcium, kefir has a long tradition of being regarded as good for health in countries where it is a staple in the diet. However, published human or animal feeding trials to substantiate this view are not numerous. The aim of this work was to determine the immunomodulating capacity of kefir on the intestinal mucosal immune response in mice and to demonstrate the importance of dose and cell viability on this response. BALB/c mice were fed with commercial kefir ad libitum (diluted 1/10, 1/50, 1/100 or 1/200) or pasteurized kefir (diluted 1/6, 1/10, 1/50, 1/100) for 2, 5 or 7 consecutive days. At the end of each feeding period, the bacterial translocation assay was performed in the liver. Small intestine structure was studied by haematoxilin-eosin staining and light microscopy. The number of IgA+ and IgG+ cells was also determined. For the functional doses chosen, cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma) were determined. Kefir and pasteurized kefir were able to modulate the mucosal immune system in a dose-dependent manner. Kefir was administred 10-times more diluted than pasteurized kefir, but it induced an immunomodulation of similar magnitude, indicating the importance of cell viabilty. The results suggest that a Th1 response was controlled by Th2 cytokines induced by kefir feeding. Pasteurized kefir would induce both Th2 and Th1 responses. This is the first study in vivo regarding the mechanisms involved in the immunomodulating capacity of the oral administration of kefir containing viable or heat-inactivated bacteria at different doses.

Immunomodulating potential of supplementation with probiotics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Hanne Risager; Larsen, C.N.; Kæstel, P.

2006-01-01

Certain probiotic microorganisms have been found beneficial in the treatment of immune-related diseases and may also affect immune function in healthy people. Intervention studies of probiotics in healthy humans are urgently required. Here, the immunomodulating potential of Bifidobacterium animalis...

Exploratory Study on Plasma Immunomodulator and Antibody Profiles in Tuberculosis Patients

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Ravindran, Resmi; Krishnan, Viswanathan V.; Khanum, Azra; Luciw, Paul A.

2013-01-01

Host immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis are generally able to contain infection and maintain a delicate balance between protection and immunopathology. A shift in this balance appears to underlie active disease observed in about 10% of infected individuals. Effects of local inflammation, combined with anti-M. tuberculosis systemic immune responses, are directly detectable in peripheral circulation, without ex vivo stimulation of blood cells or biopsy of the affected organs. We studied plasma immunomodulator and antibody biomarkers in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) by a combination of multiplex microbead immunoassays and computational tools for data analysis. Plasma profiles of 10 immunomodulators and antibodies against eight M. tuberculosis antigens (previously reported by us) were examined in active pulmonary TB patients in a country where TB is endemic, Pakistan. Multiplex analyses were performed on samples from apparently healthy individuals without active TB from the same community as the TB patients to establish the assay baselines for all analytes. Over 3,000 data points were collected from patients (n = 135) and controls (n = 37). The data were analyzed by multivariate and computer-assisted cluster analyses to reveal patterns of plasma immunomodulators and antibodies. This study shows plasma profiles that in most patients represented either strong antibody or strong immunomodulator biomarkers. Profiling of a combination of both immunomodulators and antibodies described here may be valuable for the analysis of host immune responses in active TB in countries where the disease is endemic. PMID:23761664

Effect of electron beam-irradiation to b-glucan on its immunomodulating and antitumor activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Yeon Hwan; Lee, Jung Lim; Yoo, Yung Choon [Konyand Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae Hoon; Lee, Ju Woon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-07-01

In this study, in order investigated the effect of electron beam irradiation to b-glucan on its biological activities, we compared immunomodulating and antitumor activity between non-irradiated and electron beam-irradiated b-glucan. EB-glucan was irradiated by electron beam with 10, 30 and 50 kGy. Treatment with EB-glucan resulted in a slight increase of the proliferation of ConA-stimulated splenocytes, and the strongest activity was seen in 50 kGy-treated EB-glucan. EB-glucan teated with 50 kGy also showed increased secretion of cytokines such as IL-2 IFN-{gamma} and IL-6 from ConA-stimulated splenocytes. The activity of EB-glucan to enhance the proliferation of splenocytes and cytokine secretion from ConA-stimulated splenocytes was higher than that of NI-glucan. Furthermore, EB-glucan treated with 50 kGy showed higher activity to activate RAW 264.7 macrophages, comparing with that of NI-glucan. In experiments of antitumor activity, EB-glucan treated with 50 kGy prior to tumor inoculation inhibited an experimental lung metastasis produced by B16-BL6 melanoma cells in mice. But NI-glucan did show no effect. In addition, EB-glucan treated with 50 kGy induced a decrease a decrease of tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. Collectivelt, these results indicates that electron beam irradiation {beta}-glucan leads its biological functions to enhance immunomodulating and antitumor activity.

Effect of electron beam-irradiation to b-glucan on its immunomodulating and antitumor activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Yeon Hwan; Lee, Jung Lim; Yoo, Yung Choon; Kim, Jae Hoon; Lee, Ju Woon

2010-01-01

In this study, in order investigated the effect of electron beam irradiation to b-glucan on its biological activities, we compared immunomodulating and antitumor activity between non-irradiated and electron beam-irradiated b-glucan. EB-glucan was irradiated by electron beam with 10, 30 and 50 kGy. Treatment with EB-glucan resulted in a slight increase of the proliferation of ConA-stimulated splenocytes, and the strongest activity was seen in 50 kGy-treated EB-glucan. EB-glucan teated with 50 kGy also showed increased secretion of cytokines such as IL-2 IFN-γ and IL-6 from ConA-stimulated splenocytes. The activity of EB-glucan to enhance the proliferation of splenocytes and cytokine secretion from ConA-stimulated splenocytes was higher than that of NI-glucan. Furthermore, EB-glucan treated with 50 kGy showed higher activity to activate RAW 264.7 macrophages, comparing with that of NI-glucan. In experiments of antitumor activity, EB-glucan treated with 50 kGy prior to tumor inoculation inhibited an experimental lung metastasis produced by B16-BL6 melanoma cells in mice. But NI-glucan did show no effect. In addition, EB-glucan treated with 50 kGy induced a decrease a decrease of tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. Collectivelt, these results indicates that electron beam irradiation β-glucan leads its biological functions to enhance immunomodulating and antitumor activity

Immunomodulating Activity of Aronia melanocarpa Polyphenols

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Giang T. T. Ho

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The immunomodulating effects of isolated proanthocyanidin-rich fractions, procyanidins C1, B5 and B2 and anthocyanins of Aronia melanocarpa were investigated. In this work, the complement-modulating activities, the inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and effects on cell viability of these polyphenols were studied. Several of the proanthocyanidin-rich fractions, the procyanidins C1, B5 and B2 and the cyanidin aglycone possessed strong complement-fixing activities. Cyanidin 3-glucoside possessed stronger activity than the other anthocyanins. Procyanidins C1, B5 and B2 and proanthocyanidin-rich fractions having an average degree of polymerization (PD of 7 and 34 showed inhibitory activities on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages. All, except for the fraction containing proanthocyanidins with PD 34, showed inhibitory effects without affecting cell viability. This study suggests that polyphenolic compounds of A. melanocarpa may have beneficial effects as immunomodulators and anti-inflammatory agents.

An immunomodulator from Tinospora cordifolia with antioxidant ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

radiation induced immunosuppression, the antioxidant effect of PPI from this plant ... the immunomodulator from Tinospora cordifolia may also be beneficial as an ... was synthesised by passing the gas stream from an ozonator (5% ozone in.

Screening Immunomodulators To Skew the Antigen-Specific Autoimmune Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Northrup, Laura; Sullivan, Bradley P; Hartwell, Brittany L; Garza, Aaron; Berkland, Cory

2017-01-03

Current therapies to treat autoimmune diseases often result in side effects such as nonspecific immunosuppression. Therapies that can induce antigen-specific immune tolerance provide an opportunity to reverse autoimmunity and mitigate the risks associated with global immunosuppression. In an effort to induce antigen-specific immune tolerance, co-administration of immunomodulators with autoantigens has been investigated in an effort to reprogram autoimmunity. To date, identifying immunomodulators that may skew the antigen-specific immune response has been ad hoc at best. To address this need, we utilized splenocytes obtained from mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in order to determine if certain immunomodulators may induce markers of immune tolerance following antigen rechallenge. Of the immunomodulatory compounds investigated, only dexamethasone modified the antigen-specific immune response by skewing the cytokine response and decreasing T-cell populations at a concentration corresponding to a relevant in vivo dose. Thus, antigen-educated EAE splenocytes provide an ex vivo screen for investigating compounds capable of skewing the antigen-specific immune response, and this approach could be extrapolated to antigen-educated cells from other diseases or human tissues.

Radiation immunobiology and immunomodulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markoe, A.M.; Saluk, P.H.

1987-01-01

In this chapter the authors address the immunosuppressive effects of radiation therapy and antineoplastic chemotherapy. First, they consider their single effects; then, in light of a paucity of literature on their combined and integrated effects, they speculate as to how combined modality therapy may affect immune response and ultimate outcome of therapy. Finally, the authors consider the potential for immunomodulation in the cancer patient and its potential bearing on immunosuppression induced by more conventional therapeutic modalities

Influence of immunomodulators on the lymphokine secretion of irradiated lymphocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kowalczyk-Bronisz, S.H.

1986-01-01

Spleen lymphocytes derived from guinea pigs loose their ability to secrete lymphokines induced by Con A after treatment with irradiation (500 and 750 mC/kg). In the presence of the immunomodulators isoprinosine, levamisole and the thymosine-like factor TFX the lymphocytes are again capable of secreting lymphokines. After treatment with immunomodulators in dosages between 10 and 100 μg/ml the migration inhibition activity for macrophages and the chemotactic activity for polymorphonuclear granulocytes produced by lymphocytes were restored. (author)

Immunomodulators as adjuvants for vaccines and antimicrobial therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Erin F; Madera, Laurence; Hancock, Robert E W

2010-12-01

A highly effective strategy for combating infectious diseases is to enhance host defenses using immunomodulators, either preventatively, through vaccination, or therapeutically. The effectiveness of many vaccines currently in use is due in part to adjuvants, molecules that have little immunogenicity by themselves but which help enhance and appropriately skew the immune response to an antigen. The development of new vaccines necessitates the development of new types of adjuvants to ensure an appropriate immune response. Herein, we review commonly used vaccine adjuvants and discuss promising adjuvant candidates. We also discuss various other immunomodulators (namely cytokines, Toll-like receptor agonists, and host defense peptides) that are, or have potential to be, useful for antimicrobial therapies that exert their effects by boosting host immune responses rather than targeting pathogens directly.

Concomitant Use of Immunomodulators Affects the Durability of Infliximab Therapy in Children With Crohn's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Grossi, Victoria; Lerer, Trudy; Griffiths, Anne; LeLeiko, Neal; Cabrera, Jose; Otley, Anthony; Rick, James; Mack, David; Bousvaros, Athos; Rosh, Joel; Grossman, Andrew; Saeed, Shehzaad; Kay, Marsha; Boyle, Brendan; Oliva-Hemker, Maria; Keljo, David; Pfefferkorn, Marian; Faubion, William; Kappelman, Michael D; Sudel, Boris; Markowitz, James; Hyams, Jeffrey S

2015-10-01

It is important to determine the effects of immunomodulators on the ability of children to remain on infliximab therapy for Crohn's disease (durability of therapy), given the potential benefits and risks of concomitant therapy-especially with thiopurines in male patients. We investigated how immunomodulatory treatment affects the durability of infliximab therapy. We collected data from the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Collaborative Research Group Registry, from January 2002 through August 2014, on 502 children with Crohn's disease who participated in a prospective multicenter study. Data were collected from patients who received at least a 3-dose induction regimen of infliximab, and their concomitant use of immunomodulators: no thiopurine or methotrexate treatment, treatment for 6 months or less during infliximab therapy, or treatment for more than 6 months during infliximab therapy. The probabilities (± standard error) that children remained on infliximab therapy for 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years after the treatment began were 0.84 ± 0.02, 0.69 ± 0.03, and 0.60 ± 0.03, respectively. Age, sex, and disease extent or location did not affect the durability of infliximab therapy. Greater length of concomitant use of immunomodulators was associated with increased time of infliximab therapy. The probability that patients with more than 6 months of immunomodulator use remained on infliximab therapy for 5 years was 0.70 ± 0.04, compared with 0.48 ± 0.08 for patients who did not receive immunomodulators and 0.55 ± 0.06 for patients who received immunomodulators for 6 months or less (P immunomodulators for 6 months or more after starting infliximab, the overall durability of infliximab therapy was greater among patients receiving methotrexate than thiopurine (P immunomodulator for more than 6 months after starting infliximab therapy increases the chances that patients will remain on infliximab. In boys, methotrexate appears to increase the durability of

Withdrawal of immunomodulators after co-treatment does not reduce trough level of infliximab in patients with Crohn's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Drobne, David; Bossuyt, Peter; Breynaert, Christine; Cattaert, Tom; Vande Casteele, Niels; Compernolle, Griet; Jürgens, Matthias; Ferrante, Marc; Ballet, Vera; Wollants, Willem-Jan; Cleynen, Isabelle; Van Steen, Kristel; Gils, Ann; Rutgeerts, Paul; Vermeire, Severine; Van Assche, Gert

2015-03-01

The addition of immunomodulators increases the efficacy of maintenance therapy with infliximab for up to 1 year in patients with Crohn's disease who have not been previously treated with immunomodulators. However, there are questions about the effect of withdrawing immunomodulator therapy from these patients. We studied the effects of treatment with infliximab and immunomodulators (co-treatment) and then immunomodulator withdrawal on long-term outcomes of patients, as well as trough levels of infliximab and formation of anti-infliximab antibodies (ATI). In a retrospective study with the median follow-up period of 34 months (interquartile range, 19-58 months), we analyzed data from 223 patients treated for Crohn's disease between May 1999 and December 2010 at the University Hospitals, Leuven, Belgium (65 received infliximab monotherapy, 158 received infliximab and an immunomodulator). Trough levels of infliximab and levels of ATI were measured in blood samples collected from 117 patients throughout co-treatment, as well as the time of immunomodulator withdrawal and after withdrawal. Patients receiving co-treatment had higher trough levels of infliximab (adjusted mean increase, 1.44-fold) than those receiving infliximab monotherapy (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.92; P = .02). A smaller percentage of patients receiving co-treatment developed ATI (35 of 158, 22%) than those receiving infliximab monotherapy (25 of 65, 38%; P = .01). Among co-treated patients, levels of infliximab remained stable after immunomodulators were withdrawn (before: 3.2 μg/mL; 95% CI, 1.6-5.8 μg/mL and after: 3.7 μg/mL; 95% CI, 1.3-6.3 μg/mL; P = .70). After withdrawal of immunomodulators, 45 of 117 patients (38%) required increasing doses of infliximab, and 21 of 117 (18%) discontinued infliximab. At the time of immunomodulator withdrawal, trough levels of infliximab and C-reactive protein were most strongly associated with response to infliximab thereafter. In a retrospective

Naturally occurring immunomodulators with antitumor activity: An insight on their mechanisms of action.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, Shimaa Ibrahim Abdelmonym; Jantan, Ibrahim; Haque, Md Areeful

2017-09-01

Natural products with immunomodulatory activity are widely used in treatment of many diseases including autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders in addition to cancer. They gained a great interest in the last decades as therapeutic agents since they provide inexpensive and less toxic products than the synthetic chemotherapeutic agents. Immunomodulators are the agents that have the ability to boost or suppress the host defense response that can be used as a prophylaxis as well as in combination with other therapeutic modalities. The anticancer activity of these immunomodulators is due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and induction of apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, and anti-metastasis effect. These natural immunomodulators such as genistein, curcumin, and resveratrol can be used as prophylaxis against the initiation of cancer besides the inhibition of tumor growth and proliferation. Whereas, immunostimulants can elicit and activate humoral and cell-mediated immune responses against the tumor that facilitate the recognition and destruction of the already existing tumor. This review represents the recent studies on various natural immunomodulators with antitumor effects. We have focused on the relationship between their anticancer activity and immunomodulatory mechanisms. The mechanisms of action of various immunomodulators such as polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, organosulfur compounds, capsaicin, vinca alkaloids, bromelain, betulinic acid and zerumbone, the affected cancerous cell lines in addition to the targeted molecules and transcriptional pathways have been review and critically analyzed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EXPERIENCE OF DESOXIRIBONUCLEATE SODIUM IMMUNOMODULATOR APPLICATION IN TREATMENT FOR REACTIVE ARTHRITIS OF CHLAMYDIA AETIOLOGY AMONG CHILDREN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.A. Balykova

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Researchers compared efficacy of the conventional therapy (oilment with non steriod anti-inflammatory medication, diclofena sodium and azithromycin among children with reactive arthritis of Chlamydia etiology and treatment with introduction of gluccosaminilmuramildi peptide and desoxiribonucleate sodium immunomodulators. The article shows that application of immunomodulators in combination with the conventional therapy provided for the decrease of the articular syndrome intensity, reduced the need of the patients in local corticosteroids and conduced to the reduction of the lab process activity indices. Further more, they noticed reduced recurrence of the antibodies to Chlamydias and their titers in the blood serum, while general intensity of the antiinflammatory effects from the combined therapy, which included glucosaminilmuramildipeptide and desoxiribonucleate sodium immunomodulators along with the antibiotic, proved to be comparable.Key words: children, reactive arthritis, chlamydia infection, immunomodulators.

Immunomodulating pectic polysaccharides from waste rose petals of Rosa damascena Mill.

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Slavov, Anton; Kiyohara, Hiroaki; Yamada, Haruki

2013-08-01

A water-soluble polysaccharide (RP-1) was obtained from distilled rose petals of Rosa damascena Mill. as an attempt for valorization of the waste. RP-1 showed in vitro intestinal immune system modulating activity through Peyer's patch cells and IL-6 producing activity from macrophages. RP-1 lost most of its immunomodulating activity by degradation of the carbohydrate moiety with periodate. RP-1 was fractionated by anion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography and some of the fractions showed significant intestinal immune system modulating activity. The active fractions were suggested to be pectic polysaccharides and type II arabino-3,6-galactan from the component sugar analyses and the reactivity with Yariv antigen. When some active fractions were digested with endo α-d-(1→4)-polygalacturonase, highest molecular weight fragments which were considered as rhamnogalacturonan I, showed potent immunomodulating activities. To our knowledge, this is a first report which explores the possibility for utilization of waste rose petals as a source of immunomodulating pectic polysaccharides. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immunomodulation of Nanoparticles in Nanomedicine Applications

OpenAIRE

Jiao, Qing; Li, Liwen; Mu, Qingxin; Zhang, Qiu

2014-01-01

Nanoparticles (NPs) have promising applications in medicine. Immune system is an important protective system to defend organisms from non-self matters. NPs interact with the immune system and modulate its function, leading to immunosuppression or immunostimulation. These modulating effects may bring benefits or danger. Compositions, sizes, and surface chemistry, and so forth, affect these immunomodulations. Here we give an overview of the relationship between the physicochemical properties of...

The basics and advances of immunomodulators and antigen presentation: a key to development of potent memory response against pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Garai, Preeti; Gogoi, Mayuri; Gopal, Ganesh; Radhakrishnan, Yashwanth; Nandakumar, Krishnadas Subhadramma; Chakravortty, Dipshikha

2014-10-01

Immunomodulators are agents, which can modulate the immune response to specific antigens, while causing least toxicity to the host system. Being part of the modern vaccine formulations, these compounds have contributed remarkably to the field of therapeutics. Despite the successful record maintained by these agents, the requirement of novel immunomodulators keeps increasing due to the increasing severity of diseases. Hence, research regarding the same holds great importance. In this review, we discuss the role of immunomodulators in improving performance of various vaccines used for counteracting most threatening infectious diseases, mechanisms behind their action and criteria for development of novel immunomodulators. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying immune response is a prerequisite for development of effective therapeutics as these are often exploited by pathogens for their own propagation. Keeping this in mind, the present research in the field of immunotherapy focuses on developing immunomodulators that would not only enhance the protection against pathogen, but also generate a long-term memory response. With the introduction of advanced formulations including combination of different kinds of immunomodulators, one can expect tremendous success in near future.

[Immunomodulators in Therapy of Respiratory Infections].

Science.gov (United States)

Isakov, V A; Isakov, D V

2014-01-01

Viral infections provoke dysbalance in the interferon system and inhibition of the cellular and phagocytic responses of the host. Long-term persistence of pathogenic viruses and bacteria induce atopy and could aggravate chronic respiratory diseases. The up-to-date classification of immunomodulators is described. High efficacy of interferon inductors, such as cycloferon and some others as auxiliary means in therapy or prophylaxis (immunorehabilitation) of viral respiratory infections in adults and children was shown.

The Immunomodulation Effect of Aronia Extract Lacks Association with Its Antioxidant Anthocyanins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mojsoska, Biljana; Xu, Jin

2013-01-01

was developed to obtain high-purity anthocyanins in the extract. The antioxidative activity of the extract, the anthocyanin-rich fraction (AF) was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and ferric-reducing ability of plasma along with resveratrol as a reference. The immunomodulation properties were......, whereas AF only had a slight effect in reducing IL-10. These results demonstrated that there was no major relationship between the antioxidative effect and immunomodulation capacities of AF and resveratrol. The immunomodulatory activity of the extract is associated with bioactive compounds in Aronia other...

Immunomodulators in warts: Unexplored or ineffective?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surabhi Sinha

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Cutaneous warts are known to be recurrent and often resistant to therapy. Resistant warts may reflect a localized or systemic cell mediated immune (CMI deficiency to HPV. Many modalities of treatment are in use; most of the provider-administered therapies are destructive and cause scarring, such as cryotherapy, chemical cauterisation, curettage, electrodessication and laser removal. Most patient-applied agents like podophyllotoxin have the risk of application-site reactions and recurrence. Thus immunotherapy is a promising modality which could lead to resolution of warts without any physical changes or scarring and in addition would augment the host response against the causative agent, thereby leading to complete resolution and decreased recurrences. Immunomodulators can be administered systemically, intralesionally or intradermally, and topically. A few agents have been tried and studied extensively such as cimetidine and interferons; others are new on the horizon, such as Echinacea, green tea catechins and quadrivalent HPV vaccine, and their efficacy is yet to be completely established. Though some like levamisole have shown no efficacy as monotherapy and are now used only in combination, other more recent agents require large and long term randomized placebo-controlled trials to clearly establish their efficacy or lack of it. In this review, we focus on the immunomodulators that have been used for the treatment of warts and the studies that have been conducted on them.

H1N1 vaccines in a large observational cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with immunomodulators and biological therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahier, Jean-François; Papay, Pavol; Salleron, Julia; Sebastian, Shaji; Marzo, Manuela; Peyrin-Biroulet, Laurent; Garcia-Sanchez, Valle; Fries, Walter; van Asseldonk, Dirk P; Farkas, Klaudia; de Boer, Nanne K; Sipponen, Taina; Ellul, Pierre; Louis, Edouard; Peake, Simon T C; Kopylov, Uri; Maul, Jochen; Makhoul, Badira; Fiorino, Gionata; Yazdanpanah, Yazdan; Chaparro, Maria

2011-04-01

Safety data are lacking on influenza vaccination in general and on A (H1N1)v vaccination in particular in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving immmunomodulators and/or biological therapy. The authors conducted a multicentre observational cohort study to evaluate symptoms associated with influenza H1N1 adjuvanted (Pandemrix, Focetria, FluvalP) and non-adjuvanted (Celvapan) vaccines and to assess the risk of flare of IBD after vaccination. Patients with stable IBD treated with immunomodulators and/or biological therapy were recruited from November 2009 until March 2010 in 12 European countries. Harvey-Bradshaw Index and Partial Mayo Score were used to assess disease activity before and 4 weeks after vaccination in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Vaccination-related events up to 7 days after vaccination were recorded. Of 575 patients enrolled (407 CD, 159 UC and nine indeterminate colitis; 53.9% female; mean age 40.3 years, SD 13.9), local and systemic symptoms were reported by 34.6% and 15.5% of patients, respectively. The most common local and systemic reactions were pain in 32.8% and fatigue in 6.1% of subjects. Local symptoms were more common with adjuvanted (39.3%) than non-adjuvanted (3.9%) vaccines (p < 0.0001), whereas rates of systemic symptoms were similar with both types (15.0% vs 18.4%, p = 0.44). Among the adjuvanted group, Pandemrix more often induced local reactions than FluvalP and Focetria (51.2% vs 27.6% and 15.4%, p < 0.0001). Solicited adverse events were not associated with any patient characteristics, specific immunomodulatory treatment, or biological therapy. Four weeks after vaccination, absence of flare was observed in 377 patients with CD (96.7%) and 151 with UC (95.6%). Influenza A (H1N1)v vaccines are well tolerated in patients with IBD. Non-adjuvanted vaccines are associated with fewer local reactions. The risk of IBD flare is probably not increased after H1N1 vaccination.

[Sensitivity of patients to immunomodulators in immunodeficiency diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Stasenko, A A; Zhulaĭ, V V; Novopol'tseva, I Iu; Dontsova, L S; Zaiats, N V; Negievich, V I

2014-08-01

There were examined 198 patients, in whom immunodeficient (inflammatory, infectious and viral) diseases were revealed, as well as 10 healthy persons--for investigation of sensitivity of the blood neutrophils to immunomodulators (timalin, immunofan, polyoxidonium, timogen, erbisol). Most active one, in accordance to the investigation data, have evolved a synthetic preparation polyoxidonium, action mechanism of which is caused by direct activating impact on phagocytosis. Absence of sensitivity of the blood neutrophils towards activating stimuli (immunomodulators) in some patients was caused by a phenomenon, according to which the blood neutrophils, persisting durably in a preactivated state, further (while examining of the patients) have a reduced capacity for answering to stimulation. Such factors, as persisting in organism components of cellular wall of microorganisms or viruses, as well as antiinflammatory citokines, which are secreted in answer to the infectious agent introduction, are altogether promote the blood neutrophils preactivated state persistence. In patients, suffering viral infections, the blood neutrophils are mostly sensitive to immunofan and timalin. Immunologic preparations must be selected individually, taking into account the data of tests for sensitivity.

Immunomodulating activities of soluble synthetic polymer-bound drugs

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Říhová, Blanka

2002-01-01

Roč. 54, - (2002), s. 653-674 ISSN 0169-409X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA305/02/1425; GA AV ČR IBS5020101; GA AV ČR IAA4050201 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5020903 Keywords : immunomodulation * immunomobilization * vaccination Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 4.190, year: 2002

Concurrent immunomodulator therapy is associated with higher adalimumab trough levels during scheduled maintenance therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Ashley; Dodd, Susanna; Fisher, Gareth; Skouras, Thomas; Subramanian, Sreedhar

2017-02-01

Combination therapy with infliximab and immunomodulators is superior to monotherapy, resulting in better outcomes and higher trough levels of infliximab. The role of concurrent immunomodulatory therapy on adalimumab trough levels has not been adequately investigated. We evaluated the impact of concomitant immunomodulation on adalimumab trough levels in patients on scheduled maintenance therapy. We conducted a prospective observational, cross-sectional study of all inflammatory bowel disease patients on maintenance therapy who had adalimumab trough levels measured between January 2013 and January 2016. Drug level and anti-drug antibody measurements were performed on sera using a solid phase assay. Pairwise comparison of means was used to compare trough levels in patients with and without concomitant immune modulator therapy. In total, 79 patients were included. Twenty-three patients (29.1%) were on weekly dosing whereas 56 (70.9%) were on alternate weeks. Median adalimumab trough levels were comparable in patients with and without clinical remission (6.8 μg/ml (IQR 5.6-8.1) versus 6.7 μg/ml (IQR 3.9-8.1), respectively. Patients with an elevated faecal calprotectin >250 μg/g had lower adalimumab trough levels (median 6.7, IQR 3.9-8) compared to patients with faecal calprotectin <250 μg/g (median 7.7, IQR 6.1-8.1) though this did not achieve statistical significance (p = .062). Median adalimumab trough levels among patients on concurrent immunomodulators was 7.2 μg/ml (IQR 5.7-8.1) compared to those not on concurrent immunomodulator, 6.1 μg/ml (IQR 2.7-7.7, p = .0297). Adalimumab trough levels were significantly higher in patients on concurrent immunomodulators during maintenance therapy. There was a trend towards a lower adalimumab trough level in patients with elevated calprotectin.

Effectiveness and Safety of Immunomodulators with Anti-TNF Therapy in Crohn's Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Osterman, Mark T.; Haynes, Kevin; Delzell, Elizabeth; Zhang, Jie; Bewtra, Meenakshi; Brensinger, Colleen M.; Chen, Lang; Xie, Fenglong; Curtis, Jeffrey R.; Lewis, James D.

2015-01-01

Background & Aims The benefit of continuing immunomodulators when “stepping up” to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy for Crohn's disease (CD) is uncertain. This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of immunomodulators with anti-TNF therapy in CD. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of new users of anti-TNF therapy for CD in Medicare. Users of anti-TNF combination therapy with immunomodulators were matched to up to 3 users of anti-TNF monotherapy via propensity score and compared using 3 metrics of effectiveness – surgery, hospitalization, and discontinuation of anti-TNF therapy or surgery – and 2 metrics of safety – serious infection and non-Candida opportunistic infection. Cox regression was used for all analyses. Results Among new users of infliximab, we matched 381 users of combination therapy to 912 users of monotherapy; among new users of adalimumab, we matched 196 users of combination therapy to 505 users of monotherapy. Combination therapy occurred predominantly as “step up” after thiopurine therapy. The rates of surgery (hazard ratio [HR] 1.20, 95% CI 0.73-1.96), hospitalization (HR 0.82 [0.57-1.19]), discontinuation of anti-TNF therapy or surgery (HR 1.09, [0.88-1.34]), and serious infection (HR 0.93 [0.88-1.34]) did not differ between users of anti-TNF combination therapy and monotherapy. However, the risk of opportunistic infection (HR 2.64 [1.21-5.73]) and herpes zoster (HR 3.16 [1.25-7.97]) were increased with combination therapy. Conclusions We found that continuation of immunomodulators after “stepping up” to anti-TNF therapy did not improve outcomes but was associated with an increased risk of opportunistic infection. PMID:25724699

Steroid dependency and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in the era of immunomodulators-A population-based study

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Jakobsen, Christian; Munkholm, Pia Susanne; Paerregaard, Anders

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND:: The aim was to investigate the impact of systemic steroid treatment (SST) and immunomodulators (IM) on disease course in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS:: All IBD patients in eastern Denmark......BACKGROUND:: The aim was to investigate the impact of systemic steroid treatment (SST) and immunomodulators (IM) on disease course in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS:: All IBD patients in eastern Denmark...

Immunomodulation by probiotic lactobacilli in layer and meat-type chickens

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koenen, M.E.; Kramer, J.; Hulst-van Arkel, van der M.C.; Heres, L.; Jeurissen, S.H.M.; Boersma, W.J.A.

2004-01-01

1. The aim of the experiments was to evaluate whether selected probiotic lactobacillus strains have different immunomodulating effects in layer- and meat-type strain chickens. 2. Humoral and cellular specific and non-specific immune responses were studied by experiments on cellular proliferation,

Topical macrolide immunomodulators: a role in the treatment of vitiligo?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tjioe, M.; Vissers, W.H.P.M.; Gerritsen, M.J.P.

2006-01-01

Recently, topical macrolide immunomodulators have been successfully introduced in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. With the growing interest in this new line of topical immunosuppressants, research into the efficacy of these medicines in other T-cell-mediated skin diseases, such as psoriasis,

Comparison of RAW264.7, human whole blood and PBMC assays to screen for immunomodulators.

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Elisia, Ingrid; Pae, Han Bee; Lam, Vivian; Cederberg, Rachel; Hofs, Elyse; Krystal, Gerald

2018-01-01

The RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cell line is used extensively to carry out in vitro screens for immunomodulators. Compounds that are effective at reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines or nitric oxide (NO) from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells are often considered candidate anti-inflammatory agents for humans. There is, however, very little data on the reliability of this screen to identify bona fide human immunomodulators. We compared the efficacy of 37 purported immunomodulators to modulate LPS or E. coli-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cell, whole human blood and human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) assays. Interestingly, there was no significant correlation (R=0.315) between the responses obtained with RAW264.7 cells and the whole blood assay (WBA), suggesting that compounds demonstrating efficacy in RAW264.7 cells may be ineffective in humans, and, more importantly, compounds that are effective in humans may be missed with a RAW264.7 screen. Interestingly, there was also no significant correlation between the WBA and human PBMCs when the latter were cultured with 10% FCS, but a moderate correlation was seen when the PBMCs were cultured with 25% autologous plasma. The presence of plasma thus contributes to the overall inflammatory response observed in the WBA. We then asked if RAW264.7 cells, given that they are mouse macrophage-like cells, respond in a manner similar to primary murine derived macrophages. Intriguingly, there was no significant correlation (R=0.012) with the 37 putative immunomodulators, pointing to distinct inflammatory response mechanisms in the two model systems. We conclude that the use of a WBA to confirm potential immunomodulators obtained from high throughput screening with RAW264.7 cells is advisable and that future screens be carried out using a WBA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New approaches to estimation of peat deposits for production of biologically active compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Stepchenko, L. M.; Yurchenko, V. I.; Krasnik, V. G.; Syedykh, N. J.

2009-04-01

It is known, that biologically active preparations from peat increase animals productivity as well as resistance against stress-factors and have adaptogeneous, antioxidant, immunomodulative properties. Optymal choice of peat deposits for the production of biologically active preparations supposes the detailed comparative analysis of peat properties from different deposits. For this the cadastre of peat of Ukraine is developed in the humic substances laboratory named after prof. Khristeva L.A. (Dnipropetrovsk Agrarian University, Ukraine). It based on the research of its physical and chemical properties, toxicity and biological activity, and called Biocadastre. The Biocadastre is based on the set of parameters, including the descriptions of physical and chemical properties (active acidity, degree of decomposition, botanical composition etc.), toxicity estimation (by parabyotyc, infusorial, inhibitor and other tests), biological activity indexes (growth-promoting, antioxidative, adaptogeneous, immunomodulative antistress and other actions). The blocks of Biocadastre indexes are differentiated, taking into account their use for creation the preparations for vegetable, animals and microorganisms. The Biocadastre will allow to choose the peat deposits, most suitable for the production of different biologically active preparations, both wide directed and narrow spectrum of action, depending on application fields (medicine, agriculture, veterinary medicine, microbiological industry, balneology, cosmetology).

Pseudoalteromonas strains are potent immunomodulators owing to low-stimulatory LPS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maaetoft-Udsen, Kristina; Vynne, Nikolaj Grønnegaard; Heegaard, Peter M. H.

2013-01-01

Many species of marine bacteria elicit a weak immune response. In this study, the aim was to assess the immunomodulatory properties of Gram-negative Pseudoalteromonas strains compared with other marine Gram-negative bacteria and to identify the molecular cause of the immunomodulation. Using murine...

Helminth Immunomodulation in Autoimmune Disease

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John J. Miles

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Helminths have evolved to become experts at subverting immune surveillance. Through potent and persistent immune tempering, helminths can remain undetected in human tissues for decades. Redirecting the immunomodulating “talents” of helminths to treat inflammatory human diseases is receiving intensive interest. Here, we review therapies using live parasitic worms, worm secretions, and worm-derived synthetic molecules to treat autoimmune disease. We review helminth therapy in both mouse models and clinical trials and discuss what is known on mechanisms of action. We also highlight current progress in characterizing promising new immunomodulatory molecules found in excretory/secretory products of helminths and their potential use as immunotherapies for acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Results of a non-specific immunomodulation therapy on chronic heart failure (ACCLAIM trial): a placebo-controlled randomised trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Torre-Amione, G.; Anker, S.D.; Bourge, R.C.

2008-01-01

Background Evidence suggests that inflammatory mediators contribute to development and progression of chronic heart failure. We therefore tested the hypothesis that immunomodulation might counteract this pathophysiological mechanism in patients. Methods We did a double-blind, placebo-controlled s......Background Evidence suggests that inflammatory mediators contribute to development and progression of chronic heart failure. We therefore tested the hypothesis that immunomodulation might counteract this pathophysiological mechanism in patients. Methods We did a double-blind, placebo......-controlled study of a device-based non-specific immunomodulation therapy (IMT) in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II-IV chronic heart failure, left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, and hospitalisation for heart failure or intravenous drug therapy in an outpatient setting......-0 . 95; p=0.02) and a 39% (0.61; 95% CI 0 . 46-0.80; p=0 . 0003) reduction in the risk of primary endpoint events, respectively. Interpretation Non-specific immunomodulation may have a role as a potential treatment for a large segment of the heart failure population, which includes patients without...

Lack of immunomodulating effect of disulfiram on HIV positive patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hørding, M; Gøtzsche, P C; Bygbjerg, Ib Christian

1990-01-01

Disulfiram (Antabuse (R)) is metabolized to two molecules of diethyldithiocarbamate, which has been reported to be an immunomodulating agent. In a double blind trial, 15 HIV antibody positive homosexual men were given daily doses of 100 mg or 400 mg of disulfiram or placebo, for 4 weeks. All had...

Fatos e mitos sobre imunomoduladores Facts and myths about immunomodulators

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Hermênio Cavalcante Lima

2007-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste artigo é discutir alguns fatos dos imunomoduladores modernos que podem ser úteis para o dermatologista clínico. Outro objetivo importante é o de dissipar mitos que possam ter impacto negativo no uso dessas drogas pelo clínico. O foco inicial está em imunomoduladores estimuladores que podem conduzir à acentuação da resposta normal das células imunocompetentes. Para tanto, diversos aspectos associados à regulação do sistema imune e às vias regulatórias das células do sistema imune são mencionados. Discutem-se a regulação aberrante e seu impacto no sistema imune e examina-se a classe de drogas imunossupressoras que têm sua função bem estabelecida. Diversas drogas não foram mencionadas. A razão para isso é o foco do artigo que pretende cobrir os fatos bem estabelecidos ou os mitos que as novas evidências científicas modificaram. Com esse padrão em mente, é provável que exista uma quantidade considerável de similaridade nos conceitos, uma vez que descrevem drogas imunomoduladoras. Nesse contexto, a intenção de fornecer novas perspectivas de como o sistema imune pode ser modulado por essas drogas supera esse problema.The objective of this article is to discuss some facts of modern immunomodulators that might be useful for clinical dermatology. Moreover, it aims to dispel myths that might have a negative impact on the use of such drugs by clinicians. The primary focus is on immunomodulators that stimulate and may enhance the normal response of immunocompetent cells. Therefore, several aspects associated to immune system regulation, and regulatory pathways of immune cells are also mentioned. Furthermore, aberrant regulation is discussed in the context of immunomodulator use and the impact this has on the immune system. This review also examines the class of immunosuppressive drugs and their wellestablished function. Several drugs were not mentioned since the article focuses on well accepted facts or

The effect of synthetic immunomodulator thymogen on radiation carcinogenesis in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anisimov, V.N.; Miretskij, G.I.; Morozov, V.G.; Pavel'eva, I.A.; Khavinson, V.Kh.

1992-01-01

Five month-old female rats were given a mixture of Sr-90 and Cs-137 in drinking water in the dose of 0.1 and 0.2 μCi/day per animal over 12 months. Some animals received 12 monthly course of a synthetic immunomodulating dipeptide-thymogen in the dose of 5 μg/animal for 5 consecutive days. Radionuclide-treated rats showed higher occurence of tumors on the whole and of breast adenocarcinoma, in particular. Thymogen was shown to inhibit Sr-90- and Cs-137-induced radiation carcinogenesis, namely, a decrease in the total tumor and cancer occurence was observed. The animals receiving thymogen alone showed longer life span, slower rate of aging and lower overall tumor and cancer occurence. In this study, the ability of asynthetic peptide immunomodulator-thymogen to inhibit spontaneous and radionuclide-induced carcinogenesis in female rats was first established

Immunomodulator expression in trophoblasts from the feline immunodeficiency virus FIV infected cat

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FIV infection frequently compromises pregnancy under experimental conditions and is accompanied by aberrant expression of some placental cytokines. Trophoblasts produce numerous immunomodulators that play a role in placental development and pregnancy maintenance. We hypothesized that FIV infection m...

Anti-HIV and immunomodulation activities of cacao mass lignin-carbohydrate complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakagami, Hiroshi; Kawano, Michiyo; Thet, May Maw; Hashimoto, Ken; Satoh, Kazue; Kanamoto, Taisei; Terakubo, Shigemi; Nakashima, Hideki; Haishima, Yuji; Maeda, Yuuichi; Sakurai, Koji

2011-01-01

Recently, a prominent antiviral and macrophage stimulatory activity of cacao lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) has been reported. However, the solubility and sterility of LCC have not been considered yet. In the present study, complete solubilisation and sterilisation was achieved by autoclaving under mild alkaline conditions and the previously reported biological activities were re-examined. LCCs were obtained by 1% NaOH extraction and acid precipitation, and a repeated extraction-precipitation cycle. Nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine productions were assayed by the Griess method and ELISA, respectively. Inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression was determined by Western blot analysis. Superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide radical-scavenging activity was determined by ESR spectroscopy. Cacao mass LCC showed reproducibly higher anti-HIV activity than cacao husk LCC. Cacao mass LCC, up to 62.5 μg/ml, did not stimulate mouse macrophage-like cells (RAW264.7 and J774.1) to produce NO, nor did it induce iNOS protein, in contrast to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cacao mass LCC and LPS synergistically stimulated iNOS protein expression, suggesting a different point of action. Cacao mass LCC induced tumour necrosis factor-α production markedly less than LPS, and did not induce interleukin-1β, interferon-α or interferon-γ. ESR spectroscopy showed that cacao mass LCC, but not LPS, scavenged NO produced from NOC-7. This study demonstrated several new biological activities of LCCs distinct from LPS and further confirmed the promising antiviral and immunomodulating activities of LCCs.

Smoking and immunomodulators do not influence the response or duration of response to infliximab in Crohn's disease.

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Fefferman, David S; Lodhavia, Parag J; Alsahli, Mazen; Falchuk, Kenneth R; Peppercorn, Mark A; Shah, Samir A; Farrell, Richard J

2004-07-01

Clinical predictors for infliximab response are still unknown. Identifying predictors of response to infliximab in Crohn's disease may improve our selection of patients. Two hundred patients with luminal (61%) or fistulous (39%) Crohn's disease and at least 6 months of follow-up following a total of 416 infliximab infusions were evaluated. Clinical response and duration of response were the primary endpoints. Patients with fistulous disease had a higher response rate (83% versus 70%, P = 0.044) and a significantly longer duration of response compared with patients with luminal disease (17.4 versus 10.1 wks, P = 0.017). For luminal disease, nonsmokers and smokers had similar response rates (74% versus 64%, P = 0.5) and similar durations of response (9.4 wks versus 8.4 wks P = 0.6) while patients taking concurrent immunomodulators had similar response rates compared with those not taking immunomodulators (74% versus 71%, P = 0.9) and similar durations of response (10.4 wks versus 10.6 wks, P = 0.9). For fistulous disease, response rates (89% versus 83% P = 0.9) and duration of response (16.9 wks versus 10.1 wks, P = 0.10) were similar between nonsmokers and smokers and concurrent immunomodulators had no effect on response (89% versus 86%, P = 0.9) or duration of response (19.8 wks versus 15.4 wks, P = 0.46). Multivariable analysis confirmed that neither smoking, corticosteroids, immunomodulator therapy, gender, age, age of disease onset, disease duration, nor luminal disease location significantly influenced response or duration of response. Patients with fistulous disease had a higher response rate and a significantly longer duration of response compared with patients with luminal disease. However, among patients with luminal or fistulous disease, neither smoking nor immunomodulators had any effect on response or duration of response.

Effectiveness and Safety of Immunomodulators With Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy in Crohn's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Osterman, Mark T; Haynes, Kevin; Delzell, Elizabeth; Zhang, Jie; Bewtra, Meenakshi; Brensinger, Colleen M; Chen, Lang; Xie, Fenglong; Curtis, Jeffrey R; Lewis, James D

2015-07-01

The benefit of continuing immunomodulators when "stepping up" to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy for Crohn's disease (CD) is uncertain. This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of immunomodulators with anti-TNF therapy in CD. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of new users of anti-TNF therapy for CD in Medicare. Users of anti-TNF combination therapy with immunomodulators were matched to up to 3 users of anti-TNF monotherapy via propensity score and compared by using 3 metrics of effectiveness-surgery, hospitalization, and discontinuation of anti-TNF therapy or surgery-and 2 metrics of safety-serious infection and non-Candida opportunistic infection. Cox regression was used for all analyses. Among new users of infliximab, we matched 381 users of combination therapy to 912 users of monotherapy; among new users of adalimumab, we matched 196 users of combination therapy to 505 users of monotherapy. Combination therapy occurred predominantly as "step up" after thiopurine therapy. The rates of surgery (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-1.96), hospitalization (HR, 0.82; 0.57-1.19), discontinuation of anti-TNF therapy or surgery (HR, 1.09; 0.88-1.34), and serious infection (HR, 0.93; 0.88-1.34) did not differ between users of anti-TNF combination therapy and monotherapy. However, the risks of opportunistic infection (HR, 2.64; 1.21-5.73) and herpes zoster (HR, 3.16; 1.25-7.97) were increased with combination therapy. We found that continuation of immunomodulators after "stepping up" to anti-TNF therapy did not improve outcomes but was associated with an increased risk of opportunistic infection. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role and advances of immunomodulator therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Ole Haagen; Coskun, Mehmet; Steenholdt, Casper

2015-01-01

of these agents. Results from a range of recent studies necessitate increased awareness on how to best use these potent drugs in the clinic. As controversy still remains regarding the most appropriate use of immunomodulators, this review is based on scrutinizing the current literature, with emphasis on randomized...

Less Anti-infliximab Antibody Formation in Paediatric Crohn Patients on Concomitant Immunomodulators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kansen, Hannah M.; van Rheenen, Patrick F.; Houwen, Roderick H. J.; Ten, Walther Tjon A.; Damen, Gerard M.; Kindermann, Angelika; Escher, Johanna C.; Wolters, Victorien M.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of immunomodulators on formation of antibodies to infliximab (ATI) in paediatric patients with Crohn disease (CD) and the association of ATI and loss of response. Methods: Retrospective multicentre observational study (January 2009-December 2014) among Dutch

Evidence of immunomodulation in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed to environmentally relevant PBDEs

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Fernie, Kim J. [Canadian Wildlife Service, PO Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4A6 (Canada)]. E-mail: kim.fernie@ec.gc.ca; Mayne, Greg [Canadian Wildlife Service, PO Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4A6 (Canada); Shutt, J. Laird [National Wildlife Research Centre, Canadian Wildlife Service, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 (Canada); Pekarik, Cynthia [Canadian Wildlife Service, PO Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4A6 (Canada); Grasman, Keith A. [Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435 (United States); Letcher, Robert J. [National Wildlife Research Centre, Canadian Wildlife Service, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 (Canada); Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4 (Canada); Drouillard, Ken [Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4 (Canada)

2005-12-15

We investigated whether exposure to environmentally relevant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) causes immunomodulation in captive nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Eggs within each clutch, divided by laying sequence, were injected with safflower oil or penta-BDE congeners-47, -99, -100, and -153 dissolved in safflower oil (18.7 {mu}g {sigma}PBDEs/egg) approximating Great Lakes birds. For 29 days, nestlings consumed the same PBDE mixture (15.6{+-}0.3 ng/g body weight per day), reaching {sigma}PBDE body burden concentrations that were 120x higher in the treatment birds (86.1{+-}29.1 ng/g ww) than controls (0.73{+-}0.5 ng/g ww). PBDE-exposed birds had a greater PHA response (T-cell-mediated immunity), which was negatively associated with increasing BDE-47 concentrations, but a reduced antibody-mediated response that was positively associated with increasing BDE-183 concentrations. There were also structural changes in the spleen (fewer germinal centers), bursa (reduced apoptosis) and thymus (increased macrophages), and negative associations between the spleen somatic index and {sigma}PBDEs, and the bursa somatic index and BDE-47. Immunomodulation from PBDE exposure may be exacerbated in wild birds experiencing greater environmental stresses. - Exposure to environmentally relevant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (congeners and concentrations) resulted in the immunomodulation of nestling American kestrels.

Evidence of immunomodulation in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed to environmentally relevant PBDEs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernie, Kim J.; Mayne, Greg; Shutt, J. Laird; Pekarik, Cynthia; Grasman, Keith A.; Letcher, Robert J.; Drouillard, Ken

2005-01-01

We investigated whether exposure to environmentally relevant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) causes immunomodulation in captive nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Eggs within each clutch, divided by laying sequence, were injected with safflower oil or penta-BDE congeners-47, -99, -100, and -153 dissolved in safflower oil (18.7 μg ΣPBDEs/egg) approximating Great Lakes birds. For 29 days, nestlings consumed the same PBDE mixture (15.6±0.3 ng/g body weight per day), reaching ΣPBDE body burden concentrations that were 120x higher in the treatment birds (86.1±29.1 ng/g ww) than controls (0.73±0.5 ng/g ww). PBDE-exposed birds had a greater PHA response (T-cell-mediated immunity), which was negatively associated with increasing BDE-47 concentrations, but a reduced antibody-mediated response that was positively associated with increasing BDE-183 concentrations. There were also structural changes in the spleen (fewer germinal centers), bursa (reduced apoptosis) and thymus (increased macrophages), and negative associations between the spleen somatic index and ΣPBDEs, and the bursa somatic index and BDE-47. Immunomodulation from PBDE exposure may be exacerbated in wild birds experiencing greater environmental stresses. - Exposure to environmentally relevant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (congeners and concentrations) resulted in the immunomodulation of nestling American kestrels

Evaluation of anti-fatigue and immunomodulating effects of quercetin in strenuous exercise mice

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei-qiang

2017-04-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the anti-fatigue and immunomodulating effects of quercetin in strenuous exercise mice. Mice were given orally either corn oil or quercetin (20, 40 and 60 mg/kg body weight suspended in corn oil) by gavage once a day for 28 day. All mice were sacrificed after rotarod test and the major biochemical parameters were analyzed in serum and liver. The results indicated that quercetin possessed anti-fatigue effects by prolonging retention times, decreasing levels of blood lactate and serum urea nitrogen, and increasing levels of blood glucose, tissue glycogen and serum glucagon. Furthermore, quercetin could improve the immune function of fatigue mice by decreasing tumor necrosis factor-α levels, and elevated interleukin-10 levels. Quercetin possessed anti-fatigue effects may be related to its immunomodulating effects.

Role of Natural Immunomodulator (Aloe Vera in Cellular and Humoral Immune Responses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ening Wiedosari

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Aloe vera belongs to a group of Liliaceae family plant and cultivated worldwide. It possesses acemannan (acetylated mannan, which has a significant pharmacological property. The acemannan has an immunomodulatory activity when administered to animals. The major immunomodulating effect includes the activation of immune effector cells, such as lymphocytes and macrophages, resulting in the production of cytokines, interleukin (IL-1, IL-6, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα. In particular, this extract can modulate the differentiation capacity of CD4+T cells to mature into Th1 subsets and enhance the innate cytokine response. As a consequence, this extract will have a profound effect in controlling disease, caused by intracellular infectious agents (bacteria and viruses. However, further studies are needed to determine the immunomodulating effects of Aloe vera in multi-component extracts equivalent to what are being used commonly in traditional medicine.

Immunomodulators in SLE: Clinical evidence and immunologic actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Durcan, L; Petri, M

2016-11-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a potentially fatal autoimmune disease. Current treatment strategies rely heavily on corticosteroids, which are in turn responsible for a significant burden of morbidity, and immunosuppressives which are limited by suboptimal efficacy, increased infections and malignancies. There are significant deficiencies in our immunosuppressive armamentarium, making immunomodulatory therapies crucial, offering the opportunity to prevent disease flare and the subsequent accrual of damage. Currently available immunomodulators include prasterone (synthetic dehydroeipandrosterone), vitamin D, hydroxychloroquine and belimumab. These therapies, acting via numerous cellular and cytokine pathways, have been shown to modify the aberrant immune responses associated with SLE without overt immunosuppression. Vitamin D is important in SLE and supplementation appears to have a positive impact on disease activity particularly proteinuria. Belimumab has specific immunomodulatory properties and is an effective therapy in those with specific serological and clinical characteristics predictive of response. Hydroxychloroquine is a crucial background medication in SLE with actions in many molecular pathways. It has disease specific effects in reducing flare, treating cutaneous disease and inflammatory arthralgias in addition to other effects such as reduced thrombosis, increased longevity, improved lipids, better glycemic control and blood pressure. Dehydroeipandrosterone is also an immunomodulator in SLE which can have positive effects on disease activity and has bone protective properties. This review outlines the immunologic actions of these drugs and the clinical evidence supporting their use. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Activity of a crude extract formulation in experimental hepatic amoebiasis and in immunomodulation studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Sohni, Y R; Bhatt, R M

1996-11-01

The activity of a crude extract formulation was evaluated in experimental amoebic liver abscess in golden hamsters and in immunomodulation studies. The formulation comprises the following five plants-Boerhavia diffusa, Tinospora cordifolia, Berberis aristata, Terminalia chebula and Zingiber officinale. The formulation had a maximum cure rate of 73% at a dose of 800 mg/kg/day in hepatic amoebiasis reducing the average degree of infection (ADI) to 1.3 as compared to 4.2 for sham-treated controls. In immunomodulation studies humoral immunity was enhanced as evidenced by the haemagglutination titre. The T-cell counts remained unaffected in the animals treated with the formulation but cell-mediated immune response was stimulated as observed in the leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) tests.

Non-steroidal topical immunomodulators provide skin-selective, self-limiting treatment in atopic dermatitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, Jan D.

2003-01-01

Topical corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment for atopic dermatitis; however, their clinical utility is limited by potential side effects. Recently, the steroid-free topical immunomodulators; tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus cream have become available. These agents provide effective

The radioprotective effect of synthetic immunomodulators on hemopoietic cfu-s

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semina, O.V.; Semenets, T.N.; Dejgin, V.I.; Korotkov, A.M.; Poverennyj, A.M.

1993-01-01

The radiotherapeutic effect of thymogen (Glu-Trp) and thymohexin (Arg-Lys-Asp-Val-Agr) synthetic peptide immunomodulators was investigated. Both thymogen and thymohexin were demonstrated to be able to reduce the damagine effect of ionizing radiation (1 Gy) on CFU-S by half. The treatment by these preparations after irradiation at dose of 4 Gy leads to more intensive restoration of CFU-S population as compared with control

Immunomodulator expression in trophoblasts from the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV-infected cat

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Donaldson Janet R

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background FIV infection frequently compromises pregnancy under experimental conditions and is accompanied by aberrant expression of some placental cytokines. Trophoblasts produce numerous immunomodulators that play a role in placental development and pregnancy maintenance. We hypothesized that FIV infection may cause dysregulation of trophoblast immunomodulator expression, and aberrant expression of these molecules may potentiate inflammation and compromise pregnancy. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the expression of representative pro-(TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IL-18, and GM-CSF and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10; CD134, a secondary co-stimulatory molecule expressed on activated T cells (FIV primary receptor; the chemokine receptor CXCR4 (FIV co-receptor; SDF-1α, the chemokine ligand to CXCR4; and FIV gag in trophoblasts from early-and late-term pregnancy. Methods We used an anti-cytokeratin antibody in immunohistochemistry to identify trophoblasts selectively, collected these cells using laser capture microdissection, and extracted total RNA from the captured cell populations. Real time, reverse transcription-PCR was used to quantify gene expression. Results We detected IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, and CXCR4 in trophoblasts from early-and late-term pregnancy. Expression of cytokines increased from early to late pregnancy in normal tissues. A clear, pro-inflammatory microenvironment was not evident in trophoblasts from FIV-infected queens at either stage of pregnancy. Reproductive failure was accompanied by down-regulation of both pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines. CD134 was not detected in trophoblasts, and FIV gag was detected in only one of ten trophoblast specimens collected from FIV-infected queens. Conclusion Feline trophoblasts express an array of pro-and anti-inflammatory immunomodulators whose expression increases from early to late pregnancy in

Evaluation of immunomodulation by lactobacillus casei shirota: immune function, autoimmunity and gene expression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baken, A.; Ezendam, J.; Gremmer, E.R.; Klerk, de A.; Pennings, J.L.A.; Matthee, B.; Peijnenburg, A.A.C.M.; Loveren, van H.

2006-01-01

Lactic acid bacteria are claimed to have immunomodulating effects. Stimulation as well as suppression of T helper (Th)1 mediated immune responses, have been described for various strains. Experiments involving Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) detected mainly enhancement of innate immune responses

Distribution of 125I-monoclonal antibodies to antigen Ly 2.1 of T-lymphocytes in mice under the influence of immunomodulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirolyubova, Sh.Yu.; Fadeev, N.P.; Serzhanina, V.A.; Klimovich, V.B.; Makarenko, M.V.; Korsakova, L.N.

1991-01-01

A study was made of the distribution of 125 I (a chloramine method of labelling) monoclonal antibodies to the surface antigen Ly 2.1 T-lymphocytes during action of immunomodulators (tactivin, hydrocortisone, tactivin administered after hydrocortisone) on ACR mice. These antibodies were shown to retain antigen binding capacity, permitting monitoring of the redistribution of the antigen in the body exposed to immunomodulators

Microenvironmental cues enhance mesenchymal stem cell-mediated immunomodulation and regulatory T-cell expansion.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadle, Rohini L; Abdou, Salma A; Villarreal-Ponce, Alvaro P; Soares, Marc A; Sultan, Darren L; David, Joshua A; Massie, Jonathan; Rifkin, William J; Rabbani, Piul; Ceradini, Daniel J

2018-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to both have powerful immunosuppressive properties and promote allograft tolerance. Determining the environmental oxygen tension and inflammatory conditions under which MSCs are optimally primed for this immunosuppressive function is essential to their utilization in promoting graft tolerance. Of particular interest is the mechanisms governing the interaction between MSCs and regulatory T cells (Tregs), which is relatively unknown. We performed our experiments utilizing rat bone marrow derived MSCs. We observed that priming MSCs in hypoxia promotes maintenance of stem-like characteristics, with greater expression of typical MSC cell-surface markers, increased proliferation, and maintenance of differentiation potential. Addition of autologous MSCs to CD4+/allogeneic endothelial cell (EC) co-culture increases regulatory T cell (Treg) proliferation, which is further enhanced when MSCs are primed in hypoxia. Furthermore, MSC-mediated Treg expansion does not require direct cell-cell contact. The expression of indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase, a mediator of MSC immunomodulation, increases when MSCs are primed in hypoxia, and inhibition of IDO significantly decreases the expansion of Tregs. Priming with inflammatory cytokines IFNγ and TNFα increases also expression of markers associated with MSC immunomodulatory function, but decreases MSC proliferation. The expression of IDO also increases when MSCs are primed with inflammatory cytokines. However, there is no increase in Treg expansion when MSCs are primed with IFNγ, suggesting an alternate mechanism for inflammatory-stimulated MSC immunomodulation. Overall, these results suggest that MSCs primed in hypoxia or inflammatory conditions are optimally primed for immunosuppressive function. These results provide a clearer picture of how to enhance MSC immunomodulation for clinical use.

Regulatory T cells in acute myelogenous leukemia: is it time for immunomodulation?

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Ustun, Celalettin; Miller, Jeffrey S; Munn, David H; Weisdorf, Daniel J; Blazar, Bruce R

2011-11-10

The microenviroment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is suppressive for immune effector cells. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been recognized as a contributor factor and may be recruited and exploited by leukemic cells to evade immunesurveillance. Studies have shown that the frequencies of marrow and blood Tregs are greater in patients with AML than in control patients. Although increased Tregs have been associated with a decreased risk of GVHD after allogeneic HCT and hence may impede the graft-versus-tumor effect, recent findings indicate that that this may not be the case. Because there is a need to improve outcomes of standard treatment (chemotherapy with or without allogeneic HCT) in AML, targeting Tregs present an outstanding opportunity in AML because discoveries may apply throughout its treatment. Here, we review data on the roles of Tregs in mediating immune system-AML interactions. We focused on in vitro, animal, and observational human studies of Tregs in AML biology, development, prognosis, and therapy in different settings (eg, vaccination and HCT). Manipulation of Tregs or other types of immunomodulation may become a part of AML treatment in the future.

Immunomodulating effects of heparin on human B cell proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wasik, Maria; Stepien-Sopniewska, Barbara; Gorski, Andrzej

1993-01-01

Recent data indicate that heparin may act as an immunomodulator. In this paper we have analyzed the effect of this agent on human B cell proliferation ''in vitro'' induced by ''S. aureus'' Cowan. The action of heparin is complex, but there was a trend for inhibition of B cell responses obtained from defibrinated but not heparinized blood samples. This suggest that heparin interacts with platelet products (growth factors, cytokines) and the results of such interactions determine the final effect. (author). 6 refs, 4 figs

Development and hygiene of functional foods with immunomodulation activity using radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Sung Kee; Yu, Young Beob; Park, Hae Ran; Byun, Myung Woo; Yang, Jae Seung; Kim, Sung Ho; Yee, Sung Tae

1999-04-01

In searching modulators of immunity and hemopoiesis among natural products, being used as foods, 6 herbs exhibited lymphocyte proliferation in vitro, and 6 exhibited augmentation of hematopoietic cell growth. The combined treatments showed synergistic effects of lymphocyte proliferation and of hematopoietic cell growth. On the other hand, we found 4 effective Oriental medicinal prescriptions, used as energy tonic or blood-building decoctions, for survival and regeneration of hematopoietic cells and for protection of stem cells of intestinal crypt in irradiated mice. On the basis of these results, extracts from combinations of herbs were made in expectation of higher effects in the three respects. The immunomodulation activity by the herb combination was confirmed in mice. In culture of bone marrow cells, the changes of cytokine expression patterns by herb mixture extracts were observed. In the further studies, we would to evaluate the effects of the herb combinations, to identify the active component, to confirm toxicological safety, and to prepare the provisional products for foods. And then, the functional foods with immunomodulation activity would be developed, and would be applied to overcoming the declined immunity and hemopoiesis caused by various factors

Development and hygiene of functional foods with immunomodulation activity using radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jo, Sung Kee; Yu, Young Beob; Park, Hae Ran; Byun, Myung Woo; Yang, Jae Seung [Korea Atomic Energy Research Insitiute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sung Ho [Chonnam Univ., Kwangju (Korea, Republic of); Yee, Sung Tae [Sunchon Univ., Sunchon (Korea, Republic of)

1999-04-01

In searching modulators of immunity and hemopoiesis among natural products, being used as foods, 6 herbs exhibited lymphocyte proliferation in vitro, and 6 exhibited augmentation of hematopoietic cell growth. The combined treatments showed synergistic effects of lymphocyte proliferation and of hematopoietic cell growth. On the other hand, we found 4 effective Oriental medicinal prescriptions, used as energy tonic or blood-building decoctions, for survival and regeneration of hematopoietic cells and for protection of stem cells of intestinal crypt in irradiated mice. On the basis of these results, extracts from combinations of herbs were made in expectation of higher effects in the three respects. The immunomodulation activity by the herb combination was confirmed in mice. In culture of bone marrow cells, the changes of cytokine expression patterns by herb mixture extracts were observed. In the further studies, we would to evaluate the effects of the herb combinations, to identify the active component, to confirm toxicological safety, and to prepare the provisional products for foods. And then, the functional foods with immunomodulation activity would be developed, and would be applied to overcoming the declined immunity and hemopoiesis caused by various factors.

Immunomodulating and Revascularizing Activity of Kalanchoe pinnata Synergize with Fungicide Activity of Biogenic Peptide Cecropin P1

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N. S. Zakharchenko

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Previously transgenic Kalanchoe pinnata plants producing an antimicrobial peptide cecropin P1 (CecP1 have been reported. Now we report biological testing K. pinnata extracts containing CecP1 as a candidate drug for treatment of wounds infected with Candida albicans. The drug constitutes the whole juice from K. pinnata leaves (not ethanol extract sterilized with nanofiltration. A microbicide activity of CecP1 against an animal fungal pathogen in vivo was demonstrated for the first time. However, a favorable therapeutic effect of the transgenic K. pinnata extract was attributed to a synergism between the fungicide activity of CecP1 and wound healing (antiscar, revascularizing, and immunomodulating effect of natural biologically active components of K. pinnata. A commercial fungicide preparation clotrimazole eliminated C. albicans cells within infected wounds in rats with efficiency comparable to CecP1-enriched K. pinnata extract. But in contrast to K. pinnata extract, clotrimazole did not exhibit neither wound healing activity nor remodeling of the scar matrix. Taken together, our results allow assumption that CecP1-enriched K. pinnata extracts should be considered as a candidate drug for treatment of dermatomycoses, wounds infected with fungi, and bedsores.

Immunomodulating and Revascularizing Activity of Kalanchoe pinnata Synergize with Fungicide Activity of Biogenic Peptide Cecropin P1.

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Zakharchenko, N S; Belous, A S; Biryukova, Y K; Medvedeva, O A; Belyakova, A V; Masgutova, G A; Trubnikova, E V; Buryanov, Y I; Lebedeva, A A

2017-01-01

Previously transgenic Kalanchoe pinnata plants producing an antimicrobial peptide cecropin P1 (CecP1) have been reported. Now we report biological testing K. pinnata extracts containing CecP1 as a candidate drug for treatment of wounds infected with Candida albicans. The drug constitutes the whole juice from K. pinnata leaves (not ethanol extract) sterilized with nanofiltration. A microbicide activity of CecP1 against an animal fungal pathogen in vivo was demonstrated for the first time. However, a favorable therapeutic effect of the transgenic K. pinnata extract was attributed to a synergism between the fungicide activity of CecP1 and wound healing (antiscar), revascularizing, and immunomodulating effect of natural biologically active components of K. pinnata . A commercial fungicide preparation clotrimazole eliminated C. albicans cells within infected wounds in rats with efficiency comparable to CecP1-enriched K. pinnata extract. But in contrast to K. pinnata extract, clotrimazole did not exhibit neither wound healing activity nor remodeling of the scar matrix. Taken together, our results allow assumption that CecP1-enriched K. pinnata extracts should be considered as a candidate drug for treatment of dermatomycoses, wounds infected with fungi, and bedsores.

Novel Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of the Immunomodulator Organotellurium Compound Ammonium Trichloro(dioxoethylene-O,O'tellurate (AS101

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M. Pilar Vázquez-Tato

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Ammonium trichloro[1,2-ethanediolato-O,O']-tellurate (AS101 is the most important synthetic Te compound from the standpoint of its biological activity. It is a potent immunomodulator with a variety of potential therapeutic applications and antitumoral action in several preclinical and clinical studies. An experimental design has been used to develop and optimize a novel microwave-assisted synthesis (MAOS of the AS101. In comparison to the results observed in the literature, refluxing Te(IV chloride and ethylene glycol in acetonitrile (Method A, or by refluxing Te(IV chloride and ammonium chloride in ethylene glycol (Method B, it was found that the developed methods in the present work are an effective alternative, because although performance slightly decreases compared to conventional procedures (75% vs. 79% by Method A, and 45% vs. 51% by Method B, reaction times decreased from 4 h to 30 min and from 4 h to 10 min, by Methods A and B respectively. MAOS is proving to be of value in the rapid synthesis of compounds with new and improved biological activities, specially based on the benefit of its shorter reaction times.

Improvement in clinical signs and cellular immunity of dogs with visceral leishmaniasis using the immunomodulator P-MAPA.

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Santiago, Maria Emília B; Neto, Luiz Silveira; Alexandre, Eduardo Costa; Munari, Danísio Prado; Andrade, Mariana Macedo C; Somenzari, Marcos Arruda; Ciarlini, Paulo César; de Lima, V M F

2013-09-01

This study investigated the immunotherapeutic potential of the protein aggregate magnesium-ammonium phospholinoleate-palmitoleate anhydride immuno-modulator (P-MAPA) on canine visceral leishmaniasis. Twenty mongrel dogs presenting clinical symptoms compatible with leishmaniasis and diagnosis confirmed by the detection of anti-leishmania antibodies were studied. Ten dogs received 15 doses of the immunomodulator (2.0 mg/kg) intramuscularly, and 10 received saline as a placebo. Skin and peripheral blood samples were collected following administration of the immunomodulator. The groups were followed to observe for clinical signals of remission; parasite load in the skin biopsies using real-time PCR, the cytokines IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-γ in the supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated in vitro with either total promastigote antigen or phytohemagglutinin measured by capture ELISA, and changes in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell subpopulations evaluated by flow cytometry. Comparison between the groups showed that treatment with the immunomodulator promoted improvement in clinical signs and a significant reduction in parasite load in the skin. In peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures, supernatants showed a decrease in IL-10 levels and an increase in IL-2 and IFN-γ. An increase in CD8⁺ T cells was observed in peripheral blood. In addition, the in vitro leishmanicidal action of P-MAPA was investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and no leishmanicidal activity was detected. These findings suggest that P-MAPA has potential as an immunotherapeutic drug in canine visceral leishmaniasis, since it assists in reestablishing partial immunocompetence of infected dogs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increasing abscisic acid levels by immunomodulation in barley grains induces precocious maturation without changing grain composition.

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Staroske, Nicole; Conrad, Udo; Kumlehn, Jochen; Hensel, Götz; Radchuk, Ruslana; Erban, Alexander; Kopka, Joachim; Weschke, Winfriede; Weber, Hans

2016-04-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates in seeds during the transition to the seed filling phase. ABA triggers seed maturation, storage activity, and stress signalling and tolerance. Immunomodulation was used to alter the ABA status in barley grains, with the resulting transgenic caryopses responding to the anti-ABA antibody gene expression with increased accumulation of ABA. Calculation of free versus antibody-bound ABA reveals large excess of free ABA, increasing signficantly in caryopses from 10 days after fertilization. Metabolite and transcript profiling in anti-ABA grains expose triggered and enhanced ABA-functions such as transcriptional up-regulation of sucrose-to-starch metabolism, storage protein synthesis and ABA-related signal transduction. Thus, enhanced ABA during transition phases induces precocious maturation but negatively interferes with growth and development. Anti-ABA grains display broad constitutive gene induction related to biotic and abiotic stresses. Most of these genes are ABA- and/or stress-inducible, including alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, peroxidases, chaperones, glutathione-S-transferase, drought- and salt-inducible proteins. Conclusively, ABA immunomodulation results in precocious ABA accumulation that generates an integrated response of stress and maturation. Repression of ABA signalling, occurring in anti-ABA grains, potentially antagonizes effects caused by overshooting production. Finally, mature grain weight and composition are unchanged in anti-ABA plants, although germination is somewhat delayed. This indicates that anti-ABA caryopses induce specific mechanisms to desensitize ABA signalling efficiently, which finally yields mature grains with nearly unchanged dry weight and composition. Such compensation implicates the enormous physiological and metabolic flexibilities of barley grains to adjust effects of unnaturally high ABA amounts in order to ensure and maintain proper grain development. © The Author 2016. Published by

Efficacy and mode of action of an immunomodulator herbal preparation containing Echinacea, wild indigo, and white cedar.

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Wüstenberg, P; Henneicke-von Zepelin, H H; Köhler, G; Stammwitz, U

1999-01-01

Using the example of an allopathic herbal combined preparation containing Echinacea root, wild indigo root, and white cedar leaf tips (Echinaceae radix + Baptisiae tinctoriae radix + Thujae occidentalis herba = Esberitox N), the efficacy and mode of action of a phytoimmunomodulator, or immune system enhancer, is described. Efficacy of the immunomodulator has been demonstrated in studies of acute viral respiratory tract infections and infections requiring antibiotic therapy. In a recent study compliant to GCP, the therapeutic superiority of the herbal immunomodulator over placebo was confirmed as statistically significant and clinically relevant. The present overview describes a model of the antigen-independent mode of action of phytoimmunomodulation ("immunobalancing").

In vitro immunomodulation of a whole blood IFN-γ release assay enhances T cell responses in subjects with latent tuberculosis infection.

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Rajiv L Gaur

Full Text Available Activation of innate immunity via pathogen recognition receptors (PRR modulates adaptive immune responses. PRR ligands are being exploited as vaccine adjuvants and as therapeutics, but their utility in diagnostics has not been explored. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs are functional T cell assays used to diagnose latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI; however, novel approaches are needed to improve their sensitivity.In vitro immunomodulation of a whole blood IGRA (QuantiFERON®-TB GOLD In-Tube with Toll-like receptor agonists poly(I:C, LPS, and imiquimod was performed on blood from subjects with LTBI and negative controls.In vitro immunomodulation significantly enhanced the response of T cells stimulated with M. tuberculosis antigens from subjects with LTBI but not from uninfected controls. Immunomodulation of IGRA revealed T cell responses in subjects with LTBI whose T cells otherwise do not respond to in vitro stimulation with antigens alone. Similar to their in vivo functions, addition of poly(I:C and LPS to whole blood induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines and IFN-α and enhanced the surface expression of antigen presenting and costimulatory molecules on antigen presenting cells.In vitro immunomodulation of whole blood IGRA may be an effective strategy for enhancing the sensitivity of T cells for diagnosis of LTBI.

Polysaccharides in Lentinus edodes: isolation, structure, immunomodulating activity and future prospective.

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Xu, Xiaofei; Yan, Huidan; Tang, Jian; Chen, Jian; Zhang, Xuewu

2014-01-01

Lentinus edodes has been valued as edible and medical resources. Polysaccharides have been known to be the most potent antitumor and immunomodulating substance in Lentinus edodes. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the polysaccharides isolated from Lentinus edodes, including extraction and purification methods, chemical structure and chain conformation, the effects on innate and adaptive immunity and their mechanism, relationship between structure and function, and the future prospects.

Prophylactic Administration of Bacterially Derived Immunomodulators Improves the Outcome of Influenza Virus Infection in a Murine Model▿

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Norton, Elizabeth B.; Clements, John D.; Voss, Thomas G.; Cárdenas-Freytag, Lucia

2010-01-01

Prophylactic or therapeutic immunomodulation is an antigen-independent strategy that induces nonspecific immune system activation, thereby enhancing host defense to disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of prophylactic immunomodulation on the outcome of influenza virus infection using three bacterially derived immune-enhancing agents known for promoting distinct immunological profiles. BALB/c mice were treated nasally with either cholera toxin (CT), a mutant form of the CT-related Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin designated LT(R192G), or CpG oligodeoxynucleotide. Mice were subsequently challenged with a lethal dose of influenza A/PR/8/34 virus 24 h after the last immunomodulation treatment and either monitored for survival or sacrificed postchallenge for viral and immunological analysis. Treatment with the three immunomodulators prevented or delayed mortality and weight loss, but only CT and LT(R192G) significantly reduced initial lung viral loads as measured by plaque assay. Analysis performed 4 days postinfection indicated that prophylactic treatments with CT, LT(R192G), or CpG resulted in significantly increased numbers of CD4 T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells and altered costimulatory marker expression in the airways of infected mice, coinciding with reduced expression of pulmonary chemokines and the appearance of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue-like structures in the lungs. Collectively, these results suggest that, despite different immunomodulatory mechanisms, CT, LT(R192G), and CpG induce an initial inflammatory process and enhance the immune response to primary influenza virus challenge while preventing potentially damaging chemokine expression. These studies provide insight into the immunological parameters and immune modulation strategies that have the potential to enhance the nonspecific host response to influenza virus infection. PMID:20053748

Plant-derived immunomodulators: An insight on their preclinical evaluation and clinical trials

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Ibrahim eJantan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The phagocyte-microbe interactions in the immune system is a defence mechanism but when excessively or inappropriately deployed can harm host tissues and participate in the development of different non-immune and immune chronic inflammatory diseases such as autoimmune problems, allergies, some rheumatoid disorders, cancers and others. Immunodrugs include organic synthetics, biological agents such as cytokines and antibodies acting on single targets or pathways have been used to treat immune-related diseases but with limited success. Most of immunostimulants and immunosuppressants in clinical use are the cytotoxic drugs which possess serious side effects. There is a growing interest to use herbal medicines as multi-component agents to modulate the complex immune system in the prevention of infections rather than treating the immune-related diseases. Many therapeutic effects of plant extracts have been suggested to be due to their wide array of immunomodulatory effects and influence on the immune system of the human body. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids, polysaccharides, lactones, alkaloids, diterpenoids and glycosides, present in several plants, have been reported to be responsible for the plants immunomodulating properties. Thus the search for natural products of plant origin as new leads for development of potent and safe immunosuppressant and immunostimulant agents is gaining much major research

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Nerve Regeneration and Immunomodulation after Composite Tissue Allotransplantation

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-01

10-1-0927 TITLE: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Nerve Regeneration and Immunomodulation after Composite Tissue Allotransplantation...immunosuppression. Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are pluripotent cells, capable of differentiation along multiple mesenchymal lineages into...As part of implemented transition from University of Pittsburgh to Johns Hopkins University, we optimized our mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) isolation

Effects of Combination Therapy With Immunomodulators on Trough Levels and Antibodies Against Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Yun; Mao, Ren; Chen, Bai-Li; Zhang, Sheng-Hong; Guo, Jing; He, Yao; Zeng, Zhi-Rong; Ben-Horin, Shomron; Chen, Min-Hu

2017-09-01

It is not clear whether combination therapy with immunomodulators affects the immunogenicity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We performed a meta-analysis to quantify the effects of combined immunomodulator therapy on the presence of antibodies against TNF antagonists (antidrug antibodies [ADAs]) and trough levels of anti-TNF agents. We systematically searched publication databases for studies that reported prevalence of ADAs in patients who received anti-TNF agents. Raw data from studies that met the inclusion criteria were pooled to determine effect estimates. We performed subgroup and metaregression analyses to determine the level of heterogeneity among study outcomes. We analyzed findings from 35 studies that met inclusion criteria (results reported from 6790 patients with inflammatory bowel disease). The pooled risk ratio for formation of ADAs in patients receiving combined therapy with immunomodulators, versus that of patients receiving anti-TNF monotherapy, was 0.49 (95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.59; P immunomodulators (standardized mean difference, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.41; P = .47). Subgroup analyses of patients treated with different TNF antagonists revealed no difference in the formation of ADAs (P = .50 for interaction); the protective effect of immunomodulators did not differ with type of drug patients were given (methotrexate vs thiopurines), or assay for ADA. We observed heterogeneity only among studies of patients with ulcerative colitis (I 2  = 76%). Funnel plot and Egger test analyses indicated publication bias in the studies (P = .001). In a meta-analysis of published studies, we associated combined treatment with immunomodulators with reduced risk of formation of antibodies against TNF antagonists in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In vivo anticancer and immunomodulating activities of mannogalactoglucan-type polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes (Berkeley) Singer.

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Jeff, Iteku Bekomo; Fan, Enxue; Tian, Meihong; Song, Chenyang; Yan, Jingmin; Zhou, Yifa

2016-01-01

There is considerable interest in the potential of mushrooms in modulating the immune system and/or suppressing tumor growth. Among the studied bioactive compounds in mushrooms, polysaccharides are the most important. Nontoxic fungal polysaccharides have a more important role in immunomodulating and antitumor activities which are related to their effects to act of immune effecter cells such as lymphocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells involved in the innate and adaptive immunity. Two mannogalactoglucan-type polysaccharides (WPLE-N-2 and WPLE-A0.5-2), purified from the fruiting bodies of Lentinus edodes, were evaluated for their effects on the cellular immune response of Sarcoma 180 (S-180)-bearing mice. Mice were treated with 100 mg/kg body weight of the polysaccharides for 10 days. Significant tumor regressions of the polysaccharide groups' mice were observed compared to the control group. These polysaccharides could induce an increase in nitrite oxide (NO) production in peritoneal macrophages, significantly increase macrophage phagocytosis of tumor-bearing mice and augment concanavalin (ConA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced splenocytes proliferation. Our results indicated that immunomodulating activity occurred through host mediation in response to lymphocyte proliferation, macrophage phagocytosis and induction of NO production while the antitumor activity occurred through direct cytotoxicity. Our findings suggest that mannogalactoglucan-type polysaccharides from L. edodes can be explored as novel potential immunostimulants. Our research provides essential data to a better understanding of L. edodes bioactive compounds, especially polysaccharides. Our results also confirm the key role of β-linkages in the antitumor and immunomodulating effects of polysaccharides.

[Application of immunomodulators in the treatment of mandibular fractures in elderly patients with incomplete secondary adentia].

Science.gov (United States)

Abramov, A V; Parfenov, S A; Belov, V G; Parfenov, Iu A

2014-01-01

The aim of the work was to study the experience of using complex pharmacotherapy in the treatment of mandibular fractures in elderly patients with incomplete secondary periodontitis, which were divided into two groups. In the first group, patients (n = 46; average age 69.0 ± 3.6) were treated using the authors' original device combined with application of antimicrobial MetrogilDenta gel onto gums two times a day during ten days. Patients in the second group (n = 52; average age 61.0 ± 3.1) were treated with the same device combined with (i) application of MetrogilDenta antimicrobial gel onto gums two times a day during ten days, (ii) application of 1.5 ml of Cycloferon 5% liniment by cotton pellet for 20 min during the same 10 days (30 minutes after the antimicrobial gel), and (iii) intramuscular injections of 6 mg of synthetic immunomodulator Polyoxidonium once a day for 3 days, then once every two days (for a total of 17 days). It is established that the use of the combination of interferon inducers of immunomodulator group--Cycloferon in the form of liniment and synthetic immunomodulator Polyoksidonium together with MetrogilDenta antimicrobial gel--led to the most pronounced regression of inflammatory and destructive processes in periodontal tissues (in 7.1%, đ = 0.05), optimized the state of local immunity of the oral cavity, and normalized microflora in periodontal pockets in elderly patients with incomplete secondary adentia.

Practical use of herb mixture preparations as functional foods for hemato-immunomodulation and cancer therapy assistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Sung Kee; Jung, U Hee; Park, Hae Ran and others

2006-01-01

This research project was intended to verify biological efficacy and to develop optimal manufacturing process of a novel herbal preparation (HemoHIM), and finally to practicalize it as a functional food for hemato-immunomodulation and cancer therapy assistance. HemoHIM alleviated the suppression of immune and hematopoietic functions in irradiated or anticancer drug(cyclophosphamide)-treated mice, enhanced the anticancer immune activity, and reduced the biological damage by oxidative stress. From these results, the optical application condition of HemoHIM was established. Then, the biologically active components, polysaccharide fraction for immune and hematopoiesis, and 5 antioxidant compounds, were isolated and identified. Based on these results, the standards for the active component contents were established and the optimal manufacturing process was developed. The contents of heavy metals and pesticides were analyzed by US FDA and the pilot product was shown to contain no heavy metals and pesticides. Also the pilot product showed no biological toxicity in the animal toxicity test including the long-term administration, teratogenicity, and local toxicity test. These results confirmed the safety of HemoHIM as a food. Finally, the human efficacy was evaluated. In result, the pilot product alleviated the suppression of immune cell numbers in cancer patients who received the radiation or chemotherapy, and enhanced the immune cell numbers and functions in the immune-depressed sub-healthy volunteers. Based on these results, KAERI and Kolmar Korea, Co. founded the joint venture company, SunBioTech Co. and two herbal preparation products (HemoHIM and HemoTonic) were partially commercialized. This herbal preparation is expected to be applied as a heath functional food for immune and hematopoiesis modulation, and also as a general medicine for the alleviation of immune and hematopoiesis suppression during cancer treatments in the future through further study.

Practical use of herb mixture preparations as functional foods for hemato-immunomodulation and cancer therapy assistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jo, Sung Kee; Jung, U Hee; Park, Hae Ran and others

2006-01-15

This research project was intended to verify biological efficacy and to develop optimal manufacturing process of a novel herbal preparation (HemoHIM), and finally to practicalize it as a functional food for hemato-immunomodulation and cancer therapy assistance. HemoHIM alleviated the suppression of immune and hematopoietic functions in irradiated or anticancer drug(cyclophosphamide)-treated mice, enhanced the anticancer immune activity, and reduced the biological damage by oxidative stress. From these results, the optical application condition of HemoHIM was established. Then, the biologically active components, polysaccharide fraction for immune and hematopoiesis, and 5 antioxidant compounds, were isolated and identified. Based on these results, the standards for the active component contents were established and the optimal manufacturing process was developed. The contents of heavy metals and pesticides were analyzed by US FDA and the pilot product was shown to contain no heavy metals and pesticides. Also the pilot product showed no biological toxicity in the animal toxicity test including the long-term administration, teratogenicity, and local toxicity test. These results confirmed the safety of HemoHIM as a food. Finally, the human efficacy was evaluated. In result, the pilot product alleviated the suppression of immune cell numbers in cancer patients who received the radiation or chemotherapy, and enhanced the immune cell numbers and functions in the immune-depressed sub-healthy volunteers. Based on these results, KAERI and Kolmar Korea, Co. founded the joint venture company, SunBioTech Co. and two herbal preparation products (HemoHIM and HemoTonic) were partially commercialized. This herbal preparation is expected to be applied as a heath functional food for immune and hematopoiesis modulation, and also as a general medicine for the alleviation of immune and hematopoiesis suppression during cancer treatments in the future through further study.

Enhancement of nonspecific resistance by liposome-encapsulated immunomodulators does not affect skin graft rejection in mice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hagen, ten T.L.M.; Vossen, A.C.T.M.; Vianen, van W.; Tibbe, G.J.M.; Savelkoul, H.F.J.; Heremans, H.; Bakker-Woudenberg, I.A.J.M.

1995-01-01

Administration of liposome-encapsulated immunomodulating agents muramyl tripeptide phosphatidyl ethanolamine (LE-MTPPE) or interferon-gamma (LE-IFN-gamma), or co-encapsulated MTPPE and IFN-gamma (LE-(MTPPE/IFN-gamma)) resulted in a dramatic increase of the nonspecific antimicrobial resistance in

Neuroprotection without immunomodulation is not sufficient to reduce first relapse severity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasseldam, Henrik; Johansen, Flemming Fryd

2010-01-01

at high doses, most likely due to differences in receptor affinities. In order to investigate the effects of neuroprotection and immunomodulation in an animal model of multiple sclerosis, we examined the impact of increasing concentrations of R(+)WIN55,212-2 on the inflammatory profile in CNS during first...

Botanical polysaccharides: macrophage immunomodulation and therapeutic potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Schepetkin, Igor A; Quinn, Mark T

2006-03-01

Botanical polysaccharides exhibit a number of beneficial therapeutic properties, and it is thought that the mechanisms involved in these effects are due to the modulation of innate immunity and, more specifically, macrophage function. In this review, we summarize our current state of understanding of the macrophage modulatory effects of botanical polysaccharides isolated from a wide array of different species of flora, including higher plants, mushrooms, lichens and algae. Overall, the primary effect of botanical polysaccharides is to enhance and/or activate macrophage immune responses, leading to immunomodulation, anti-tumor activity, wound-healing and other therapeutic effects. Furthermore, botanical and microbial polysaccharides bind to common surface receptors and induce similar immunomodulatory responses in macrophages, suggesting that evolutionarily conserved polysaccharide structural features are shared between these organisms. Thus, the evaluation of botanical polysaccharides provides a unique opportunity for the discovery of novel therapeutic agents and adjuvants that exhibit beneficial immunomodulatory properties.

Effect of concomitant use of immunomodulator (OK-432 and/or PSK) on primary lung cancer (stages III, IV) treated with radiation combined with chemotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, S.; Ogawa, Y.; Imajo, Y.

1982-01-01

OK-432 (a lyophilized preparation of a low virulent strain, Su, of Streptococcus hemolytics (Group A) treated with penicillin G) and/or PSK (a protein-bound polysaccharide prepared from Coriolus versicolor) as an immunomodulator was administered to 209 patients of advanced lung cancer treated with radiation with combined chemotherapy. Their effects on immunological parameters and patients' survival periods were examined. Suppression of both PHA (phytohemagglutinin) skin test activities and lymphocyte blastoid transformation with PHA were reduced in the immunomodulator administered group compared with the non-administered group. Survival curves were evaluated between the patients with OK-432 and/or PSK and those without immunomodulator. It was suggested that OK-432 and/or PSK combined with radiation with combined chemotherapy was effective for the elongation of the survival period. These results indicated that the long-term administration of OK-432 and/or PSK was recommended for patients with advanced lung cancer. (author)

IMMUNOMODULATORS IN OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS TREATMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. P. Toptygina

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. The immune status and the level of specific antibodies to Cytomegalovirus (121 patients or Mycoplasma pneumoniae (129 patients were tested in 250 patients aged 19–56 years old. This cohort was divided for three groups. Seventy eight patients with low level of CD3+CD4+ lymphocytes and normal rates of other parameters of immune status were jointed in Group 1. The second group was presented by 85 patients with low level of CD3+CD4+ and high level of CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes. Eighty seven patients with lymphopenia were distinguished in Group 3. All patients were treated with antiviral or antibacterial and immunomodulatory drugs. Three schemes of immunomodulatory therapy including imunofanum, polyoxidonium, cycloferonum, glutoxim, immunomax in different combination were used. In three weeks after treatment in 72,4% of patients no clinical symptoms as well as normalization of immune status indices and decrease of specific antibodies titers were observed. Sixty nine patients reported improvement of subjective health status, however they had high level of specific antibodies. Immunological examination of these patients after second course of immunomodulatory therapy confirmed their convalescence. It was shown that the condition of immune status determines effect of the different immunomodulators.

A clinico-biochemical evaluation of the role of a herbal (Ayurvedic) immunomodulator in chronic periodontal disease: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shetty, Shreya; Bose, Aditi; Sridharan, Srirangarajan; Satyanarayana, Aparna; Rahul, Aparna

2013-06-01

Host modulation is fast gaining popularity as a preferred therapeutic modality for periodontal disease. Recent research in the medical field into herbal immunomodulators such as Septilin® has spurred an interest in evaluating its efficacy in periodontitis for the first time. The aim of the study was to assess the immunomodulatory effects of the herbal immunomodulator Septilin® (Himalaya Drug Company, Bangalore, India) when used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in chronic periodontal disease. Forty systemically healthy patients aged between 25 and 55 years of age and with chronic periodontitis were randomly divided into two groups. The test group was administered Septilin® tablets for two weeks following scaling and root planing whereas the control group was treated by scaling and root planing alone. Changes in gingival index (GI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and salivary tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were assessed at day 0, at two weeks, and at three and six months. The GI and GBI showed a statistically significant reduction at two weeks, three months and six months (P0.05). In this pilot evaluation, Septilin® was found to be a safe and effective immunomodulator as an adjunct to routine periodontal therapy. Further long-term studies to test Septilin® on larger sections of the population are recommended.

Effect of Curcuma zedoaria crude extract against tumor progression and immunomodulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FR Carvalho

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present work was to study the effect of the crude extract of Curcuma zedoaria on peripheral blood cells and tumor progression in C57Bl/6J mice injected with B16F10 murine melanoma cells. The intraperitoneal therapy showed a significant increase in total white and red blood cell counts, a decrease in peritoneal cell number and tumor volume reduction, whereas the oral administration revealed a noteworthy augmentation only in total leukocyte count. These results contribute to evaluate the importance of alternative treatments that employ phytotherapic compounds against tumor progression and its possible immunomodulation.

Immunomodulation of murine collagen-induced arthritis by N, N-dimethylglycine and a preparation of Perna canaliculus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davis Paul

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA and its accepted animal model, murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA, are classic autoimmune inflammatory diseases which require proinflammatory cytokine production for pathogenesis. We and others have previously used N, N-dimethylglycine (DMG and extracts from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus (Perna as potent immunomodulators to modify ongoing immune and/or inflammatory responses. Methods In our initial studies, we treated lipopolysaccahride (LPS stimulated THP-1 monocytes in vitro with increasing concentrations of Perna extract or DMG. Additionally, we treated rat peripheral blood neutrophils with increasing concentrations of Perna extract and measured superoxide burst. In subsequent in vivo experiments, CIA was induced by administration of type II collagen; rats were prophylactically treated with either Perna or DMG, and then followed for disease severity. Finally, to test whether Perna and/or DMG could block or inhibit an ongoing pathologic disease process, we induced CIA in mice and treated them therapeutically with either of the two immunomodulators. Results Following LPS stimulation of THP-1 monocytes, we observed dose-dependent reductions in TNF-α and IL-12p40 production in Perna treated cultures. DMG treatment, however, showed significant increases in both of these cytokines in the range of 0.001–1 μM. We also demonstrate that in vitro neutrophil superoxide burst activity is dose-dependently reduced in the presence of Perna. Significant reductions in disease incidence, onset, and severity of CIA in rats were noted following prophylactic treatment with either of the two immunomodulators. More importantly, amelioration of mouse CIA was observed following therapeutic administration of Perna. In contrast, DMG appeared to have little effect in mice and may act in a species-specific manner. Conclusion These data suggest that Perna, and perhaps DMG, may be useful

Immunomodulation of murine collagen-induced arthritis by N, N-dimethylglycine and a preparation of Perna canaliculus.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawson, Brian R; Belkowski, Stanley M; Whitesides, John F; Davis, Paul; Lawson, John W

2007-06-11

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its accepted animal model, murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), are classic autoimmune inflammatory diseases which require proinflammatory cytokine production for pathogenesis. We and others have previously used N, N-dimethylglycine (DMG) and extracts from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus (Perna) as potent immunomodulators to modify ongoing immune and/or inflammatory responses. In our initial studies, we treated lipopolysaccahride (LPS) stimulated THP-1 monocytes in vitro with increasing concentrations of Perna extract or DMG. Additionally, we treated rat peripheral blood neutrophils with increasing concentrations of Perna extract and measured superoxide burst. In subsequent in vivo experiments, CIA was induced by administration of type II collagen; rats were prophylactically treated with either Perna or DMG, and then followed for disease severity. Finally, to test whether Perna and/or DMG could block or inhibit an ongoing pathologic disease process, we induced CIA in mice and treated them therapeutically with either of the two immunomodulators. Following LPS stimulation of THP-1 monocytes, we observed dose-dependent reductions in TNF-alpha and IL-12p40 production in Perna treated cultures. DMG treatment, however, showed significant increases in both of these cytokines in the range of 0.001-1 microM. We also demonstrate that in vitro neutrophil superoxide burst activity is dose-dependently reduced in the presence of Perna. Significant reductions in disease incidence, onset, and severity of CIA in rats were noted following prophylactic treatment with either of the two immunomodulators. More importantly, amelioration of mouse CIA was observed following therapeutic administration of Perna. In contrast, DMG appeared to have little effect in mice and may act in a species-specific manner. These data suggest that Perna, and perhaps DMG, may be useful supplements to the treatment of RA in humans.

USE OF IMMUNOMODULATORS IN ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTION TREATMENT IN FREQUENTLY ILL CHILDREN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.I. Ivardava

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Respiratory infections, relapses of ear, nose, throat infections, acute and chronic bronchial infections — these are the most common infantile infections. Regardless the wide range of medications, treatment of recurrent ENT and respiratory infections is not always effective especially in the group of frequently ill children. This article contains analysis of the necessity of immunomodulation therapy of recurrent respiratory infections as a part of complex prophylaxis and treatment of infants.Key words: children, acute respiratory infection, polyoxidonium, treatment.(Voprosy sovremennoi pediatrii — Current Pediatrics. 2011; 10 (3: 103–107

Usefulness of abdominal ultrasonography in the analysis of endoscopic activity in patients with Crohn's disease: changes following treatment with immunomodulators and/or anti-TNF antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Nadia; Ripollés, Tomás; Paredes, José María; Ortiz, Inmaculada; Martínez, María Jesús; López, Antonio; Delgado, Fructuoso; Moreno-Osset, Eduardo

2014-09-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the accuracy of abdominal ultrasonography (AUS) in the assessment of mucosal healing in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) receiving immunomodulators and/or biological treatment, with ileocolonoscopy as the reference standard. Thirty patients were included in a prospective longitudinal study. All patients underwent ileocolonoscopy and AUS before and after a minimum of one year of treatment. The Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Inflammatory Index of Severity (CDEIS) was used for endoscopic assessment whereas AUS was analyzed by means of bowel wall thickness, color Doppler grade and percentage of increase of parietal enhancement after contrast injection. In the segmental analysis, endoscopic healing was found in 71.2% of the segments and AUS findings were normalized in 62.8%, with a significant correlation between the two techniques (κ=0.76, pimmunomodulators and/or biological drugs in Crohn's disease. AUS is a highly accurate technique for evaluating the healing of the intestinal mucosa. Copyright © 2014 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Immunomodulators of microbial origin enhance cytotoxicity of human mononuclear leukocytes and reduce metastatic progression of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice].

Science.gov (United States)

Akhmatova, N K; Semenova, I B; Donenko, F V; Kiselevskiĭ, M V; Kurbatova, E A; Egorova, N B

2006-01-01

Effect of immunomodulators for microbial origin on innate immunity and antitumor system was continued to study. Immunomodificator Immunovac VP-4, purified staphylococcal toxoid and glucosaminyl muramyl dipeptide (GMDP) equally enhanced cytotoxicity of mononuclear leukocytes of peripheral blood of healthy donors. Index of cytotoxicity was 2.78, 2.77 and 2.70 respectively. Reduced metastatic progression of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice was observed after Immunovac VP-4 and GMDP administration. Effectiveness was seen when preparations administered according to schedules including their administration before implantation of the tumor. If preparations were administered number of metastases reduced in 4.4-5.6 times and size of metastases reduced in 7-10 times. Interplay between antitumor activity of studied immunomodulators and cytotoxic activity of NK-cells, which are base effectors of antitumor immune response, are discussed.

Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties of an enzymatic protein hydrolysate from yellow field pea seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ndiaye, Fatou; Vuong, Tri; Duarte, Jairo; Aluko, Rotimi E; Matar, Chantal

2012-02-01

Enzymatic protein hydrolysates of yellow pea seed have been shown to possess high anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial activities. The aim of this work was to confirm the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating activities of an enzymatic protein hydrolysate of yellow field pea seeds. The anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of peptides from yellow field pea proteins (Pisum sativum L.) were investigated in LPS/IFN-γ-activated RAW 264.7 NO⁻ macrophages. The immunomodulating potential of pea protein hydrolysate (PPH) was then studied in a murine model. Pea protein hydrolysate, after a 12 h pre-treatment, showed significant inhibition of NO production by activated macrophages up to 20%. Moreover, PPH significantly inhibited their secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α- and IL-6, up to 35 and 80%, respectively. Oral administration of PPH in mice enhanced the phagocytic activity of their peritoneal macrophages and stimulated the gut mucosa immune response. The number of IgA+ cells was elevated in the small intestine lamina propria, accompanied by an increase in the number of IL-4+, IL-10+ and IFN-γ+ cells. This was correlated to up-regulation of IL-6 secretion by small intestine epithelial cells (IEC), probably responsible for B-cell terminal differentiation to IgA-secreting cells. Moreover, PPH might have increased IL-6 production in IECs via the stimulation of toll-like receptors (TLRs) family, especially TLR2 and TLR4 since either anti-TLR2 or anti-TLR4 was able to completely abolish PPH-induced IL-6 secretion. Enzymatic protein degradation confers anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating potentials to pea proteins, and the resulted peptides could be used as an alternative therapy for the prevention of inflammatory-related diseases.

Impact of the early use of immunomodulators or TNF antagonists on bowel damage and surgery in Crohn's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Safroneeva, E; Vavricka, S R; Fournier, N; Pittet, V; Peyrin-Biroulet, L; Straumann, A; Rogler, G; Schoepfer, A M

2015-10-01

The impact of early treatment with immunomodulators (IM) and/or TNF antagonists on bowel damage in Crohn's disease (CD) patients is unknown. To assess whether 'early treatment' with IM and/or TNF antagonists, defined as treatment within a 2-year period from the date of CD diagnosis, was associated with development of lesser number of disease complications when compared to 'late treatment', which was defined as treatment initiation after >2 years from the time of CD diagnosis. Data from the Swiss IBD Cohort Study were analysed. The following outcomes were assessed using Cox proportional hazard modelling: bowel strictures, perianal fistulas, internal fistulas, intestinal surgery, perianal surgery and any of the aforementioned complications. The 'early treatment' group of 292 CD patients was compared to the 'late treatment' group of 248 CD patients. We found that 'early treatment' with IM or TNF antagonists alone was associated with reduced risk of bowel strictures [hazard ratio (HR) 0.496, P = 0.004 for IM; HR 0.276, P = 0.018 for TNF antagonists]. Furthermore, 'early treatment' with IM was associated with reduced risk of undergoing intestinal surgery (HR 0.322, P = 0.005), and perianal surgery (HR 0.361, P = 0.042), as well as developing any complication (HR 0.567, P = 0.006). Treatment with immunomodulators or TNF antagonists within the first 2 years of CD diagnosis was associated with reduced risk of developing bowel strictures, when compared to initiating these drugs >2 years after diagnosis. Furthermore, early immunomodulators treatment was associated with reduced risk of intestinal surgery, perianal surgery and any complication. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

INFLUENCE OF NATURAL IMMUNOMODULATORS ON PROTEIN FRACTIONS AND CORTISOL CONTENT IN RABBIT BLOOD UNDER STRESS

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Grabovskyi S.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The results of determination of protein fractions, cortisol content in blood of rabbits, which further added to the feed of natural origin biologically active substances are presented in the article. As an antistressors and immunomodulators in pre-slaughter period are using of spleen extract biologically active substances were obtained with ultrasound application. The purpose of research — determination of changes of protein fractions, cortisol content in rabbits blood before slaughter and their correction of natural origin biologically active substances (spleen extract. Object and research methods. The experiment was conducted on 15 rabbits with standard diet. Three groups of rabbits five month of age (5 rabbits each was formed for research. The spleen extract were using as an biologically active substances to the feed rabbits in pre-slaughter period (five days before slaughter. The extracts were applied to feed by aerosol method (70 °alcohol solution of spleen extract volume of 1.4 ml per rabbit (group I. The rabbits (group II received to the feed in the same way of 70 °alcohol solution in the same volume. The control group rabbits received the standard feed in the same volume. The feed eating by rabbits was exercised daily. The rabbits ate food completely. The rabbits slaughter was carried out in the morning. The blood plasma protein fractions separation was carried out by horizontal electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel (PAAG. Mathematical treatment of the research results worked statistically using the software package Statistica 6.0 and Microsoft Excel for Windows XP. Probability differences was assessed by Student t-test and results considered likely at P ≤ 0.05. Results and discussion. We measured the ratio of blood plasma protein fractions of rabbits, which in addition to the feed fed of natural origin biologically active substances. As a result of research was found that aerosol introduction of the spleen extract to the rabbits

Topical therapy of atopic dermatitis: controversies from Hippocrates to topical immunomodulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilles, Gérard; Wallach, Daniel; Taïeb, Alain

2007-02-01

Although atopic dermatitis can be treated efficiently, there is still much controversy about the risk/benefit ratio of both topical corticosteroids and topical immunomodulators. Conflicting data may be found about the usefulness of bathing, diet regulation, and other therapeutic interventions. These controversies result in part from the persistence of Hippocratic doctrines in modern medical thinking. Humoralist and diathetic doctrines, as they pertain to eczema, are reviewed. The paradoxical worsening of oozing and the deadly hazards of hospitalization before the era of antibiotics are brought to mind. We hope that this historical review will improve the understanding of current controversies and help dermatologists to manage patients with atopic dermatitis and other chronic skin diseases.

Proteliposome-derived Cochleate as an immunomodulator for nasal vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Oliver; Bracho, Gustavo; Lastre, Miriam; Zayas, Caridad; González, Domingo; Gil, Danay; del Campo, Judith; Acevedo, Reinaldo; Taboada, Carlos; Rodríguez, Tamara; Fajardo, María E; Sierra, Gustavo; Campa, Concepción; Mora, Nestor; Barberá, Ramón; Solís, Rosa L

2006-04-12

Proteoliposome (PL) has been recently used as a protective intramuscular (i.m.) anti-meningococcal BC vaccine. It induces a preferential Th 1 type of immune response. Nevertheless, mucosal protection is mainly mediated by IgA antibody response, which is not usually induced by i.m. vaccination route. IgA antibody production needs the stimulation of Th3 subpopulation, which is also related to the induction of small dose tolerance. We hypothesized that PL-derived Cochleate can induce a specific mucosal IgA and systemic IgG antibody responses. We could show that mice immunized with two or three intranasal doses of PL-derived Cochleate developed significantly increased levels of local anti PL IgA and systemic IgG antibody responses. Thus, our results suggest that PL-derived Cochleate can be used as a promising immunomodulator and delivery system for the development of mucosal, particularly nasal vaccines.

The Combined Impact of Surgery and Immunomodulation With Low Dose Cytoxan and GM-CSF in the Early Treatment of Breast Cancer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kendra, Kari L

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combined impact of surgery and immunomodulation with low dose cytoxan and GM-CSF on the development of dendritic cells and the activation of T cells in vivo...

Production of Active Nonglycosylated Recombinant B-Chain of Type-2 Ribosome-Inactivating Protein from Viscum articulatum and Its Biological Effects on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzu-Li Lu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Type-2 ribosome-inactivating proteins, composed of a toxic A-chain and lectin-like B-chain, display various biological functions, including cytotoxicity and immunomodulation. We here cloned the lectin-like B-chain encoding fragment of a newly identified type-2 RIP gene, articulatin gene, from Viscum articulatum, into a bacterial expression vector to obtain nonglycosylated recombinant protein expressed in inclusion bodies. After purification and protein refolding, soluble refolded recombinant articulatin B-chain (rATB showed lectin activity specific toward galactoside moiety and was stably maintained while stored in low ionic strength solution. Despite lacking glycosylation, rATB actively bound leukocytes with preferential binding to monocytes and in vitro stimulated PBMCs to release cytokines without obvious cytotoxicity. These results implicated such a B-chain fragment as a potential immunomodulator.

The effectiveness of natural and synthetic immunomodulators in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Rychlik, Andrzej; Nieradka, Renata; Kander, Małgorzata; Nowicki, Marcin; Wdowiak, Michał; Kołodziejska-Sawerska, Anna

2013-09-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of immunomodulators in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in dogs. Twenty-eight dogs diagnosed with IBD took part in the study. The animals received a food containing extruded immunomodulators: β-1,3/1,6-D-glucan, β-hydroxy-β-methyl-butyrate (HMB) and levamisole for 42 days. Whole blood samples were analysed before and after therapy assessing changes in phagocyte activity (respiratory burst activity, RBA and potential killing activity, PKA), evaluation of proliferation response of mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes and serum gamma globulin levels, lysozyme activity, ceruloplasmin levels and interleukin activity (IL-6 and IL-10). In this experiment, β-1,3/1,6-D-glucan delivered the highest level of treatment efficacy by producing the quickest therapeutic effect, lowering Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (CIBDAI) values to below 3, improving histopathological parameters, decreasing IL-6 levels, increasing IL-10 concentrations, and producing remission periods longer than six months. HMB and levamisole were also effective in lowering CIBDAI scores, but the abatement of clinical symptoms was slower and less pronounced in comparison with β-1,3/1,6-D-glucan. The results indicate that β-1,3/1,6-D-glucan can be useful in the treatment of canine IBD.

Stages of Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma)

Science.gov (United States)

... cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy. Immunomodulators are a type of biologic therapy. Thalidomide , lenalidomide , and pomalidomide are immunomodulators used to treat multiple myeloma and other plasma ...

Treatment Options for Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma)

Science.gov (United States)

... cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy. Immunomodulators are a type of biologic therapy. Thalidomide , lenalidomide , and pomalidomide are immunomodulators used to treat multiple myeloma and other plasma ...

Secretory products of helminth parasites as immunomodulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Harnett, William

2014-07-01

Parasitic helminths release molecules into their environment, which are generally referred to as excretory-secretory products or ES. ES derived from a wide range of nematodes, trematodes and cestodes have been studied during the past 30-40 years, their characterization evolving from simple biochemical procedures such as SDS-PAGE in the early days to sophisticated proteomics in the 21st century. Study has incorporated investigation of ES structure, potential as vaccines, immunodiagnostic utility, functional activities and immunomodulatory properties. Immunomodulation by ES is increasingly the area of most intensive research with a number of defined helminth products extensively analyzed with respect to the nature of their selective effects on cells of the immune system as well as the molecular mechanisms, which underlie these immunomodulatory effects. As a consequence, we are now beginning to learn the identities of the receptors that ES employ and are increasingly acquiring detailed knowledge of the signalling pathways that they interact with and subvert. Such information is contributing to the growing idea that the anti-inflammatory properties of a number of ES products makes them suitable starting points for the development of novel drugs for treating human inflammatory disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A biologically active fructan from the roots of Arctium lappa L., var. Herkules.

Science.gov (United States)

Kardosová, A; Ebringerová, A; Alföldi, J; Nosál'ová, G; Franová, S; Hríbalová, V

2003-11-01

From the roots of Arctium lappa L., var. Herkules a low-molecular-weight fructofuranan of the inulin-type has been isolated by water extraction and ethanol precipitation, followed by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration of the crude precipitate. The methods employed in structural determination were methylation analysis and 1H and 13C NMR spectral measurements. In tests for antitussive activity in cats the fructan was found to be equally active as some non-narcotic, synthetic preparations used in clinical practice to treat coughing, and in mitogenic and comitogenic tests its biological response was comparable to that of the commercial Zymosan immunomodulator.

Immunomodulating effects of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics for pig gut health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roselli, Marianna; Pieper, Robert; Rogel-Gaillard, Claire

2017-01-01

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can confer a health benefit on the host, and amongst various mechanisms probiotics are believed to exert their effects by production of antimicrobial substances, competition with pathogens for adhesion sites and nutrients, enhancement of mucosal barrier...... integrity and immune modulation. Through these activities probiotics can support three core benefits for the host: supporting a healthy gut microbiota, a healthy digestive tract and a healthy immune system. More recently, the concept of combining probiotics and prebiotics, i.e. synbiotics......, for the beneficial effect on gut health of pigs has attracted major interest, and examples of probiotic and prebiotic benefits for pigs are pathogen inhibition and immunomodulation. Yet, it remains to be defined in pigs, what exactly is a healthy gut. Because of the high level of variability in growth and feed...

Labeled OK-432, immunomodulator of streptococcus preparation, in cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toki, Hironobu; Ishikawa, Morihiro; Fujii, Masashi; Yumoto, Yasuhiro; Ishimitsu, Tetsusaburo

1982-01-01

We investigated the pharmacokinetics of OK-432, an immunomodulator of streptococcus preparation which, is used in cancer patients for active nonspecific immunotherapy. First, OK-432 was labeled with sup(99m)Technetium in vitro. Four patients with malignancy were studied. By the method of scintigraphy using gamma camera, OK-432 administered intravenously was found to be distributed in the liver, lung and spleen, by the decreasing grade. When OK-432 was administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly in the buttocks, most of the radioactivity of sup(99m)Technetium remained locally at the injected site. These results suggested that OK-432 given intravenously was effectively phagocytized by cells of reticuloendothelial system (RES). Compared with other routes of administration, the intravenous route of OK-432 administration is thus considered more effective in order to stimulate RES, which is responsible for the first step of immune reaction. (author)

Hypothesis driven development of new adjuvants: short peptides as immunomodulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Jessica C; Kobinger, Gary P

2013-04-01

To date, vaccinations have been one of the key strategies in the prevention and protection against infectious pathogens. Traditional vaccines have well-known limitations such as safety and efficacy issues, which consequently deems it inappropriate for particular populations and may not be an effective strategy against all pathogens. This evidence highlights the need to develop more efficacious vaccination regiments. Higher levels of protection can be achieved by the addition of immunostimulating adjuvants. Many adjuvants elicit strong, undefined inflammation, which produces increased immunogenicity but may also lead to undesirable effects. Hypothesis driven development of adjuvants is needed to achieve a more specific and directed immune response required for optimal and safe vaccine-induced immune protection. An example of such hypothesis driven development includes the use of short immunomodulating peptides as adjuvants. These peptides have the ability to influence the immune response and can be extrapolated for adjuvant use, but requires further investigation.

Immunomodulating activities of soluble synthetic polymer-bound drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ríhová, Blanka

2002-09-13

The introduction of a synthetic material into the body always affects different body systems, including the defense system. Synthetic polymers are usually thymus-independent antigens with only a limited ability to elicit antibody formation or to induce a cellular immune response against them. However, there are many other ways that they influence or can be used to influence the immune system of the host. Low-immunogenic water-soluble synthetic polymers sometimes exhibit significant immunomodulating activity, mainly concerning the activation/suppression of NK cells, LAK cells and macrophages. Some of them, such as poly(ethylene glycol) and poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide], can be used as effective protein carriers, as they are able to reduce the immunogenicity of conjugated proteins and/or to reduce non-specific uptake of liposome/nanoparticle-entrapped drugs and other therapeutic agents. Recently, the development of vaccine delivery systems prepared from biodegradable and biocompatible water-soluble synthetic polymers, microspheres, liposomes and/or nanoparticles has received considerable attention, as they can be tailored to meet the specific physical, chemical, and immunogenic requirements of a particular antigen and some of them can also act as adjuvants. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Effect of concomitant use of immunomodulator (OK-432 and/or PSK) on advanced lung cancer (squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma) treated with radiation with combined chemotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Yasuhiro; Kimura, Shuji; Imajo, Yoshinari

1982-01-01

Between 1975 and 1979, 209 cases of primary lung cancer admitted to the department of radiology were treated with radiation with combined chemotherapy. OK-432 and/or PSK as an immunomodulator was administered to 130 of these cases, and survival curves were evaluated between the patients with OK-432 and/or PSK and those without immunomodulator. In 61 cases (squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma) in stage III (UICC, 1978), fifty percent survival period was found to be 12.5 months for 16 cases with OK-432, 13.5 months for 9 cases with OK-432 and PSK, 9.0 months for 18 cases with PSK, and 8.0 months for 18 cases without immunotherapy, respectively. (author)

Recent Advances in Momordica charantia: Functional Components and Biological Activities

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Shuo Jia

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Momordica charantia L. (M. charantia, a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and its fruit has been used as a vegetable for thousands of years. Phytochemicals including proteins, polysaccharides, flavonoids, triterpenes, saponins, ascorbic acid and steroids have been found in this plant. Various biological activities of M. charantia have been reported, such as antihyperglycemic, antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, immunomodulation, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anthelmintic, antimutagenic, antiulcer, antilipolytic, antifertility, hepatoprotective, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. However, both in vitro and in vivo studies have also demonstrated that M. charantia may also exert toxic or adverse effects under different conditions. This review addresses the chemical constituents of M. charantia and discusses their pharmacological activities as well as their adverse effects, aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the phytochemistry and biological activities of M. charantia.

Recent Advances in Momordica charantia: Functional Components and Biological Activities.

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Jia, Shuo; Shen, Mingyue; Zhang, Fan; Xie, Jianhua

2017-11-28

Momordica charantia L. ( M. charantia ), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, and its fruit has been used as a vegetable for thousands of years. Phytochemicals including proteins, polysaccharides, flavonoids, triterpenes, saponins, ascorbic acid and steroids have been found in this plant. Various biological activities of M. charantia have been reported, such as antihyperglycemic, antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, immunomodulation, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anthelmintic, antimutagenic, antiulcer, antilipolytic, antifertility, hepatoprotective, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. However, both in vitro and in vivo studies have also demonstrated that M. charantia may also exert toxic or adverse effects under different conditions. This review addresses the chemical constituents of M. charantia and discusses their pharmacological activities as well as their adverse effects, aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the phytochemistry and biological activities of M. charantia .

Bactericide, Immunomodulating, and Wound Healing Properties of Transgenic Kalanchoe pinnata Synergize with Antimicrobial Peptide Cecropin P1 In Vivo.

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Lebedeva, A A; Zakharchenko, N S; Trubnikova, E V; Medvedeva, O A; Kuznetsova, T V; Masgutova, G A; Zylkova, M V; Buryanov, Y I; Belous, A S

2017-01-01

Procedure of manufacturing K. pinnata water extracts containing cecropin P1 (CecP1) from the formerly described transgenic plants is established. It included incubation of leaves at +4°C for 7 days, mechanical homogenization of leaves using water as extraction solvent, and heating at +70°C for inactivating plant enzymes. Yield of CecP1 (after heating and sterilizing filtration) was 0.3% of total protein in the extract. The water extract of K. pinnata + CecP1 exhibits favorable effect on healing of wounds infected with S. aureus (equal to Cefazolin) and with a combination of S. aureus with P. aeruginosa (better than Cefazolin). Wild-type K. pinnata extract exhibited evident microbicide activity against S. aureus with P. aeruginosa but it was substantially strengthened in K. pinnata + CecP1 extract. K. pinnata extracts (both wild-type and transgenic) did not exhibit general toxicity and accelerated wound recovery. Due to immunomodulating activity, wild-type K. pinnata extract accelerated granulation of the wound bed and marginal epithelialization even better than K. pinnata + CecP1 extract. Immunomodulating and microbicide activity of K. pinnata synergizes with microbicide activity of CecP1 accelerating elimination of bacteria.

Effect of uterine immunomodulation on hematobiochemical parameters in cyclic non-breeding cows

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Saraswat Sahoo

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Aim: To study the effect of uterine immunomodulation on hematobiochemical parameters and total immunoglobulin concentration in cyclic non-breeding cows. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one repeat breeding cows around Bhubaneswar area were screened by white side test to detect and treat the endometritis and were assigned to three treatment protocols with an equal number of seven animals in each group. Cows in control group were administered with 50 ml of normal saline while treatment Group I animals were given single intrauterine infusion of 20 ml of fresh colostrum and treatment Group II animals received nonpathogenic Escherichia coli in 10 ml sterile saline. The blood samples were collected from all the experimental animals, and hematobiochemical parameters and total immunoglobulin concentration were estimated. Results: A high significant difference (p<0.01 was accounted in lymphocyte count of E. coli treated group within different days of sampling. Analysis of variance recorded a highly significant difference with neutrophil percent in E. coli lavaged cows. In colostrum treated group monocyte count showed a significant difference (p<0.01 between 0 and 14th day of sampling. The analysis of hematocrit values did not show any significant difference apart from the erythrocyte sedimentation rate parameter in the colostrum infused group with the highest significant (p<0.01 variation being observed between 7th and 14th day of sampling. The analysis of aspartate amino transferase values in the colostrum lavaged cows revealed a significant difference, but that of alanine amino transferase values did not show any significant difference. Comparison of immunoglobulin values for different days in all the treatment protocol revealed a highly significant (p<0.05 difference within various days of sampling. Conclusion: In the present study, the local immunomodulation by different agents have been highlighted and which indicated potentiation of uterine immunity

Immunomodulation in human and experimental uveitis: Recent advances

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Singh Vijay

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease that targets the neural retina and serves as a model of human uveitis. EAU can be induced against several retinal proteins in rats, mice, and subhuman primates. These include the S-antigen, a major protein in retinal photoreceptor cells; interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP; and rhodopsin and other antigens of retinal origin. There are many similarities between clinical uveitis and EAU, but the latter differs in being self-limited, and needs adjuvant for disease induction. The experimental disease can be induced only in susceptible animal strains. Use of the EAU model has helped investigators understand the pathophysiology of the disease and to evaluate disease-modifying strategies, which could be applied in the clinic. There has been significant progress in this field during last decade, but much more understanding is needed before the knowledge can be transferred to clinical practice. A deeper understanding of the immune mechanisms involved in the EAU model may lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches targeted at various components of the immune response by immunomodulation to control uveitis. This review summarises the evidence from the EAU model, which could be of relevance to the clinical management of patients with uveitis.

Systematic review: treatment pattern and clinical effectiveness and safety of pharmaceutical therapies for Crohn’s disease in Europe

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Lelli F

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Filippo Lelli,1 Solomon Nuhoho,2 Xin Ying Lee,3 Weiwei Xu4 1EMEA Hemar, Janssen, Milan, Italy; 2Health Economics, Market Access and Reimbursement, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ LLC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 3EMEA Hemar, Janssen, Birkerød, Denmark; 4Pharmerit International, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Background: Although many clinical trials have been conducted in treatments of Crohn’s ­disease (CD, whether the trial results were representative of daily practice needs to be supported by studies conducted in real-world settings. Aim: This study aims to identify how CD is treated and what are the clinical effectiveness and safety of the pharmaceutical therapies of CD in real-world settings. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted based on Medline®, Embase®, and Cochrane. All publications were assessed for title/abstract and full-text according to a predefined study protocol. Data were extracted and reported.Results: A total of 1,998 publications were identified. Fifty studies including six publications reporting treatment pattern and 44 studies reporting clinical effectiveness and safety of pharmaceutical therapies in CD management in Europe were included. 5-Aminosalicylic acid and corticosteroids were reported to be used among 14%–74% of CD patients. Immunomodulators were used by 14%–25% and 29%–31% of CD patients as an initial and follow-up treatment, respectively. Biological therapies were used by 25%–33% of CD patients. A trend toward an increasing use of immunomodulators and biological therapies in Europe has been reported in recent years. Approximately 50% of patients achieved remission on immunomodulator or biologic treatment, although a relapse rate of up to 23% has been reported.Conclusion: There is a trend of treatment shift to immunomodulators and biologics in CD management. Clinical effectiveness of immunomodulators and biologics has been demonstrated, though with a lack of sustainability of the

More Than Just Tumor Destruction: Immunomodulation by Thermal Ablation of Cancer

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Sebastian P. Haen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past decades, thermoablative techniques for the therapy of localized tumors have gained importance in the treatment of patients not eligible for surgical resection. Anecdotal reports have described spontaneous distant tumor regression after thermal ablation, indicating a possible involvement of the immune system, hence an induction of antitumor immunity after thermoinduced therapy. In recent years, a growing body of evidence for modulation of both adaptive and innate immunity, as well as for the induction of danger signals through thermoablation, has emerged. Induced immune responses, however, are mostly weak and not sufficient for the complete eradication of established tumors or durable prevention of disease progression, and combination therapies with immunomodulating drugs are being evaluated with promising results. This article aims to summarize published findings on immune modulation through radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, microwave ablation therapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound, and laser-induced thermotherapy.

[Immunomodulation by herbal agents. A double-blind study in a medical university hospital involving a hepatitis B vaccine adjuvant model].

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Bostelmann, H C; Bödeker, R H; Dames, W; Henneicke-von Zepelin, H H; Siegers, C P; Stammwitz, U

2002-12-05

Using the hepatitis B vaccination as a model, to investigate the extent to which the herbal immunomodulator, Esberitox N, supports seroconversion. 346 medical students participated in the placebo-controlled, randomized double-blind study. They took 3 x 2 tablets of the test substances daily, beginning 3 days prior to the injection and ending two weeks after it. The target outcomes were seroconversion and the level of the anti-HBs titer. The data of 157 volunteers treated with the test substance, and 161 treated with placebo were analysed. After the first injection, the seroconversion rate was 22% in both test substance and placebo groups, and showed no advantage for the volunteers receiving the test substance. After the second injection, 89% of all members of each group revealed seroconversion. After the first injection, anti-HBs titers were appreciably higher in the test substance group (n = 34) than in the placebo group (n = 36; PWilcoxon = 0.003). The respective median values were 37.0 IU/L (95% CI: 18-68) and 15.5 IU/L (95% CI: 8-30). The immunomodulator tested has negligible influence on seroconversion, but does enhance the immune response of subjects experiencing seroconversion.

IMMUNOMODULATING THERAPY BY RECOMBINANT ALPHA-2B INTERFERON AMONG CHILDREN WITH TIMOMEGALIA

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L.A. Nikulin

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The study of the enlarged thymus gland syndrome is extremely important for understanding of the immune system formation and functioning mechanisms. the purpose of this study is to conduct clinical and immunological analysis of the children, suffering from the syndrome of the enlarged thymus gland II and III degrees, who received recombinant alpha2b interferon (in suppositories. The revealed changes in the immune sys tem during timomegalia are complex and conducive to the development of the infectious and inflammatory diseases among infants, thus, determining the necessity for the adequate immune correction. The application of the recombinant alpha 2b interferon among such children allows one to uncover the immunomodulating effects, normalizing the imbalances in the immune system of children with timomegalia.Key words: timomegalia, alpha 2b interferon, immunity, immune correction, children.

Bactericide, Immunomodulating, and Wound Healing Properties of Transgenic Kalanchoe pinnata Synergize with Antimicrobial Peptide Cecropin P1 In Vivo

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A. A. Lebedeva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Procedure of manufacturing K. pinnata water extracts containing cecropin P1 (CecP1 from the formerly described transgenic plants is established. It included incubation of leaves at +4°C for 7 days, mechanical homogenization of leaves using water as extraction solvent, and heating at +70°C for inactivating plant enzymes. Yield of CecP1 (after heating and sterilizing filtration was 0.3% of total protein in the extract. The water extract of K. pinnata + CecP1 exhibits favorable effect on healing of wounds infected with S. aureus (equal to Cefazolin and with a combination of S. aureus with P. aeruginosa (better than Cefazolin. Wild-type K. pinnata extract exhibited evident microbicide activity against S. aureus with P. aeruginosa but it was substantially strengthened in K. pinnata + CecP1 extract. K. pinnata extracts (both wild-type and transgenic did not exhibit general toxicity and accelerated wound recovery. Due to immunomodulating activity, wild-type K. pinnata extract accelerated granulation of the wound bed and marginal epithelialization even better than K. pinnata + CecP1 extract. Immunomodulating and microbicide activity of K. pinnata synergizes with microbicide activity of CecP1 accelerating elimination of bacteria.

Aqueous exposure to Aroclor 1254 modulates the mitogenic response of Atlantic salmon anterior kidney T-cells: Indications of short- and long-term immunomodulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Lerner, Darren T.; Blazer, Vicki S.; McCormick, Stephen D.

2005-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exist as persistent organic pollutants in numerous river systems in the United States. Unfortunately, some of these rivers are sites of active Atlantic salmon restoration programs, and polychlorinated biphenyls have been implicated as ancillary factors contributing to failed salmon restoration. Here, we investigate the immediate and chronic effects of intermediate duration aqueous PCB exposure (1 or 10 μg L -1 Aroclor 1254) on the mitogen-stimulated lymphoproliferative response of Atlantic salmon anterior kidney leukocytes (AKLs). A short-term study was designed to examine immunomodulation in Atlantic salmon smolts immediately following 21 days of aqueous exposure, while a long-term study evaluated chronic impacts in the mitogen response in parr 15 months post-exposure as larvae. The proliferative response of AKLs to the mitogens concanavalin A (CON A), phytohemaglutinnin-P (PHA-P), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and lipopolysaccharide were used as an indice of immunomodulation. The proliferative response to the T-cell mitogens CON A and PHA-P was significantly increased in the 10 μg L -1 group (n = 10; P = 0.043 and 0.002, respectively) immediately following exposure of smolts. Additionally, The PHA-P response was significantly increased in the 1 μg L -1 exposure group (n = 10, P = 0.036). In fish treated as larvae and tested 15 months later, the PHA-P sensitive populations exhibited elevated proliferation in the 1 and 10 μg L -1 groups (n = 12, P -1 treated groups. These results demonstrate an immunomodulatory effect of PCBs on T-cell mitogen sensitive populations of lymphocytes in Atlantic salmon as well as long-term immunomodulation in PHA-P and PWM sensitive populations

Use of immunomodulators in infectious diseases of domestic animals/ Uso de imunomoduladores nas enfermidades infecciosas dos animais domésticos

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Jane Megid

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Immunomodulators are substances that act in the immune system providing, increase of the organic answer against microorganisms, including virus, bacteria and protozoa, by inducing the production of interferon and its inducers. There are a lot of situations in veterinary medicine where it is usefull to potencialize the immune response of individuals, mainly when is desired to increase the resistance to infections and the treatment of immunossupressing or multifactorials infectious diseases. In veterinary medicine some of more used immunomodulators are interferons and interferon inducers, interleukines, Baccilus of Calmett-Guérin (BCG and its derivated, Propionibacterium acnes (Corynebacterium parvum, mixed bacterial vaccine, PIND-ORF, Phosprenyl, Quillja Saponis, Bordetella pertussis, avridine and the levamizole. The present work review the available scientific literature, regarding the use of different immunomodulators in the prophylaxis and in the therapeutics of infectious diseases in domestic animals.Imunomoduladores são substâncias que atuam no sistema imunológico conferindo aumento da resposta orgânica contra determinados microorganismos, incluindo vírus, bactérias e protozoários, mediante à produção de interferon e seus indutores. Existem muitas situações na medicina veterinária em que se torna desejável potencializar a resposta imune, principalmente quando se pretende aumentar a resistência às infecções e no tratamento de enfermidades imunossupressoras ou de doenças infecciosas multifatorias, ou seja, nas quais vários agentes estão envolvidos e devido a isso, dificilmente obtêm-se sucesso no emprego de tratamentos convencionais. Na medicina veterinária alguns imunomoduladores utilizados são interferons , interleucinas, Bacilo de Calmett-Guérin (BCG e seus derivados, Propionibacterium acnes (Corynebacterium parvum, vacina bacteriana mista, PIND-ORF, Phosprenyl, Quillaja saponis, Bordetella pertussis, avridina e

Immunomodulation Mechanism of Antidepressants: Interactions between Serotonin/Norepinephrine Balance and Th1/Th2 Balance

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Martino, Matteo; Rocchi, Giulio; Escelsior, Andrea; Fornaro, Michele

2012-01-01

Neurotransmitters and hormones regulate major immune functions, including the selection of T helper (Th)1 or Th2 cytokine responses, related to cell-mediated and humoral immunity, respectively. A role of imbalance and dynamic switching of Th1/Th2 system has been proposed, with relative displacement of the immune reserve in relation to complex interaction between Th1/Th2 and neuro-hormonal balance fluctuations, in the pathogenesis of various chronic human diseases, probably also including psychiatric disorders. Components of the stress system such as norepinephrine (NE) and glucocorticoids appear to mediate a Th2 shift, while serotonin (5-HT) and melatonin might mediate a Th1 shift. Some antidepressants would occur affecting these systems, acting on neurotransmitter balance (especially the 5-HT/NE balance) and expression levels of receptor subtypes, which in turn affect cytokine production and relative Th1/Th2 balance. It could be therefore hypothesized that the antidepressant-related increase in NE tone enhances the Th2 response, while the decrease in NE tone or the increase in 5-HT tone enhances the Th1 response. However, the neurotransmitter and Th1/Th2 balance modulation could be relative, aiming to restore physiological levels a previous imbalance in receptor sensitivity and cytokine production. The considerations on neuro-immunomodulation could represent an additional aid in the study of pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders and in the choice of specific antidepressants in specific clusters of symptoms, especially in comorbidity with internal pathologies. Furthermore limited data, reviewed here, have shown the effectiveness of some antidepressants as pure immunomodulators. However, these considerations are tentative and require experimental confirmation or refutation by future studies. PMID:23204981

Influence of immunomodulators of natural origin on cellular immunity indices in blood of broiler chicken under stress

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S. Grabovskyi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with researching of T- and B-lymphocytes relative quantity and functional activity in broiler chicken blood after using of animal origin immunomodulators in conditions of pre-slaughter stress. The authors determined the relative amount of T- and B-lymphocytes and their individual populations in the reaction of spontaneous rоsetting with the sheep erythrocytes in blood. Besides, the differentiated count of rоsetting lymphocytes with the various degree of functional activity was conducted. The spleen extract (70% alcohol solution in volume of 1.4 ml per chicken was added to the diet of broiler chicken of experimental groups by aerosol method. This extract was obtained with/ without ultrasound application. 70% alcohol solution in the same volume and using the same method was added to the diet of broiler chicken of the control group five days before slaughter. The authors have not established probable increase of T-lymphocytes general quantity in broiler chicken blood in both experimental groups. It is shown that pre-slaughter stress in broiler chicken caused by weaning has immuno-suppressive effect on T- and B-lymphocytes in blood, which is accompanied by their quantity and functional activity decrease. T- and B-lymphocytes amount and functional activity of T- and B-cell immunity was stimulated after adding immunomodulators of natural origin to broiler chicken diet. Spleen extract polyamines as immunomodulators and antistressors most effectively influenced on some of cell immunity indices before slaughter – it is necessary to note the increase in T-helper lymphocytes in the broiler chickens blood caused by lymphocytes with medium (6–10 – by 18% (Р < 0.05 and high density receptors (М – by 35% (Р < 0.05 compared to the control. It is shown that decrease of T-lymphocytes quantity in broiler chicken blood is caused by lymphocytes with law (3–5 – by 22% (Р < 0.01 and high (M – by 11% (Р < 0.05 density receptors with

Orazipone, a locally acting immunomodulator, ameliorates intestinal radiation injury: A preclinical study in a novel rat model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boerma, Marjan; Wang, Junru; Richter, Konrad K.; Hauer-Jensen, Martin

2006-01-01

Purpose: Intestinal radiation injury (radiation enteropathy) is relevant to cancer treatment, as well as to radiation accidents and radiation terrorism scenarios. This study assessed the protective efficacy of orazipone, a locally-acting small molecule immunomodulator. Methods and Materials: Male rats were orchiectomized, a 4-cm segment of small bowel was sutured to the inside of the scrotum, a proximal anteperistaltic ileostomy was created for intraluminal drug administration, and intestinal continuity was re-established by end-to-side anastomosis. After three weeks postoperative recovery, the intestine in the 'scrotal hernia' was exposed locally to single-dose or fractionated X-radiation. Orazipone (30 mg/kg/day) or vehicle was administered daily through the ileostomy, either during and after irradiation, or only after irradiation. Structural, cellular, and molecular aspects of intestinal radiation toxicity were assessed two weeks after irradiation. Results: Orazipone significantly ameliorated histologic injury and transforming growth factor-β immunoreactivity levels, both after single-dose and fractionated irradiation. Intestinal wall thickness was significantly reduced after single-dose and nonsignificantly after fractionated irradiation. Mucosal surface area and numbers of mast cells were partially restored by orazipone after single-dose irradiation. Conclusions: This work (1) demonstrates the utility of the ileostomy rat model for intraluminal administration of response modifiers in single-dose and fractionated radiation studies; (2) shows that mucosal immunomodulation during and/or after irradiation ameliorates intestinal toxicity; and (3) highlights important differences between single-dose and fractionated radiation regimens

Novel strategy for immunomodulation: Dissolving microneedle array encapsulating thymopentin fabricated by modified two-step molding technology.

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Lin, Shiqi; Cai, Bingzhen; Quan, Guilan; Peng, Tingting; Yao, Gangtao; Zhu, Chune; Wu, Qiaoli; Ran, Hao; Pan, Xin; Wu, Chuanbin

2018-01-01

Thymopentin (TP5) is commonly used in the treatment for autoimmune diseases, with a short plasma half-life (30s) and a long treatment period (7 days to 6 months). It is usually administrated by syringe injection, resulting in compromised patient compliance. Dissolving microneedle array (DMNA) offers a superior approach for transdermal delivery of biological macromolecules, as it allows painless penetration through the stratum corneum and generates minimal biohazardous waste after dissolving in the skin. Despite recent advances in DMNA as a novel approach for transdermal drug delivery, problem of insufficient mechanical strength remains to be solved. In this study, TP5-loaded DMNA (TP5-DMNA) was uniquely developed using a modified two-step molding technology. The higher mechanical strength was furnished by employing bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a co-material to fabricate the needles. The obtained TP5-DMNA containing BSA displayed better skin penetration and higher drug loading efficiency than that without BSA. The in vivo pharmacodynamics study demonstrated that TP5-DMNA had comparative effect on immunomodulation to intravenous injection of TP5, in terms of ameliorating the CD4+/CD8+ ratio, SOD activity and MDA value to the basal level. Only mild irritation was observed at the site of administration. These results suggest that the novel TP5-DMNA utilizing BSA provides an alternative approach for convenient and safe transdermal delivery of TP5, which is a promising administration strategy for future clinical application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ex Vivo Host and Parasite Response to Antileishmanial Drugs and Immunomodulators

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McMahon-Pratt, Diane; Saravia, Nancy Gore

2015-01-01

Background Therapeutic response in infectious disease involves host as well as microbial determinants. Because the immune and inflammatory response to Leishmania (Viannia) species defines the outcome of infection and efficacy of treatment, immunomodulation is considered a promising therapeutic strategy. However, since Leishmania infection and antileishmanial drugs can themselves modulate drug transport, metabolism and/or immune responses, immunotherapeutic approaches require integrated assessment of host and parasite responses. Methodology To achieve an integrated assessment of current and innovative therapeutic strategies, we determined host and parasite responses to miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate alone and in combination with pentoxifylline or CpG 2006 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of cutaneous leishmaniasis patients. Parasite survival and secretion of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-10 and IL-13 were evaluated concomitantly in PBMCs infected with Luc-L. (V.) panamensis exposed to meglumine antimoniate (4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 μg SbV/mL) or miltefosine (2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 μM HePC). Concentrations of 4 μM of miltefosine and 8 μg SbV/mL were selected for evaluation in combination with immunomodulators based on the high but partial reduction of parasite burden by these antileishmanial concentrations without affecting cytokine secretion of infected PBMCs. Intracellular parasite survival was determined by luminometry and cytokine secretion measured by ELISA and multiplex assays. Principal Findings Anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines characteristic of L. (V.) panamensis infection were evaluable concomitantly with viability of Leishmania within monocyte-derived macrophages present in PBMC cultures. Both antileishmanial drugs reduced the parasite load of macrophages; miltefosine also suppressed IL-10 and IL-13 secretion in a dose dependent manner. Pentoxifylline did not affect parasite survival or alter antileishmanial effects of miltefosine or meglumine

Effect of immunomodulation on the fate of tumor cells in the central nervous system and systemic organs of mice. Distribution of [125I]5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine-labeled KHT tumor cells after left intracardial injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conley, F.K.

1982-01-01

The effect of systemic immunomodulation on tumor cell arrest and retention in the central nervous system was studied by following radioactively labeled tumor cells. KHT mouse sarcoma tumor cells were labeled in vitro with [ 125 I]IdUrd, and 1x10 5 tumor cells were injected into the left side of the hearts of syngeneic C3H mice. Experimental groups consisted of untreated normal mice, mice pretreated iv with Corynebacterium parvum, and mice chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii; in this model both groups of immunomodulated mice are protected from developing systemic metastatic tumor, but only Toxoplasma-infected mice have protection against metastatic brain tumor. At time intervals from 1 to 96 hours, groups of mice from each experimental group were killed, and the brain and other organs were monitored for radioactivity to determine the number of viable tumor cells that had been present at the time of death. Normal mice demonstrated significant retention of tumor cells in the brain and kidneys plus adrenals at 96 hours. By contrast, in both groups of immunomodulated mice tumor cells were rapidly eliminated from systemic organs, but tumor cells were significantly retained in the central nervous system even at 96 hours after tumor cell injections. The results indicated that generalized immunomodulation had more effect in elimination of tumor cells from systemic organs than from the brain and that the elimination of tumor cells from the brain in Toxoplasma-infected mice was a delayed phenomenon

Aqueous exposure to Aroclor 1254 modulates the mitogenic response of Atlantic salmon anterior kidney T-cells: indications of short- and long-term immunomodulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanowicz, Luke R; Lerner, Darren T; Blazer, Vicki S; McCormick, Stephen D

2005-05-15

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exist as persistent organic pollutants in numerous river systems in the United States. Unfortunately, some of these rivers are sites of active Atlantic salmon restoration programs, and polychlorinated biphenyls have been implicated as ancillary factors contributing to failed salmon restoration. Here, we investigate the immediate and chronic effects of intermediate duration aqueous PCB exposure (1 or 10 microgL-1 Aroclor 1254) on the mitogen-stimulated lymphoproliferative response of Atlantic salmon anterior kidney leukocytes (AKLs). A short-term study was designed to examine immunomodulation in Atlantic salmon smolts immediately following 21 days of aqueous exposure, while a long-term study evaluated chronic impacts in the mitogen response in parr 15 months post-exposure as larvae. The proliferative response of AKLs to the mitogens concanavalin A (CON A), phytohemaglutinnin-P (PHA-P), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and lipopolysaccharide were used as an indice of immunomodulation. The proliferative response to the T-cell mitogens CON A and PHA-P was significantly increased in the 10 microgL-1 group (n=10; P=0.043 and 0.002, respectively) immediately following exposure of smolts. Additionally, The PHA-P response was significantly increased in the 1 microgL-1 exposure group (n=10, P=0.036). In fish treated as larvae and tested 15 months later, the PHA-P sensitive populations exhibited elevated proliferation in the 1 and 10 microgL-1 groups (n=12, P<0.04) relative to the vehicle control while the PWM response was significantly increased (n=12, P=0.036) only in the 10 microgL-1 treated groups. These results demonstrate an immunomodulatory effect of PCBs on T-cell mitogen sensitive populations of lymphocytes in Atlantic salmon as well as long-term immunomodulation in PHA-P and PWM sensitive populations.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma associated with the use of biologic and other investigational agents: the importance of long-term post-marketing safety surveillance.

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Goddard, Allison; Borovicka, Judy H; West, Dennis P; Evens, Andrew M; Laumann, Anne

2011-01-01

This case report describes a patient who developed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after receiving courses of two investigational biologic agents and cyclosporine followed by more than four years of subcutaneous efalizumab for the treatment of extensive chronic plaque psoriasis. Three years later, the patient remains free of lymphoma and his psoriasis is well controlled with thrice-weekly narrow-band ultraviolet phototherapy. This case emphasizes the importance of continued long-term post-marketing safety surveillance and the early reporting of all possible serious side effects, including cancers, related to the use of any newly available product. In particular, surveillance should focus on the immunomodulating biologic agents in order to identify possible dangerous sequelae.

Liposomal preparations of muramyl glycopeptides as immunomodulators and adjuvants.

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Turánek, Jaroslav; Ledvina, Miroslav; Kasná, Andrea; Vacek, Antonín; Hríbalova, Vera; Krejcí, Josef; Miller, Andrew D

2006-04-12

The need for safe and structurally defined immunomodulators and adjuvants is increasing in connection with the recently observed marked increase in the prevalence of pathological conditions characterized by immunodeficiency. Important groups of such compounds are muramyl glycopeptides, analogs of muramyl dipeptide (MDP), glucosaminyl-muramyl dipeptide (GMDP), and desmuramylpeptides. We have designed and synthesized new types of analogs with changes in both the sugar and the peptide parts of the molecule that show a high immunostimulating and adjuvant activity and suppressed adverse side effects. The introduction of lipophilic residues has also improved their incorporation into liposomes, which represent a suitable drug carrier. The proliposome-liposome method is based on the conversion of the initial proliposome preparation into liposome dispersion by dilution with the aqueous phase. The description of a home-made stirred thermostated cell and its link-up with a liquid delivery system for a rapid and automated preparation of multilamellar liposomes at strictly controlled conditions (sterility, temperature, dilution rate and schedule) is presented. The cell has been designed for laboratory-scale preparation of liposomes (300-1000 mg of phospholipid per run) in a procedure taking less than 90 min. The method can be readily scaled up. Examples of adjuvant and immunostimulatory effect of liposomal preparation in mice model will be presented.

The immunomodulator PSK induces in vitro cytotoxic activity in tumour cell lines via arrest of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiménez-Medina, Eva; Berruguilla, Enrique; Romero, Irene; Algarra, Ignacio; Collado, Antonia; Garrido, Federico; Garcia-Lora, Angel

2008-01-01

Protein-bound polysaccharide (PSK) is derived from the CM-101 strain of the fungus Coriolus versicolor and has shown anticancer activity in vitro and in in vivo experimental models and human cancers. Several randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that PSK has great potential in adjuvant cancer therapy, with positive results in the adjuvant treatment of gastric, esophageal, colorectal, breast and lung cancers. These studies have suggested the efficacy of PSK as an immunomodulator of biological responses. The precise molecular mechanisms responsible for its biological activity have yet to be fully elucidated. The in vitro cytotoxic anti-tumour activity of PSK has been evaluated in various tumour cell lines derived from leukaemias, melanomas, fibrosarcomas and cervix, lung, pancreas and gastric cancers. Tumour cell proliferation in vitro was measured by BrdU incorporation and viable cell count. Effect of PSK on human peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation in vitro was also analyzed. Studies of cell cycle and apoptosis were performed in PSK-treated cells. PSK showed in vitro inhibition of tumour cell proliferation as measured by BrdU incorporation and viable cell count. The inhibition ranged from 22 to 84%. Inhibition mechanisms were identified as cell cycle arrest, with cell accumulation in G 0 /G 1 phase and increase in apoptosis and caspase-3 expression. These results indicate that PSK has a direct cytotoxic activity in vitro, inhibiting tumour cell proliferation. In contrast, PSK shows a synergistic effect with IL-2 that increases PBL proliferation. These results indicate that PSK has cytotoxic activity in vitro on tumour cell lines. This new cytotoxic activity of PSK on tumour cells is independent of its previously described immunomodulatory activity on NK cells

Unheated Cannabis sativa extracts and its major compound THC-acid have potential immuno-modulating properties not mediated bu CB1 en CB2 receptor coupled pathways

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeckx, K.C.M.; Korthout, H.A.A.J.; Meeteren-Kreikamp, van A.P.; Ehlert, K.A.; Wang, M.; Greef, de J.; Rodenburg, R.J.T.; Witkamp, R.F.

2006-01-01

There is a great interest in the pharmacological properties of cannabinoid like compounds that are not linked to the adverse effects of ¿9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), e.g. psychoactive properties. The present paper describes the potential immuno-modulating activity of unheated Cannabis sativa

Unheated Cannabis sativa extracts and its major compound THC-acid have potential immuno-modulating properties not mediated by CB1 and CB2 receptor coupled pathways.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeckx, K.C.; Korthout, H.A.; Meeteren-Kreikamp, A.P. van; Ehlert, K.A.; Wang, M.; Greef, J. van der; Rodenburg, R.J.T.; Witkamp, R.F.

2006-01-01

There is a great interest in the pharmacological properties of cannabinoid like compounds that are not linked to the adverse effects of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), e.g. psychoactive properties. The present paper describes the potential immuno-modulating activity of unheated Cannabis sativa

Unheated Cannabis sativa extracts and its major compound THC-acid have potential immuno-modulating properties not mediated by CB1 and CB2 receptor coupled pathways

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeckx, K.C.M.; Korthout, H.A.A.J.; Meeteren-Kreikamp, A.P. van; Ehlert, K.A.; Wang, M.; Greef, J. van der; Rodenburg, R.J.T.; Witkamp, R.F.

2006-01-01

There is a great interest in the pharmacological properties of cannabinoid like compounds that are not linked to the adverse effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), e.g. psychoactive properties. The present paper describes the potential immuno-modulating activity of unheated Cannabis sativa

Update and future perspectives of a thymic biological response modifier (Thymomodulin).

Science.gov (United States)

Cazzola, P; Mazzanti, P; Kouttab, N M

1987-01-01

Thymomodulin (Ellem Industria Farmaceutica spa, Milan, Italy) is a calf thymus acid lysate with immunomodulating activities. It is composed of several peptides with a molecular weight range of 1-10kD. Extensive studies in animal systems showed that Thymomodulin exhibited no, or very little toxicity even when used at high doses. Studies done in vitro and in vivo demonstrated that Thymomodulin is a biologically active compound which regulates the maturation of human and murine pre T lymphocytes, as well as modulate the functions of apparently mature human and animal B and T lymphocytes. It was observed that Thymomodulin can promote myelopoiesis as demonstrated by an increase of granulocyte-macrophage colonies in agar. Although additional studies to examine its target cell lineage are required, it appears that Thymomodulin exhibits specificity toward T cells. Therefore, enhancement of other cell lineage functions by Thymomodulin may be indirect, and mainly due to its effect on T cells. Of major importance is to note that Thymomodulin is prepared in a manner which allows it to maintain its biological activity when administered orally.

The effect of Tea Misletoe (Scurrula oortiana Stem Extract as Immuno-Modulator on Oncogenic Marek’s Disease Virus Infection

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Mulyoto Samsi

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Marek’s disease virus (MDV is one of oncogenic herpesvirus. It causes immunosupresion and cancer in chicken. Several plants produce bioactive compounds which are very useful for treatment of many disease, especially hiperproliveration and virus infection. This study was aimed to find out mechanism of immuno-modulatory capacity in layer commercial chicken administered orally with extract of tea parasite (Scurrula oortiana in dose of 10 mg/kg BW through drinking water, then the chicken were infected by intraperitoneal oncogenic MDV in dose of 1,0 x103 TCID50. The study used 60 layer commercial day old chicks (DOC divided into four group treatments. The treatments were group A (administered S. oortiana extract and without MDV infection, B (neither S. oortiana nor MDV infection, C (administered S. oortiana extract and with MDV infection, and D (without administered S. oortiana extract, but with MDV infection. Results showed that MDV oncogenic caused immunosupresion at a day post infection (p.i and recovery to be normal based on relative weight of bursa Fabricius and thymus at 40 days p.i. The extract of S. oortiana had a capability as an immunomodulator indicated by the increase of relative weight of bursa Fabricius and thymus at day 20 days p.i. (Animal Production 9(2: 172-177 (2007 Key Words: Marek’s disease virus (MDV, Scurrula oortiana, immuno-modulator

Squamous cell dysplasia in the proximal rectum of three patients treated for ulcerative colitis on immunomodulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, James G; Goldstone, Stephen E

2017-05-01

Anal canal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) is the precursor to anal cancer. Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk and disease is usually within 3 cm from the anal verge. High-resolution anoscopy (HRA) with an 8-cm anoscope is used to identify and guide cautery treatment of HSIL. We report three patients with a long-term history of ulcerative colitis (UC) treated with systemic immunomodulators who developed proximally located rectal HSIL. Two patients were HIV-negative women, 63 and 48 years old, and the third was a 51-year-old HIV-positive man with underlying UC for 10, 16, and 3 years, respectively. They each presented with a HPV-positive HSIL visibly extending above the limits of the anoscope used for HRA. None developed cancer. All had episodes of active UC. It is unclear what causative role systemic immunomodulators play in predisposing UC patients to proximal HSIL. HSIL probably developed on a tongue of HPV-infected squamous epithelium growing proximally over the inflamed rectum. Islands developed when areas of squamous epithelium degenerated, creating skip areas. This study highlights the potential for HSIL to extend into the rectum either as a contiguous patch or isolated islands and the need for heightened surveillance in patients with extensive anal canal HSIL treated with immunodulator therapy. HSIL identified at the limit of the anoscope should be investigated further with colonoscopy, and argon plasma coagulation (APC) ablation can serve as an effective treatment option. Patients are at risk for stricture, but it is unclear what role the UC or the ablation played in stricture formation.

Ibrutinib as an antitumor immunomodulator in patients with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Cubillos-Zapata, Carolina; Avendaño-Ortiz, Jose; Córdoba, Raúl; Hernández-Jiménez, Enrique; Toledano, Victor; Pérez de Diego, Rebeca; López-Collazo, Eduardo

2016-01-01

Ibrutinib has emerged as a promising therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who are nonresponsive to standard therapies. The refractory state of monocytes and T-cell exhaustion in patients with CLL could explain the morbidity and mortality reported in these patients. We studied the effect of ibrutinib on the immune response of four relapsed patients with CLL during the first treatment cycle. We observed the ability to recover the standard response against bacterial stimulus in CD14 + cells, improving levels of phospho-Erk1/2 and antigen presentation. Meanwhile, ibrutinib drove Th1-selective pressure in T lymphocytes, thus, reducing the PD-1 and PDL-1 expression. Our data suggest the impact of BTK inhibition along with immunomodulation on the innate immune response and a switch to the specific adaptive immune response, which might help to decrease infectious complications. The potential effect of ibrutinib on CLL patient outcomes is worthy of further study, because infections could be reduced with the use of ibrutinib.

Structures, biological activities, and industrial applications of the polysaccharides from Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) mushroom: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xirui; Wang, Xiaoxiao; Fang, Jiacheng; Chang, Yu; Ning, Ning; Guo, Hao; Huang, Linhong; Huang, Xiaoqiang; Zhao, Zefeng

2017-04-01

Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers., also known as Yamabushitake, Houtou and Lion's Mane, is capable of fortifying the spleen and nourishing the stomach, tranquilizing the mind, and fighting cancer. Over the past decade, it has been demonstrated that H. erinaceus polysaccharides possess various promising bioactivities, including antitumor and immunomodulation, anti-gastric ulcer, neuroprotection and neuroregeneration, anti-oxidation and hepatoprotection, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-hyperglycemia, anti-fatigue and anti-aging. The purpose of the present review is to provide systematically reorganized information on extraction and purification, structure characteristics, biological activities, and industrial applications of H. erinaceus polysaccharides to support their therapeutic potentials and sanitarian functions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combination therapy of radiation and immunomodulators in the treatment of MM46 tumor transplanted in C3H/He mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyaji, C.; Ogawa, Y.; Imajo, Y.; Kimura, S. (Kobe Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine)

1982-06-01

Female C3H/He mice aged 12 weeks, transplanted MM46 tumor, were used in this study on the timing of administration of immunomodulators, such as PSK (a proteinbound polysaccharide prepared from Coriolus versicolor), OK-432 (Streptococcal preparation), bestatin (inhibitor of aminopeptidases of microbial origin) and levamisole (a chemical substance belonging to anthelmintics) combined with two fractionated local irradiation with the total dose of 3,000 rads. The daily dose of 250 ng/kg of PSK, 1 KE/mouse of OK-432, 300 mu g/mouse of bestatin or 3mg/kg of levamisole was respectively injected intraperitoneally for four consecutive days before or after irradiation. The anti-tumor effect was evaluated by the changes of tumor volume and survival curves. When PSK, OK-432 or levamisole was administered after irradiation, tumor growth was decreased and sixty-day survival rate and survival curve were significantly elongated compared with the control group and the group to which PSK, OK-432 or levamisole administered before irradiation (p lt 0.01). As for bestatin, no remarkable difference was observed irrespective of the timing of administration. These results suggested that some immunomodulators showed different anti-tumor activity depending on its timing of administration in the combination with radiotherapy. Concerning PSK, OK-432 and levamisole, they seemed to be beneficial in combination with prior radiotherapy in the treatment of MM46 tumor.

Combination therapy of radiation and immunomodulators in the treatment of MM46 tumor transplanted in C3H/He mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyaji, Chihiro; Ogawa, Yasuhiro; Imajo, Yoshinari; Kimura, Shuji

1982-01-01

Female C3H/He mice aged 12 weeks, transplanted MM46 tumor, were used in this study on the timing of administration of immunomodulators, such as PSK (a proteinbound polysaccharide prepared from Coriolus versicolor), OK-432 (Streptococcal preparation), bestatin (inhibitor of aminopeptidases of microbial origin) and levamisole (a chemical substance belonging to anthelmintics) combined with two fractionated local irradiation with the total dose of 3,000 rads. The daily dose of 250 ng/kg of PSK, 1 KE/mouse of OK-432, 300 mu g/mouse of bestatin or 3mg/kg of levamisole was respectively injected intraperitoneally for four consecutive days before or after irradiation. The anti-tumor effect was evaluated by the changes of tumor volume and survival curves. When PSK, OK-432 or levamisole was administered after irradiation, tumor growth was decreased and sixty-day survival rate and survival curve were significantly elongated compared with the control group and the group to which PSK, OK-432 or levamisole administered before irradiation (p lt 0.01). As for bestatin, no remarkable difference was observed irrespective of the timing of administration. These results suggested that some immunomodulators showed different anti-tumor activity depending on its timing of administration in the combination with radiotherapy. Concerning PSK, OK-432 and levamisole, they seemed to be beneficial in combination with prior radiotherapy in the treatment of MM46 tumor. (author)

Assessment of immunomodulating action of combined therapy with UHF-hyperthermia in children with osteogenic sarcoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neprina, G.S.; Panteleeva, E.S.; Vatin, O.E.; Bizer, V.A.; Bojko, I.N.

1989-01-01

The paper is concerned with immunological evaluation of different stages of combined therapy with local UHF-hyperthermia in children with osteogenic sarcoma. Combined therapy (polychemo- and raditherapy) was shown to cause a decrease in the number of immunocompetent cells, to enhance dysbalance of immunoregulatory T-lymphocytes, to weaken T-lymphocyte function on PHA; immunosuppressive action of combined therapy did not depend on a tumor site. The incorporation of UHF-hyperthermia in the therapeutic scheme weakened the manifestations of secondary immunodeficiency, got back to normal structure of T-lymphocyte population. A favorable immunomodulating effect of hyperthermia was more frequently observed in patients with crural bone tumors. The effect of hyperthermia was revealed after direct influence of thermotherapy but it was absent in continuation of combined treatment

The immunomodulator PSK induces in vitro cytotoxic activity in tumour cell lines via arrest of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis

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Garrido Federico

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein-bound polysaccharide (PSK is derived from the CM-101 strain of the fungus Coriolus versicolor and has shown anticancer activity in vitro and in in vivo experimental models and human cancers. Several randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that PSK has great potential in adjuvant cancer therapy, with positive results in the adjuvant treatment of gastric, esophageal, colorectal, breast and lung cancers. These studies have suggested the efficacy of PSK as an immunomodulator of biological responses. The precise molecular mechanisms responsible for its biological activity have yet to be fully elucidated. Methods The in vitro cytotoxic anti-tumour activity of PSK has been evaluated in various tumour cell lines derived from leukaemias, melanomas, fibrosarcomas and cervix, lung, pancreas and gastric cancers. Tumour cell proliferation in vitro was measured by BrdU incorporation and viable cell count. Effect of PSK on human peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL proliferation in vitro was also analyzed. Studies of cell cycle and apoptosis were performed in PSK-treated cells. Results PSK showed in vitro inhibition of tumour cell proliferation as measured by BrdU incorporation and viable cell count. The inhibition ranged from 22 to 84%. Inhibition mechanisms were identified as cell cycle arrest, with cell accumulation in G0/G1 phase and increase in apoptosis and caspase-3 expression. These results indicate that PSK has a direct cytotoxic activity in vitro, inhibiting tumour cell proliferation. In contrast, PSK shows a synergistic effect with IL-2 that increases PBL proliferation. Conclusion These results indicate that PSK has cytotoxic activity in vitro on tumour cell lines. This new cytotoxic activity of PSK on tumour cells is independent of its previously described immunomodulatory activity on NK cells.

Tracing Tellurium and Its Nanostructures in Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zare, Bijan; Nami, Mohammad; Shahverdi, Ahmad-Reza

2017-12-01

Tellurium (Te) is a semimetal rare element in nature. Together with oxygen, sulfur (S), and selenium (Se), Te is considered a member of chalcogen group. Over recent decades, Te applications continued to emerge in different fields including metallurgy, glass industry, electronics, and applied chemical industries. Along these lines, Te has recently attracted research attention in various fields. Though Te exists in biologic organisms such as microbes, yeast, and human body, its importance and role and some of its potential implications have long been ignored. Some promising applications of Te using its inorganic and organic derivatives including novel Te nanostructures are being introduced. Before discovery and straightforward availability of antibiotics, Te had considered and had been used as an antibacterial element. Antilishmaniasis, antiinflammatory, antiatherosclerotic, and immuno-modulating properties of Te have been described for many years, while the innovative applications of Te have started to emerge along with nanotechnological advances over the recent years. Te quantum dots (QDs) and related nanostructures have proposed novel applications in the biological detection systems such as biosensors. In addition, Te nanostructures are used in labeling, imaging, and targeted drug delivery systems and are tested for antibacterial or antifungal properties. In addition, Te nanoparticles show novel lipid-lowering, antioxidant, and free radical scavenging properties. This review presents an overview on the novel forms of Te, their potential applications, as well as related toxicity profiles.

HAEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE FOLLOWING IMMUNOMODULATION DURING LATE GESTATION IN BUFFALOES (BUBALIS BUBALUS

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Z.I, Qureshi, L.A. Lodhi, H.A. Samad, N.A. Naz1 and M. Nawaz

2001-07-01

Full Text Available Thirty-two adult riverine buffaloes (Buhalis bubalus in their last trimester of pregnancy were selected and randomly divided into four groups. The buffaloes of group I served as control. Animals in group II, III and IV were treated twice (7 days apart with levamisole hydrochloride (0.5mg/kg b. w. orally, Etosol (Vit E+Se, 10ml, I/m and Bacilli Calmette Guerine (BCG (0.5 ml/animal, s/c, respectively. Blood samples were collected at weekly intervals starting day 0 untill parturition. Total erythrocytic count and packed cell volume values were higher (P<0.05 in levamisole and vit E+Se treated group of buffaloes. Haemoglobin concentration was higher (P<0.05 inVit E+Se treated group. MCV, MCH and MCHC remained unchanged among all the experimental groups. Total leukocyte count was higher (P<0.05 in levamisole treated group of buffaloes. Differential leukocyte counts (relative revealed moderate lymphocytosis in all immunomodulated groups with significantly higher counts in Vit E+Se treated buffaloes. It was inferred that levamisole and vit E-se altered some haematological values, whereas BCG did not affect the haematological parameters.

Highlights of the São Paulo ISEV workshop on extracellular vesicles in cross-kingdom communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Soares, Rodrigo P; Xander, Patrícia; Costa, Adriana Oliveira

2017-01-01

In the past years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become an important field of research since EVs have been found to play a central role in biological processes. In pathogens, EVs are involved in several events during the host–pathogen interaction, including invasion, immunomodulation, and pat......In the past years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become an important field of research since EVs have been found to play a central role in biological processes. In pathogens, EVs are involved in several events during the host–pathogen interaction, including invasion, immunomodulation...

Adamantoylated biologically active small peptides and glycopeptides structurally related to the bacterial peptidoglycan.

Science.gov (United States)

Frkanec, Ruža; Vranešić, Branka; Tomić, Srdjanka

2013-01-01

A large number of novel synthetic compounds representing smaller parts of original peptidoglycan molecules have been synthesized and found to possess versatile biological activity, particularly immunomodulating properties. A series of compounds containing the adamantyl residues coupled to peptides and glycopeptides characteristic for bacterial peptidoglycan was described. The new adamantylpeptides and adamantylglycopeptides were prepared starting from N-protected racemic adamantylglycine and dipeptide L-Ala-D-isoglutamine. The adamantyl glycopeptides were obtained by coupling the adamantyltripeptides with alpha-D-mannose moiety through spacer molecule of fixed chirality. Since the starting material was D,L-(adamantyl-glycine) the condensation products with the dipeptide were mixtures of diastereoisomers. The obtained diastereoisomers were separated, characterized, and tested for immunostimulating activity. An HPLC method for purity testing was developed and adapted for the particular compounds.

Flavonoid Naringenin: A Potential Immunomodulator for Chlamydia trachomatis Inflammation

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Abebayehu N. Yilma

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Chlamydia trachomatis, the agent of bacterial sexually transmitted infections, can manifest itself as either acute cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or a chronic asymptomatic infection. Inflammation induced by C. trachomatis contributes greatly to the pathogenesis of disease. Here we evaluated the anti-inflammatory capacity of naringenin, a polyphenolic compound, to modulate inflammatory mediators produced by mouse J774 macrophages infected with live C. trachomatis. Infected macrophages produced a broad spectrum of inflammatory cytokines (GM-CSF, TNF, IL-1β, IL-1α, IL-6, IL-12p70, and IL-10 and chemokines (CCL4, CCL5, CXCL1, CXCL5, and CXCL10 which were downregulated by naringenin in a dose-dependent manner. Enhanced protein and mRNA gene transcript expressions of TLR2 and TLR4 in addition to the CD86 costimulatory molecule on infected macrophages were modulated by naringenin. Pathway-specific inhibition studies disclosed that p38 mitogen-activated-protein kinase (MAPK is involved in the production of inflammatory mediators by infected macrophages. Notably, naringenin inhibited the ability of C. trachomatis to phosphorylate p38 in macrophages, suggesting a potential mechanism of its attenuation of concomitantly produced inflammatory mediators. Our data demonstrates that naringenin is an immunomodulator of inflammation triggered by C. trachomatis, which possibly may be mediated upstream by modulation of TLR2, TLR4, and CD86 receptors on infected macrophages and downstream via the p38 MAPK pathway.

The role of Nicotiana gluca Graham (paraguayan herbs) as an adjuvant in immunomodulation of Newcastle disease vaccine for broilers Estudo da ação de Nicotiana glauca Graham (erva paraguaia) como coadjuvante em vacina contra a doença de Newcastle em frangos de corte

OpenAIRE

Fabiane Pereira Gentilini; Telmo Vidor; Rogério Freitag; Marcos Antônio Anciuti; Caren Gularte Quincozes; Marlete Brum Cleff; Geferson Fischer; Carlos Eduardo Nogueira

2008-01-01

The Nicotiana glauca is a native plant species from Argentina, but found all over South América, being used against headaches, rheumatism, injuries, ulcers, and so on. Researchers have considered it as having immunomodulation effect. This study was conducted to investigate the use of a aqueous extract of Nicotiana glauca Graham as an immunomodulator (adjuvant) of a Newcastle disease vaccine.. A total of 56 broilers were distributed into 4 ...

Immunomodulators targeting MARCO expression improve resistance to postinfluenza bacterial pneumonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Muzo; Gibbons, John G; DeLoid, Glen M; Bedugnis, Alice S; Thimmulappa, Rajesh K; Biswal, Shyam; Kobzik, Lester

2017-07-01

Downregulation of the alveolar macrophage (AM) receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) leads to susceptibility to postinfluenza bacterial pneumonia, a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine whether immunomodulation of MARCO could improve host defense and resistance to secondary bacterial pneumonia. RNAseq analysis identified a striking increase in MARCO expression between days 9 and 11 after influenza infection and indicated important roles for Akt and Nrf2 in MARCO recovery. In vitro, primary human AM-like monocyte-derived macrophages (AM-MDMs) and THP-1 macrophages were treated with IFNγ to model influenza effects. Activators of Nrf2 (sulforaphane) or Akt (SC79) caused increased MARCO expression and a MARCO-dependent improvement in phagocytosis in IFNγ-treated cells and improved survival in mice with postinfluenza pneumococcal pneumonia. Transcription factor analysis also indicated a role for transcription factor E-box (TFEB) in MARCO recovery. Overexpression of TFEB in THP-1 cells led to marked increases in MARCO. The ability of Akt activation to increase MARCO expression in IFNγ-treated AM-MDMs was abrogated in TFEB-knockdown cells, indicating Akt increases MARCO expression through TFEB. Increasing MARCO expression by targeting Nrf2 signaling or the Akt-TFEB-MARCO pathway are promising strategies to improve bacterial clearance and survival in postinfluenza bacterial pneumonia. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Immunomodulation of murine B16 melanoma metastasis: thymosin, thymectomy and irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naylor, P.H.; Bhakoo, H.S.; Rosen, F.; Paolini, N.S.; Goldstein, A.L.

1983-01-01

Thymosin, a product of the endocrine system, was used to further define the effects of immunomodulation of metastasis. Adult thymectomized C57BL/6 mice, 4 wk post-irradiation (400 R) had a decrease in the number of pulmonary metastases (compared to controls) following tail vein injection of 5 X 10 4 B16 melanoma cells. Thymosin fraction 5 (fr. 5) administration (200 μg/mouse, 3 times weekly beginning 2 days post-thymectomy) returned the number of metastases to the nonthymectomized values. Thymosin treatment of sham-operated, sham-operated irradiated, or thymectomized nonirradiated mice did not significantly elevate the number of metastases compared to the respective controls. Variant tumors which have an increase in metastasis following thymectomy and irradiation were also used. Thymosin administration reversed the effects of thymectomy in such variants, resulting in a decrease in metastasis. Metastases in thymosin-treated control mice were not significantly altered. A role for the thymus in metastasis via an endocrine product (thymosin) is suggested by these studies. Since thymosin did not increase metastasis in intact mice with tumors, further clinical trials with thymosin in cancer patients are not counterindicated by the results. These experiments confirm that thymosin fr. 5 is an important probe of the immunoendocrine events involved in tumor growth and metastasis. (Auth.)

Personalised immunomodulating treatments for Graves' disease: fact or fiction?

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Struja, Tristan Mirko; Kutz, Alexander; Fischli, Stefan; Meier, Christian; Müller, Beat; Schütz, Philipp

2017-08-14

Although Graves' disease has been recognised for more than 100 years, its physiopathological mechanisms are incompletely understood. Treatment strategies today mainly focus on suppression of thyroid hormone production by use of antithyroid drugs or radio-iodine, but neglect the underlying immunological mechanisms. Although Graves' disease is often seen as a prototype for an autoimmune mechanism, it is more likely to be a heterogeneous syndrome showing characteristics of both autoimmunity and immunodeficiency. The interplay of these two mechanisms may well characterise the physiopathology of this disease and its complications. Immunodeficiency may be either genetically determined or secondarily acquired. Various triggering events lead to autoimmunity with stimulation of the thyroid gland resulting in the clinical syndrome of hyperthyroidism. Also, relapse risk differs from patient to patient and can be estimated from clinical parameters incorporated into the Graves' Recurrent Events After Therapy (GREAT) score. Accurate risk stratification may help to distinguish high-risk patients for whom a more definitive treatment approach should be used from others where there is a high probability that the disease will recover with medical treatment alone. Several smaller trials having found positive effects of immunosuppressive drugs on recurrence risk in Graves' disease; therefoore, there is great potential in the use of novel immunomodulating drugs in addition to the currently used antithyroid drugs for the successful treatment of this condition. Further in-depth exploration of susceptibility, triggering factors and immunological mechanisms has the potential to improve treatment of Graves' disease, with more personalised, risk-adapted treatment strategies based on the different physiopathological concepts of this heterogeneous condition.

The use of Phyllanthus niruri L. as an immunomodulator for the treatment of infectious diseases in clinical settings

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Raymond Rubianto Tjandrawinata

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Phyllanthus niruri L. (Euphorbiaceae (P. niruri has traditionally been used in many tropical countries to treat various ailments, such as kidney stones, chronic liver diseases, diabetes and viral infections. The versatile ethnomedicinal usage of the herb is tightly associated with its multiple pharmacological properties such as immunomodulator, anti-viral, antibacterial, diuretic, anti-hyperglycemia and hepatoprotector. The scope of this review is limited only to the clinical evidences demonstrating benefits of the plant P. niruri with its immunomodulatory properties, for the treatment of various infectious diseases. These evidences are expected to provide the plant a more significant place in the current clinical settings, particularly in the management of infectious diseases. P. niruri as an immunomodulator has scientifically been studied and evaluated in various clinical trials for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, pulmonary tuberculosis, vaginitis, as well as varicella-zoster infection. In such diseases, the effective immune system is crucial to the treatment success and eradication of the pathogens. In those clinical studies, P. niruri has been proven for its capacity to modulate and activate the immune system. In fact, there are numerous in vitro and animal studies reporting potential benefits of the immunomodulatory properties of P. niruri, and numbers of randomized controlled clinical studies have been published to date. In the light of the scarcity of research to discover new, more effective and safe anti-infection chemical entities, that is also complicated with the growing threat from the new generations of drug resistant-pathogens, the utilization of nature-derived immunomodulatory agents, either alone or combined with the currently available antibiotics or antivirals, is undoubtedly promising and of clinical importance. Most of the studies on P. niruri warrant its potential benefits in various infectious diseases, and are

Methisoprinol as an immunomodulator for treating infectious mononucleosis

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Maharani Laillyza Apriasari

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Infectious mononucleosis (IM is the self limiting disease that associated with primary Epstein Barr virus (EBV. It is a gamma herpes virus. EBV infection is follows saliva-transfer by kissing or sexual intercourse. The most clinical manifestation in IM consists mainly of the specific sign: pharyngitis, fever, and lymphadenopathy. The main therapy is supportive treatment. Actually the antiviral therapy is required for the host with high response immune. Purpose: The aimed of this study was to report the therapy of IM using methisoprinol. Case: The woman patient, 33 years old, came to hospital by suffering pharyngitis and swolen on left neck. It had been since 3 days ago. Case management: She had come to Puskesmas that were given amoxycillin capsul 500 mg three times a day for three days and paracetamol tablet 500mg three times a day for three days, but she was still ill. Then she came to RSGM Hasan Aman Banjarmasin. She was diagnosed as IM. The instruction were isolation and bed rest for a week. She had to eat sofly and drink water highly. The therapy were amoxycillin capsul 500 mg three times a day for seven days, methisoprinol caplet 500 mg three times a day for seven days, natrium dikofenak tablet 50 mg three times a day for seven days. She was asked to see the dentist next 7 days. In this case, she were not given acyclovir. Conclusion: IM is self limiting disease. IM is the disease with spesific clinical syndrome that associated with primary EBV infection. Depend on the base of clinical experiences, the supportive treatment is adviced for patient of IM. Methisoprinol has both immunomodulator and antiviral properties.

Immunomodulation stimulates the innervation of engineered tooth organ.

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Tunay Kökten

Full Text Available The sensory innervation of the dental mesenchyme is essential for tooth function and protection. Sensory innervation of the dental pulp is mediated by axons originating from the trigeminal ganglia and is strictly regulated in time. Teeth can develop from cultured re-associations between dissociated dental epithelial and mesenchymal cells from Embryonic Day 14 mouse molars, after implantation under the skin of adult ICR mice. In these conditions however, the innervation of the dental mesenchyme did not occur spontaneously. In order to go further with this question, complementary experimental approaches were designed. Cultured cell re-associations were implanted together with trigeminal ganglia for one or two weeks. Although axonal growth was regularly observed extending from the trigeminal ganglia to all around the forming teeth, the presence of axons in the dental mesenchyme was detected in less than 2.5% of samples after two weeks, demonstrating a specific impairment of their entering the dental mesenchyme. In clinical context, immunosuppressive therapy using cyclosporin A was found to accelerate the innervation of transplanted tissues. Indeed, when cultured cell re-associations and trigeminal ganglia were co-implanted in cyclosporin A-treated ICR mice, nerve fibers were detected in the dental pulp, even reaching odontoblasts after one week. However, cyclosporin A shows multiple effects, including direct ones on nerve growth. To test whether there may be a direct functional relationship between immunomodulation and innervation, cell re-associations and trigeminal ganglia were co-implanted in immunocompromised Nude mice. In these conditions as well, the innervation of the dental mesenchyme was observed already after one week of implantation, but axons reached the odontoblast layer after two weeks only. This study demonstrated that immunodepression per se does stimulate the innervation of the dental mesenchyme.

Pomalidomide desensitization in a patient hypersensitive to immunomodulating agents

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Seki, J.T.; Sakurai, N.; Lam, W.; Reece, D.E.

2017-01-01

Despite progressive treatments with tandem stem-cell transplantation, patients with incurable myeloma eventually succumb to relapsed or refractory disease if left untreated. Promising agents such as proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulating imide drugs (imids), including the newer-generation agent pomalidomide, in combination with lower-dose dexamethasone, have been shown to be effective and to significantly improve and prolong survival in pretreated patients. Although the incidence of pomalidomide hypersensitivity reaction (hsr) in this class of drugs is not as well known, we have documented cutaneous toxicity (grade 3 by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4) in 2 separate cases (not yet published). Because the imids are chemically, structurally, and pharmacologically similar, it is not unreasonable to consider possible cross-reactivity in pomalidomide recipients who developed hsr when receiving previous lines of imids. As a patient’s advocate, it is only prudent to provide a responsible, and yet practical, means to better address cross-sensitivity for patients. Intervention with the use of a rapid desensitization program (rdp) as a preventive measure should be introduced before initiating pomalidomide. Such a proactive measure for the patient’s safety will ensure a smooth transition into pomalidomide treatment. A hsr can be either related or non-related to immunoglobulin E. As imids become an essential treatment backbone for myeloma and other plasma-cell diseases, an increasing number of patients could experience skin and other life-threatening toxicities, resulting in unnecessary discontinuation of these life-prolonging agents. An extemporaneously prepared pomalidomide suspension developed at our centre enables patients to undergo rdp safely. Patients enjoy a good quality of life and clinical response after the rdp procedure. PMID:28874903

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of 4,6-diaminonicotinamide derivatives as novel and potent immunomodulators targeting JAK3.

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Nakajima, Yutaka; Aoyama, Naohiro; Takahashi, Fumie; Sasaki, Hiroshi; Hatanaka, Keiko; Moritomo, Ayako; Inami, Masamichi; Ito, Misato; Nakamura, Koji; Nakamori, Fumihiro; Inoue, Takayuki; Shirakami, Shohei

2016-10-01

In organ transplantation, T cell-mediated immune responses play a key role in the rejection of allografts. Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) is specifically expressed in hematopoietic cells and associated with regulation of T cell development via interleukin-2 signaling pathway. Here, we designed novel 4,6-diaminonicotinamide derivatives as immunomodulators targeting JAK3 for prevention of transplant rejection. Our optimization of C4- and C6-substituents and docking calculations to JAK3 protein confirmed that the 4,6-diaminonicotinamide scaffold resulted in potent inhibition of JAK3. We also investigated avoidance of human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) inhibitory activity. Selected compound 28 in combination with tacrolimus prevented allograft rejection in a rat heterotopic cardiac transplantation model. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overview on Biological Activities and Molecular Characteristics of Sulfated Polysaccharides from Marine Green Algae in Recent Years

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Wang, Lingchong; Wang, Xiangyu; Wu, Hao; Liu, Rui

2014-01-01

Among the three main divisions of marine macroalgae (Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta), marine green algae are valuable sources of structurally diverse bioactive compounds and remain largely unexploited in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical areas. Recently, a great deal of interest has been developed to isolate novel sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) from marine green algae because of their numerous health beneficial effects. Green seaweeds are known to synthesize large quantities of SPs and are well established sources of these particularly interesting molecules such as ulvans from Ulva and Enteromorpha, sulfated rhamnans from Monostroma, sulfated arabinogalactans from Codium, sulfated galacotans from Caulerpa, and some special sulfated mannans from different species. These SPs exhibit many beneficial biological activities such as anticoagulant, antiviral, antioxidative, antitumor, immunomodulating, antihyperlipidemic and antihepatotoxic activities. Therefore, marine algae derived SPs have great potential for further development as healthy food and medical products. The present review focuses on SPs derived from marine green algae and presents an overview of the recent progress of determinations of their structural types and biological activities, especially their potential health benefits. PMID:25257786

A mini-review of chemical and biological properties of polysaccharides from Momordica charantia.

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Zhang, Fan; Lin, Lihua; Xie, Jianhua

2016-11-01

Recently, isolation and characterization of bioactive polysaccharides from natural resources have attracted increasing interest. Momordica charantia L. (M. charantia), belongs to the Curcubitaceae family, which is widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and has been used as herbal medicine and a vegetable for thousands of years. M. charantia polysaccharides, as major active ingredients of M. charantia, have attracted a great deal of attention because of their various biological activities, such as antitumor, immunomodulation, antioxidant, anti-diabetes, radioprotection, and hepatoprotection. The present review provides the most complete summary of the research progress on the polysaccharides isolated from M. charantia, including the extraction, separation, physical-chemical properties, structural characteristics, and bioactivities during the last ten years. This review also provides a foundation for the further development and application in the field of M. charantia polysaccharides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the combined use of some radiolabeled chemotherapeutic agents and immunomodulator in imaging and treatment of experimentally induced tumor in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, E.T.E

2008-01-01

This study was performed to investigate how to label ancitabine and vidarabine with the Auger emitter 125 I and the effect of labeled drugs on tumor bearing mice. It was also conducted to investigate the possible effects of levamisole and dexamethasone as immunomodulators on the biodistribution and therapeutic effect of the labeled drugs. Furthermore, the hematological effect of immunomodulators and labeled drugs were also studied.Ancitabine(ANC) was labeled by electrophilic substitution with % labeling yield about 97,5. To obtain this yield, 10μg iodogen, for 5 minutes at temperature about 75 degree C were required at Ph 7 using phosphate buffer. Vidarabine (Vid) was labeled by the same techniques at Ph 7, with % labeling yield about 90 %. To obtain this yield, 200 μg iodogen, for 10 minutes at temperature about 75 degree C were required. Both 125 I-ANC and 125 I-Vid were stable for 48 hr post labeling without significant change in % labeling yield. The labeled drugs were investigated by electrophoresis analysis and thin layer chromatography using chloroform: ethanol: ammonia (90:10:0.5), respectively. Labeled drugs show opposite behavior on the two chromatograms. 125 I-ANC and 125 I-Vid were distributed rapidly in normal mice to different tissues, especially those of high proliferation rate such as stomach and excreted rapidly in urine.Biodistribution of 125 I-ANC and 125 I-Vid in tumor bearing mice showed increase in the uptake of radioactivity in tumor site with time. Also, the rate of decline of activity was rapid in most organs compared to tumor sites. The increase of uptake in thyroid, with time, reflect the in-vivo deiodination of the 125 I-ANC and 125 I-Vid by liver. The uptake of 125 I-ANC and 125 I-Vid may be sufficient to be used in imaging of tumor. Both DEX and LMS produced significant increase in the uptake of 125 I-ANC or 125 I-Vid in tumor sites and significant decrease in some other tissues. 125 I-ANC or 125 I-Vid produced toxic effect to

Delivery of Placenta-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorates Ischemia Induced Limb Injury by Immunomodulation

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Bo Zhang

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD is a major health burden in the world. Stem cell-based therapy has emerged as an attractive treatment option in regenerative medicine. In this study, we sought to test the hypothesis that stem cell-based therapy can ameliorate ischemia induced limb injury. Methods: We isolated mesenchymal stem cells derived from human placentas (PMSCs and intramuscularly transplanted them into injured hind limbs. Treatment with PMSCs reduced acute muscle fibers apoptosis induced by ischemia. Results: PMSC treatment significantly enhanced regeneration of the injured hind limb by reducing fibrosis and enhancing running capacity when the animals were subjected to treadmill training. Mechanistically, injected PMSCs can modulate acute inflammatory responses by reducing neutrophil and macrophage infiltration following limb ischemia. ELISA assays further confirmed that PMSC treatment can also reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6, and enhance anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10 at the injury sites. Conclusion: Taken together, our results demonstrated that PMSCs can be a potential effective therapy for treatment of PAD via immunomodulation.

Characterisation and immunomodulating activities of exo-polysaccharides from submerged cultivation of Hypsizigus marmoreus.

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Zhang, Bing-Zhao; Inngjerdingen, Kari T; Zou, Yuan-Feng; Rise, Frode; Michaelsen, Terje E; Yan, Pei-Sheng; Paulsen, Berit S

2014-11-15

Exo-polysaccharides were purified and characterized from the fermentation broth of Hypsizigus marmoreus, a popular edible mushroom consumed in Asia. Among them, B-I-I and B-II-I exhibited potent complement fixating activity, meanwhile, B-N-I, B-I-I, B-II-I and B-II-II exhibited significant macrophage stimulating activity. Molecular weights of the four exo-polysaccharides were determined to be 6.3, 120, 150 and 11 kDa respectively. Molecular characterisation showed that B-N-I is basically an α-1→4 glucan, with branches on C6; B-I-I is a heavily branched α-mannan with 1→2 linked main chain. B-II-I and B-II-II, have a backbone of rhamno-galacturonan with 1→2 linked l-rhamnose interspersed with 1→4 linked galacturonic acid. Structure-activity relationship analysis indicated that monosaccharide compositions, molecular weight, certain structural units (rhamno-galacturonan type I and arabinogalactan type II) are the principal factors responsible for potent complement fixating and macrophage-stimulating activities. Their immunomodulating activities may, at least partly, explain the health benefits of the mushroom. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of tumour and metastases radioimmunodetection in adenocarcinomas between patients with and without immunomodulation with interferon gamma using In-111 labelled anti-TAG-72-antibody

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becherer, A.; Virgolini, I.; Kletter, M.; Raderer, M.; Scheithauer, W.

1994-01-01

Radioimmunodetection depends on antigen expression of malignant tissue against which radiolabelled antibodies are directed. Since gamma-interferon (IFNg) has been shown to enhance tumor-associated antigen-72 (TAG-72) expression on cell surfaces of colorectal carcinomas, it is compared anti-TAG-72 imaging before and after IFNg treatment. It is found an improved diagnostic accuracy concerning both primary and metastic tumours by imaging under IFNg-therapy and conclude that immunomodulation may increase the diagnostic value of immunoscintigraphy

A comprehensive review and update on the biologic treatment of adult noninfectious uveitis: part II.

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Lee, Kyungmin; Bajwa, Asima; Freitas-Neto, Clovis A; Metzinger, Jamie Lynne; Wentworth, Bailey A; Foster, C Stephen

2014-11-01

Treatment of adult, noninfectious uveitis remains a major challenge for ophthalmologists around the world, especially in regard to recalcitrant cases. It is reported to comprise approximately 10% of preventable blindness in the USA. The cause of uveitis can be idiopathic or associated with infectious and systemic disorders. The era of biologic medical therapies provides new options for patients with otherwise treatment-resistant inflammatory eye disease. This two-part review gives a comprehensive overview of the existing medical treatment options for patients with adult, noninfectious uveitis, as well as important advances for the treatment ocular inflammation. Part I covers classic immunomodulation and latest information on corticosteroid therapy. In part II, emerging therapies are discussed, including biologic response modifiers, experimental treatments and ongoing clinical studies for uveitis. The hazard of chronic corticosteroid use in the treatment of adult, noninfectious uveitis is well documented. Corticosteroid-sparing therapies, which offer a very favorable risk-benefit profile when administered properly, should be substituted. Although nothing is currently approved for on-label use in this indication, many therapies, through either translation or novel basic science research, have the potential to fill the currently exposed gaps.

A bursal pentapeptide (BPP-I), a novel bursal-derived peptide, exhibits antiproliferation of tumor cell and immunomodulator activity.

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Feng, Xiu L; Liu, Qing T; Cao, Rui B; Zhou, Bin; Wang, Fang Q; Deng, Wen L; Qiu, Ya F; Zhang, Yu; Ishag, Hassan; Ma, Zhi Y; Zheng, Qi S; Chen, Pu Y

2012-06-01

The bursa of Fabricius (BF) is the central humoral immune organ unique to birds. Here, we isolated a novel bursal pentapeptide I (BPP-I), LGPGP, from BF. BPP-I could play inhibition effect on MCF-7 but not on CEF or Vero cell proliferation in vitro, and enhance antitumor factor p53 protein expression. Also, BPP-I stimulated antibody production in a dose-dependent manner in hybridoma cell. Furthermore, BPP-I could induce various immune responses in mice immunization experiments, including increase antibody production and cytokines IL-4 and IFN-γ level, and induce T-cell immunophenotyping. These results suggest that BPP-I is a potential immunomodulator of antitumor and immunity. The study could provide some novel insights on the probable candidate reagent for the antitumor and immune improvement.

STRUCTURES AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF CUPROPHYLLINS

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Martynov A.V.

2017-06-01

. Hydrophilic cuprophyllin chlorophyllin very good studied and have good profile of toxicity and uses in cooking as colorant. Chlorophyllin have such biological effects: antiatherosclerotic, antiviral, antimicrobial, immunomodulating, antimutagenic and anticancerogenic, antioxidant. Most of the studies were carried out as in vitro and in vivo with statistically trustworth results. Derivatives of chlorophyll are very perspective candidates for fight with multiresistant strains of mnicroorganisms and viral infections. Derivatives of chlorophyll must be more studied for using as active pharmaceutical ingredients for development a new drugs in the form of injection, tablets, ointments.

Engineered Bovine Antibodies in the Development of Novel Therapeutics, Immunomodulators and Vaccines

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Madhuri Koti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Some bovine antibodies across all classes are unique, such as the CDR3 of the variable heavy-domain (VH CDR3, which is exceptionally long (up to 66 amino acids, unlike most conventional antibodies where the VH CDR3 loops range from 10 to 25 amino acids. The exceptionally long VH CDR3 is encoded by unusually long germline IGHD genes together with insertion of novel “a” nucleotide rich conserved short nucleotide sequence (CSNS specifically at the IGH V-D junction. Such an exceptionally long VH CDR3 confers unique “knob and stalk” structural architecture where the knob, formed by intra-VH CDR3 disulfide bridges, is separated by 20 Å solvent exposed stalk composed of anti-parallel beta strands. The substitution of the knob with cytokines, such as, erythropoietin and granulocyte colony stimulating factor 3 (granulocyte colony stimulating factor, results in expression of functional fusion proteins with enhanced pharmacokinetics. The beta stranded stalk can be substituted with other rigid structures, for example, repeat alpha helices to form coiled-coil that mimics the beta-stranded stalk and, thus, opens opportunities for insertion of this structure in the CDRs of antibodies across species. Given the versatility of such a structural platform in bovine antibody VH CDR3, it provides the opportunity for the development of new generation of diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines and immunomodulating drugs.

Effects of naloxone opiate blockade on the immunomodulation induced by exercise in rats.

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Bouix, O; elMezouini, M; Orsetti, A

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the possible involvement of the endogenous opiate system in the changes in immune competence induced by isolated exercise. Male untrained rats were subjected to a 2.5 hours swimming exercise bout. Animals were killed 15 min after the end of the exercise. The concentration of leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes and T4 (T-helper), T8 (T-suppressor/cytotoxic), interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and transferrin receptor (TrfR) positive lymphocytes were determined both in peripheral blood and spleen by flow cytometric analysis. Exercise resulted in a significant decrease in 1) blood lymphocyte and splenic granulocyte number (p exercising rats induced a decrease in the concentration and proportion of T8 positive lymphocytes, thereby restoring a normal T4/T8 ratio both in peripheral blood and spleen. Naloxone had no effect in control animals. The concentration and proportion of IL-2R and TrfR positive lymphocytes were not affected by naloxone. The mechanisms of the immunomodulation induced by isolated intense exercise are unclear. These data suggest that endogenous opiates participate in the alteration of cell-mediated immunity associated with exercise by modulating the T8 (suppressor/cytotoxic)-cell activity.

c-di-GMP is an Effective Immunomodulator and Vaccine Adjuvant Against Pneumococcal Infection

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Ogunniyi, Abiodun D.; Paton, James C.; Kirby, Alun C.; McCullers, Jonathan A.; Cook, Jan; Hyodo, Mamoru; Hayakawa, Yoshihiro; Karaolis, David K. R.

2009-01-01

Cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is a unique bacterial intracellular signaling molecule capable of stimulating enhanced protective innate immunity against various bacterial infections. The effects of intranasal pretreatment with c-di-GMP, or intraperitoneal coadministration of c-di-GMP with the pneumolysin toxoid (PdB) or PspA before pneumococcal challenge, was investigated in mice. We found that c-di-GMP had no significant direct short-term effect on the growth rate of S. pneumoniae either in vitro or in vivo. However, intranasal pretreatment of mice with c-di-GMP resulted in significant decrease in bacterial load in lungs and blood after serotypes 2 and 3 challenge, and significant decrease in lung titers after serotype 4 challenge. Potential cellular mediators of these enhanced protective responses were identified in lungs and draining lymph nodes. Intraperitoneal coadministration of c-di-GMP with PdB or PspA before challenge resulted in significantly higher antigen-specific antibody titers and increased survival of mice, compared to that obtained with alum adjuvant. These findings demonstrate that local or systemic c-di-GMP administration stimulates innate and adaptive immunity against invasive pneumococcal disease. We propose that c-di-GMP can be used as an effective broad spectrum immunomodulator and vaccine adjuvant to prevent infectious diseases. PMID:18640167

Ultraviolet light immunomodulation of canine islets for prolongation of allograft survival

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenyon, N.S.; Strasser, S.; Alejandro, R.

1990-01-01

Ultraviolet (UV) light treatment of donor islets has been shown to be effective for the prolongation of islet allograft survival in rodent models. This study evaluated UV as an immunomodulator of canine islets. The effects of UV irradiation on islet secretory function in vitro revealed a trend of increasing basal insulin release with increasing doses of UV and a corresponding significant decrease in glucose-mediated insulin release (expressed as percentage of basal fractional insulin release) beginning at UV light exposures of 200-300 J/m2 (n = 3, P less than 0.05). Proliferative responses to UV-irradiated allogeneic peripheral blood leukocytes and islets were significantly decreased by 53-112% (P less than 0.05) in 27 of 29 mixed-lymphocyte cultures and by 35-74% (P less than 0.05) in 4 of 5 mixed-lymphocyte islet culture experiments, respectively, beginning at 200-600 J/m2. Autotransplantation of nonirradiated (n = 8) and irradiated islets (600 J/m2, n = 6) resulted in a 1-mo graft survival rate of 75% for the control group and 50% for the irradiated group. Allotransplantation of irradiated islets (600 J/m2) into either nonimmunosuppressed recipients (1 donor to 1 recipient, n = 8) or recipients of subimmunosuppressive doses of cyclosporin (2 donors to 1 recipient, n = 4) resulted in 100% rejection by day 10. In contrast, when islets were cultured for 24 h postirradiation and transplanted into cyclosporin-treated pancreatectomized recipients (2 donors to 1 recipient), 3 of 7 grafts were prolonged beyond day 10 to days 16, 26, and greater than 100

Cryopreservation does not alter main characteristics of Good Manufacturing Process-grade human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells including immunomodulating potential and lack of malignant transformation.

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Luetzkendorf, Jana; Nerger, Katrin; Hering, Julian; Moegel, Angelika; Hoffmann, Katrin; Hoefers, Christiane; Mueller-Tidow, Carsten; Mueller, Lutz P

2015-02-01

The immunomodulating capacity of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) qualifies them as a therapeutic tool in several diseases. However, repeated transplantation with products of reproducible characteristics may be required. This could be achieved with cryopreserved aliquots of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-grade MSCs. However, the impact of cryopreservation on the characteristics of GMP-MSCs is ill defined. We produced fresh and cryopreserved MSCs from human donors with a xenogen-free GMP protocol. Immunogenicity and immunomodulating capacity were tested in co-culture with putative recipient-specific peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Risk of malignant transformation was assessed in vitro and in vivo. Cryopreservation had no impact on viability and consensus criteria of MSCs. In co-culture with PBMCs, MSCs showed low immunogenicity and suppressed mitogen-stimulated proliferation of PBMC irrespective of cryopreservation. Cytogenetic aberrations were not observed consistently in fresh and cryopreserved products, and no signs of malignant transformation occurred in functional assays. MSC products from an elderly pretreated donor showed reduced functional quality, but imminent failure of functional criteria could be detected by an increased population doubling time in early passages. This study is the first systematic analysis on cryopreservation of xenogen-free human bone marrow-derived GMP-MSCs. The data support that cryopreservation does not alter the characteristics of the cells and thus may allow the generation of products for serial transplantation. In addition, the protocol allowed early detection of MSC products with low functional capacity. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Role of Human Milk Immunomodulators in Protecting Against Viral Bronchiolitis and Development of Chronic Wheezing Illness.

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Dixon, Dani-Louise

2015-07-07

Infants who are breastfed are at an immunological advantage when compared with formula fed infants, evidenced by decreased incidence of infections and diminished propensity for long term conditions, including chronic wheeze and/or asthma. Exclusive breastfeeding reduces the duration of hospital admission, risk of respiratory failure and requirement for supplemental oxygen in infants hospitalised with bronchiolitis suggesting a potentially protective mechanism. This review examines the evidence and potential pathways for protection by immunomodulatory factors in human milk against the most common viral cause of bronchiolitis, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and subsequent recurrent wheeze in infants. Further investigations into the interplay between respiratory virus infections such as RSV and how they affect, and are affected by, human milk immunomodulators is necessary if we are to gain a true understanding of how breastfeeding protects many infants but not all against infections, and how this relates to long-term protection against conditions such as chronic wheezing illness or asthma.

Disease: H01604 [KEGG MEDICUS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available substantial number of patients do not respond to glucocorticoids alone, additional agents such as immunosuppressants, immunomodulato...rs, and more recently, biologics are commonly used in clinical practice. Musculoske

The common lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) pectic polysaccharides modulate phagocytic leukocytes and intestinal Peyer's patch cells

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Georgiev, Y.N.; Paulsen, B.S.; Kiyohara, H.; Číž, Milan; Ognyanov, M.H.; Vašíček, Ondřej; Rise, F.; Denev, P.; Yamada, H.; Lojek, Antonín; Kussovski, V.; Barsett, H.; Krastanov, A.I.; Yanakieva, I.Z.; Kratchanova, M.

2017-01-01

Roč. 174, oct2017 (2017), s. 948-959 ISSN 0144-8617 Institutional support: RVO:68081707 Keywords : Lavender * Pectin * Immunomodulation Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 4.811, year: 2016

Immunomodulation by heavy metals tested individually or in mixtures in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed in vivo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez-Dardon, J.; Voccia, I.; Hontela, A.; Chilmonczyk, S.; Dunier, M.; Boermans, H.; Blakley, B.; Fournier, M.

1999-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of heavy metals, at environmentally relevant concentrations, on the immune response of rainbow trout. Trout were exposed for 30 d to cadmium chloride (CdCl{sub 2}), mercuric chloride (HgCl{sub 2}), or zinc chloride (ZnCl{sub 2}) either individually or in combinations: CdCl{sub 2}/HgCl{sub 2}, CdCl{sub 2}/ZnCl{sub 2}, HgCl{sub 2}/ZnCl{sub 2}, or CdCl{sub 2}/HgCl{sub 2}/ZnCl{sub 2}. Following the 30-d exposure, parameters of the nonspecific cellular immune response (phagocytosis, respiratory burst, and lymphoblastic proliferation) and of the nonspecific humoral immune response (lysozyme activity and the level of immunoglobulin) were measured. The results obtained indicate that individually, all three metals induce significant immunomodulations. However, the toxicity of mercury or cadmium is significantly reduced in fish simultaneously exposed to zinc, indicating that a protection is afforded by zinc against cadmium- and mercury-induced immunotoxicity.

Respiratory Tract Infections and the Role of Biologically Active Polysaccharides in Their Management and Prevention.

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Jesenak, Milos; Urbancikova, Ingrid; Banovcin, Peter

2017-07-20

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common form of infections in every age category. Recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs), a specific form of RTIs, represent a typical and common problem associated with early childhood, causing high indirect and direct costs on the healthcare system. They are usually the consequence of immature immunity in children and high exposure to various respiratory pathogens. Their rational management should aim at excluding other severe chronic diseases associated with increased morbidity (e.g., primary immunodeficiency syndromes, cystic fibrosis, and ciliary dyskinesia) and at supporting maturity of the mucosal immune system. However, RRTIs can also be observed in adults (e.g., during exhausting and stressful periods, chronic inflammatory diseases, secondary immunodeficiencies, or in elite athletes) and require greater attention. Biologically active polysaccharides (e.g., β-glucans) are one of the most studied natural immunomodulators with a pluripotent mode of action and biological activity. According to many studies, they possess immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-infectious activities and therefore could be suggested as an effective part of treating and preventing RTIs. Based on published studies, the application of β-glucans was proven as a possible therapeutic and preventive approach in managing and preventing recurrent respiratory tract infections in children (especially β-glucans from Pleurotus ostreatus ), adults (mostly the studies with yeast-derived β-glucans), and in elite athletes (studies with β-glucans from Pleurotus ostreatus or yeast).

IMMUNOMODULATOR EFFECT OF COMBINATION OF Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f. Nees HERB AND GINGER RHIZOME (Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. ETHANOLIC EXTRACT ON CELL PROLIFERATION OF Balb/c MICE LYMPHOCYTES IN VITRO

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Damriati Azimah

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Our susceptibility to various infectious diseases can be avoided by increasing the specific immune responses either by the proliferation of lymphocytes. Immunomodulator effect of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f. Nees and Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb have been well evaluated. Empirically, the East Borneo’s tribe combined both herbs to treat jaundice disease. However, scientific evidence is still needed in their use as a drug candidate. This study explores further effect of the immunomodulator from 5 ethanol extract groups. Quantitative analysis was also completed using a densitometer to obtain andrographolide and curcumin levels of ethanol extract. Lymphocyte proliferation was tested by using MTT colorimetric method, the results was read by an ELISA reader and statistically analyzed with One-Way ANOVA test with 95 % of confidence level. The maceration yield of sambiloto ethanol extract (EES and temulawak ethanol extract (EET were respectively 5.78 % w / w and 3.92 % w / w. The results of quantitative analysis in 28.6 mg EES contained 11.43 % andrographolide and from the 251.8 mg EET contained 28.79 % curcumin. From the MTT test, all treatment groups were significantly different from the control group. Based on the OD values, the best combination to increase lymphocyte cell proliferation ETS was a group contained 56.25 mg of temulawak and 18.75 mg of sambiloto in 1 ml of solvent. Nonetheless, the value was not higher than the ability of ET in increasing cell proliferation.

In Vivo Immunomodulation and Lipid Peroxidation Activities Contributed to Chemoprevention Effects of Fermented Mung Bean against Breast Cancer

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Swee Keong Yeap

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Mung bean has been reported to have antioxidant, cytotoxic, and immunomodulatory effects in vitro. Fermented products are reported to have enhanced immunomodulation and cancer chemopreventive effects. In this study, fermented mung bean treatments in vivo were studied by monitoring tumor development, spleen immunity, serum cytokine (interleukin 2 and interferon gamma levels, and spleen/tumor antioxidant levels after injection with low and high risk 4T1 breast cancer cells. Pretreatment with fermented mung bean was associated with delayed tumor formation in low risk mice. Furthermore, this treatment was connected with higher serum anticancer cytokine levels, spleen T cell populations, splenocyte cytotoxicity, and spleen/tumor antioxidant levels. Histopathological evaluation of fermented mung bean treated tumor revealed lower event of mitotic division. On the other hand, antioxidant and nitric oxide levels that were significantly increased in the untreated mice were inhibited in the fermented mung bean treated groups. These results suggested that fermented mung bean has potential cancer chemoprevention effects through the stimulation of immunity, lipid peroxidation, and anti-inflammation.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of New Mannose Derived Immunomodulating Adamantyltripeptides

OpenAIRE

Ribić, Rosana; Habjanec, Lidija; Vranešić, Branka; Frkanec, Ruža; Tomić, Srđanka

2011-01-01

A novel class of mannosylated adamantyltripeptides, general formula of which is α-Man- OCH2CH(CH3)CO-AdGly-L-Ala-D-isoGln, were prepared, characterized, and their possible immunomodulatory properties investigated in some preliminary tests in vivo. All newly synthesized glycopeptides comprise in their structure the adamantylglycyl moiety linked to the dipeptide L-Ala-D-isoGln, as well as mannose. Adjuvant activity of mannosylated adamant-2-yl tripeptides was tested in the mouse mod...

Modulation of the chicken immune cell function by dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sijben, J.W.C.

2002-01-01

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) possess a wide range of biological properties, including immunomodulation. The amount, type, and ratio of dietary PUFA determine the types of fatty acids that are incorporated into immune cell membranes. Consequently, the physiological properties of immune cells

European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation Topical Review on Treatment Withdrawal ('Exit Strategies') in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Doherty, Glen; Katsanos, Konstantinos H; Burisch, Johan

2018-01-01

Clinically effective therapies now exist for remission maintenance in both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD). For each major class of IBD medications (5-aminosalicyclates, immunomodulators and biologic agents), used alone or in combination, there is a risk of relapse following redu...

Immunomodulation in gut-associated lymphoid tissue of neonatal chicks by immunobiotic diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, K; Takahashi, K; Tohno, M; Miura, Y; Kamada, T; Ikegami, S; Kitazawa, H

2009-12-01

Developmental changes in immunocompetent cells of the gut during the first week posthatch were determined in broiler chicks fed immunobiotic lactic acid bacteria in the form of Lactobacillus jensenii TL2937-, Lactobacillus gasseri JCM1131(T)-, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus NIAIB6-, or L. gasseri TL2919-supplemented diets. The relative weights of spleen and bursa of Fabricius in chicks fed the immunobiotic diets were slightly higher than the control valued at 1 and 3 d of age, with the exception of spleen weight in the L. gasseri JCM1131(T) at 3 d of age, the bursa of Fabricius weight in the L. gasseri JCM1131(T) at 1 and 3 d of age, and bursa of Fabricius weight in the L. gasseri TL2919 group at 1 d of age. There were no significant differences in body and liver weights among the treatments. When chicks were fed the L. jensenii TL2937- or L. gasseri TL2919-supplemented diets, expression of T cell-related mRNA [cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)] in the foregut was significantly higher than that of control chicks at 3 or 7 d of age. Expression levels of toll-like receptor (TLR) mRNA tended to increase in the foregut of chicks fed the immunobiotic diets, except for the L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus NIAIB6, compared with expression levels in control chicks. The Bu-1 mRNA expression levels in the bursa of Fabricius were not affected by the supplementations with immunobiotic lactic acid bacteria. These results show that immunobiotics, particularly L. gasseri TL2919, might be useful as immunomodulators to stimulate the gut-associated immune system in neonatal chicks, and thereby protect them from disease without decreasing growth performance as a possible substitution of antibiotics.

In Ovo administration of silver nanoparticles and/or amino acids influence metabolism and immune gene expression in chicken embryos

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bhanja, Subrat K.; Hotowy, Anna Malgorzata; Mehra, Manish

2015-01-01

Due to their physicochemical and biological properties, silver nanoparticles (NanoAg) have a wide range of applications. In the present study, their roles as a carrier of nutrients and an immunomodulator were tested in chicken embryos. Cysteine (Cys)+NanoAg injected embryos had smaller livers...

Highlights of the São Paulo ISEV workshop on extracellular vesicles in cross-kingdom communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Soares, Rodrigo P.; Xander, Patrícia; Costa, Adriana Oliveira

2017-01-01

In the past years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become an important field of research since EVs have been found to play a central role in biological processes. In pathogens, EVs are involved in several events during the host–pathogen interaction, including invasion, immunomodulation, and pat...

Immunomodulating and Antiprotozoal Effects of Different Extracts of the Oyster Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus (Higher Basidiomycetes) Against Coccidiosis in Broiler.

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, Muhammad Irfan; Akhtar, Masood; Iqbal, Zafar; Shahid, Muhammad; Awais, Mian Muhammad

2015-01-01

The culinary-medicinal oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, procured from local sources, was processed for hot water and methanolic extraction. Extracts obtained were subjected to proximate analysis to determine the amount of crude protein, crude fiber, ash, ether, and nitrogen-free extracts. These extracts were evaluated for immunomodulating and antiprotozoal effects against coccidiosis in a broiler. Cellular immune investigation revealed significantly higher (P 0.05) findings were observed in investigations of lymphoid organs. Antiprotozoal studies revealed a significantly higher (P < 0.05) percentage of protection against coccidiosis in groups administered P. ostreatus extracts when compared with controls. Moreover, lesion scoring and oocysts per gram of droppings observed in the control group were significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with those in groups administered hot water and methanolic extracts of P. ostreatus. Results concluded that hot water and methanolic extracts of P. ostreatus had strong immune-enhancing activities. Further, these extracts also had excellent antiprotozoal activities against coccidiosis in a broiler.

Radiation as an inducer of in-situ autologous vaccine in the treatment of solid tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Mansoor M.

2013-01-01

Radiation therapy (RT) is conventionally used for local tumor control. Although local control of the primary tumor can prevent the development of subsequent systemic metastases, tumor irradiation is not effective in controlling pre-existing systemic disease. The concept of radiation-enhanced antigen presentation and immunomodulation allows the harnessing of tumor cell death induced by radiation as a potential source of tumor antigens for immunotherapy. Immunomodulation using RT is a novel strategy of in situ tumor vaccination where primary tumor irradiation can contribute to the control of pre-existing systemic metastatic disease. The absence of systemic immunosuppression (often associated with chemotherapy) and the generally lower toxicity makes radiation a desirable adjuvant regimen for immunotherapy and tumor vaccination strategies. Increased understanding of tumor immunology and the biology of radiation-mediated immune modulation should enhance the efficacy of combining these therapeutic modalities. Here we aim to provide an overview of the biology of radiation-induced immune modulation. (author)

Intranasal treatment with a novel immunomodulator mediates innate immune protection against lethal pneumonia virus of mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Elisa C; Garg, Ravendra; Shrivastava, Pratima; Gomis, Susantha; van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk, Sylvia

2016-11-01

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children. There are no licensed RSV vaccines available, and the few treatment options for high-risk individuals are either extremely costly or cause severe side effects and toxicity. Immunomodulation mediated by a novel formulation consisting of the toll-like receptor 3 agonist poly(I:C), an innate defense regulator peptide and a polyphosphazene (P-I-P) was evaluated in the context of lethal infection with pneumonia virus of mice (PVM). Intranasal delivery of a single dose of P-I-P protected adult mice against PVM when given 24 h prior to challenge. These animals experienced minimal weight loss, no clinical disease, 100% survival, and reduced lung pathology. Similar clinical outcomes were observed in mice treated up to 3 days prior to infection. P-I-P pre-treatment induced early mRNA and protein expression of key chemokine and cytokine genes, reduced the recruitment of neutrophils and eosinophils, decreased virus titers in the lungs, and modulated the delayed exacerbated nature of PVM disease without any short-term side effects. On day 14 post-infection, P-I-P-treated mice were confirmed to be PVM-free. These results demonstrate the capacity of this formulation to prevent PVM and possibly other viral respiratory infections. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immunomodulator therapy migration in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: a study of 152 cases Migração medicamentosa de imunomoduladores em esclerose múltipla: estudo em 152 pacientes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Semeraro Jordy

2008-03-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Since 1997, immunological modulators have been used for treatment of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS in the Multiple Sclerosis Attendance and Treatment Center (CATEM with significant alterations in this disease natural history. AIM: To add data on the experience of CATEM for the treatment of RRMS patients that had immunomodulators. METHOD: RRMS patients that received continuously immunomodulator drugs were evaluated on adherence, migration, withdrawal and progression rates. The patients were divided in three groups by the period of immunomodulators intake. RESULTS: There were registered in Group 1 withdrawal in 98 patients (25% and adherence in 292 cases (74%; Group 2 interruption of therapy in 140 patients, 92 (31% due to progression for PSMS, 14 (5% for pregnancy, withdrawal in 34 (11%, adherence in 88%; Group 3 progression in 41 (26%, pregnancy in 3 (2% withdrawal in 42 (27% and adherence in 72%. The migration rate was about one third (31.57% and the principal cause was therapeutic failure; the mean migrating time was 0.5-2.5 years in group 3. CONCLUSION: Immunomodulatory treatment for RRMS patients may have significant levels of failure and side effects; the adherence was compatible with the international literature.INTRODUÇÃO: Na última década foram introduzidos os imunomoduladores para o tratamento da esclerose múltipla (EM forma remitente-recorrente (RR. OBJETIVO: Complementar o relato anterior da experiência de centro brasileiro no acompanhamento dos pacientes em uso dos imunomoduladores. MÉTODO: 390 pacientes que faziam uso de imunomoduladores no Centro de Atendimento à Esclerose Múltipla (CATEM, foram subdivididos por tempo de uso em três grupos, avaliando-se as ocorrências de: abandono, gravidez, conversão da forma RR para secundária progressiva (SP e da aderência. RESULTADOS: No Grupo 1, foram observados abandono do uso de imunomoduladores em 98 pacientes (25% e aderência de 292 casos (74%; no

A biotechnological product and its potential as a new immunomodulator for treatment of animal phlebovirus infection: Punta Toro virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Durán, Nelson; Gowen, Brian B; Costa, Fabio T M; Justo, Giselle Z; Brocchi, Marcelo; Nunes, Odilon S; Nunes, Iseu S

2009-08-01

Intracellular pathogens with widespread drug-resistance contribute substantially to the increasing rates in morbidity and mortality due to emerging and reemerging diseases. Thus, the development of new drugs, including those that can enhance the immune response, is urgently needed. The immunomodulator, P-MAPA, a proteinaceous aggregate of ammonium and magnesium phospholinoleate-palmitoleate anhydride derived from Aspergillus oryzae, have been shown to induce antitumor activities. The ability of this compound to elicit protective immunity against viral infections has not been fully explored. Here, we report findings on the use of P-MAPA as an antiviral agent in a mouse model of acute phleboviral (Punta Toro virus) disease. A dose administered i.p. 24h post-infectious challenge (100mg/kg dose of P-MAPA) was remarkably effective at preventing death due to Punta Toro virus infection. This dose also reduced systemic viral burden and liver discoloration assayed on day 3 of infection. Taken together, our findings indicate that non-specific immunotherapy with P-MAPA appears to be an effective treatment for blocking Punta Toro virus-induced disease and suggest that further exploration with other viral disease models is warranted.

All For One and One For All on the Tick-Host Battlefield

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Chmelař, J.; Kotál, Jan; Pedra, J. H. F.; Kotsyfakis, Michalis

2016-01-01

Roč. 32, č. 5 (2016), s. 368-377 ISSN 1471-4922 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP502/12/2409 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : immunomodulation * multigenic protein families * pluripotency * redundancy * silent antigens * tick salivary proteins Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 6.333, year: 2016

Development of QSAR model for immunomodulatory activity of natural coumarinolignoids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dharmendra K Yadav

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Dharmendra K Yadav, Abha Meena, Ankit Srivastava, D Chanda, Feroz Khan, SK ChattopadhyayMetabolic and Structural Biology Department, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, PO-CIMAP, IndiaAbstract: Immunomodulation is the process of alteration in immune response due to foreign intrusion of molecules inside the body. Along with the available drugs, a large number of herbal drugs are promoted in traditional Indian treatments, for their immunomodulating activity. Natural coumarinolignoids isolated from the seeds of Cleome viscose have been recognized as having hepatoprotective action and have recently been tested preclinically for their immunomodulatory activity affecting both cell-mediated and humoral immune response. To explore the immunomodulatory compound from derivatives of coumarinolignoids, a quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR and molecular docking studies were performed. Theoretical results are in accord with the in vivo experimental data studied on Swiss albino mice. Immunostimulatory activity was predicted through QSAR model, developed by forward feed multiple linear regression method with leave-one-out approach. Relationship correlating measure of QSAR model was 99% (R2 = 0.99 and predictive accuracy was 96% (RCV2 = 0.96. QSAR studies indicate that dipole moment, steric energy, amide group count, lambda max (UV-visible, and molar refractivity correlates well with biological activity, while decrease in dipole moment, steric energy, and molar refractivity has negative correlation. Docking studies also showed strong binding affinity to immunomodulatory receptors.Keywords: coumarinolignoids, immunomodulation, docking, QSAR, regression model

Antitumor and Immunomodulating Activities of Exopolysaccharide Produced by Big Cup Culinary- Medicinal Mushroom Clitocybe maxima (Higher Basidiomycetes) in Liquid Submerged Culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shu-Hui; Cheung, Peter Chi Keung; Hung, Raw-Pou; Chen, Yu-Kuei; Wang, Jinn-Chyi; Chang, Sue-Joan

2015-01-01

Water-soluble polysaccharides extracted from mushrooms have been found to have some physiological effects. In this study, exopolysaccharides (EPSs) were extracted by alcohol precipitation from cultivated broth of the mushroom Clitocybe maxima. EPSs with molecular weights of 10(4) and 10(5) Da were obtained by ultrafiltration; they are referred to as EPA and EPB, respectively. The major components of these EPSs were glucose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose, and arabinose. ICR mice with artificially induced metastatic pulmonary tumors were fed a daily diet containing EPA or EPB at doses of 8, 20, or 50 mg/kg. Results showed that the proliferation of pulmonary sarcoma lesions was lower in the groups fed EPS. In addition, the numbers of total T cells, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, and macrophages significantly increased in EPS-fed mice compared with the negative control group. The antitumor and immunomodulating effects observed in the EPB-fed groups were higher than those of EPA-fed groups. These results demonstrate the ability of EPSs of C. maxima to inhibit tumor cells while enhancing immune response.

Biological characteristics of human menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yanli; Niu, Rongcheng; Yang, Fen; Yan, Yan; Liang, Shengying; Sun, Yuliang; Shen, Ping; Lin, Juntang

2018-03-01

Successful isolation of human endometrial stem cells from menstrual blood, namely menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells (MenSCs), has provided enticing alternative seed cells for stem cell-based therapy. MenSCs are enriched in the self-regenerative tissue, endometrium, which shed along the periodic menstrual blood and thus their acquisition involves no physical invasiveness. However, the impact of the storage duration of menstrual blood prior to stem cell isolation, the age of the donor, the number of passages on the self-renewing of MenSCs, the paracrine production of biological factors in MenSCs and expression of adhesion molecules on MenSCs remain elusive. In this study, we confirmed that MenSCs reside in shedding endometrium, and documented that up to 3 days of storage at 4°C has little impact on MenSCs, while the age of the donor and the number of passages are negatively associated with proliferation capacity of MenSCs. Moreover, we found that MenSCs were actually immune-privileged and projected no risk of tumour formation. Also, we documented a lung- and liver-dominated, spleen- and kidney-involved organic distribution profile of MenSC 3 days after intravenous transfer into mice. At last, we suggested that MenSCs may have potentially therapeutic effects on diseases through paracrine effect and immunomodulation. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

A dermatologist guide to immunogenicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Collin M. Blattner, DO

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Dermatologists should be aware that autoantibody formation may occur after the initiation of biologic therapy. This phenomenon has been referred to as immunogenicity and biologic fatigue. Because of this, patients may experience loss of clinical efficacy to a particular drug. To combat this phenomenon, low-dose immunomodulators may be used in hopes of preventing autoantibodies. We review the current literature and provide a basic treatment algorithm for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

Role of Immunomodulators in Tumor Regression in Mice Exposed to Fractionated Low Dose of Gamma Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rokaya Elsayed Maaroaf Elsayed

2015-01-01

Immunotherapy is one of the most promising approaches of cancer treatment. The present study was designed to examine the role of irradiated tumor cell lysate vaccine, IFNα-2b and low dose of gamma irradiation as immunomodulators either alone or combined in tumor regression. Ehrlich ascite carcinoma (EAC) cells and 9 groups of female mice were used. Mice were immunized intramuscularly by tumor cell lysate vaccine one time/week for 3 weeks in the right thigh of mice. After two weeks from last immunization, all mice were challenged with normal viable EAC cells at count of 2.5 ×10 6 /mouse in the opposite left thigh for Ehrlich carcinoma (EC) production. Mice were subcutaneously injected with 10.000 units of IFNα-2b 3 times/week for 4 weeks and others were exposed to fractionated dose of γ- radiation (0.5 Gy/day x 4, day after day). Tumor size, serum tumor markers (TNF-α and CEA), tumor DNA fragmentation and Caspase-3 were evaluated. Oxidative stress (MDA and NO) markers and antioxidants (GSH, GPX and SOD) were determined in spleen and tumor tissues. Histopathological examinations, apoptosis and necrosis in spleen and tumor tissues were also examined. The results revealed significant inhibition in tumor size throughout the observation period either for treatments with vaccine or IFNα-2b either alone or combined with γ-irradiation. DNA fragmentation and Caspase-3 enzyme activities were significantly elevated in immunized mice as compared with EC group along with diminished tumor size while, tumor markers were significantly decreased. MDA and NO were significantly increased in tumor tissue.while, tumor GSH content, GPX and SOD activities were significantly decreased. Combined treatments of female mice bearing EC with IFN-α-2b, tumor cell lysate vaccine and low dose of γ-radiation cause a highly significant decrease in serum TNF-α and CEA levels, increase in Cas-3 activity, no DNA fragmentation, significant increase in MDA, decrease in SOD activity and decreased

Combination therapy of radiation and immunomodulators in the treatment of MM46 tumor transplanted in C3H/He mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyaji, Chihiro; Imanaka, Kazufumi; Gose, Kyuhei; Ichiyanagi, Akihiro; Imajo, Yoshinari

1983-01-01

Female C3H/He mice aged 13 weeks with transplanted MM 46 tumor were used in histological and enzymohistochemical studies on the timing of administration of immunomodulators, PSK (a protein bound polysaccharide prepared from Coriolus versicolor), or OK-432 (Streptococcal preparation) combined with two fractionated local irradiation with the total dose of 3,000 rad. The daily dose of 250 mg/kg of PSK, or 1 KE/mouse of OK-432 was respectively injected intraperitoneally for four consecutive days before or after irradiation. Mice were sacrificed before irradiation and 7, 14 and 21 days after irradiation. Resected tumor tissues were examined using H-E staining and α-naphtyl acetate esterase (ANAE) staining to observe the stromal reactions such as the infiltration of mononuclear cells and fibroblasts around tumor tissues. When PSK or OK-432 was administered after irradiation, remarkable lymphocytic infiltration was observed compared with the control group and the group to which PSK or OK-432 was administered before irradiation. ANAE staining revealed most of infiltrating lymphocytes were T-cells. These results suggested that PSK and OK-432 which were received after radiotherapy enhanced the immunological responses against tumors which were represented by remarkable lymphocytic infiltration. (author)

Management of inflammatory bowel disease with Clostridium difficile infection.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Aoust, Julie; Battat, Robert; Bessissow, Talat

2017-07-21

To address the management of Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile ) infection (CDI) in the setting of suspected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-flare. A systematic search of the Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE databases by independent reviewers identified 70 articles including a total of 932141 IBD patients or IBD-related hospitalizations. In those with IBD, CDI is associated with increased morbidity, including subsequent escalation in IBD medical therapy, urgent colectomy and increased hospitalization, as well as excess mortality. Vancomycin-containing regimens are effective first-line therapies for CDI in IBD inpatients. No prospective data exists with regards to the safety or efficacy of initiating or maintaining corticosteroid, immunomodulator, or biologic therapy to treat IBD in the setting of CDI. Corticosteroid use is a risk factor for the development of CDI, while immunomodulators and biologics are not. Strong recommendations regarding when to initiate IBD specific therapy in those with CDI are precluded by a lack of evidence. However, based on expert opinion and observational data, initiation or resumption of immunosuppressive therapy after 48-72 h of targeted antibiotic treatment for CDI may be considered.

[Function of the interleukin-1 gene system in immunomodulation, apoptosis and proliferation in the male gonad].

Science.gov (United States)

Rozwadowska, Natalia; Fiszer, Dorota; Kurpisz, Maciej

2005-03-07

Spermatogenesis is a phenomenon where two main processes proliferation and apoptosis, meet. Slight changes in their activities could lead to different pathologies, such as fertility disorder (excessive apoptosis) or testicular cancer (overproliferation). The IL-1 gene family includes genes which play important roles in both these processes and consists of IL-1?, IL-1ss, IL-18, the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), two IL-1 receptors (IL-1RI, IL-1RII), the IL-18 receptor (IL-18R?), and the receptor-associated proteins - IL-1RAcP and IL-18Rss. Caspase-1 (ICE - interleukin-1 converting enzyme), directly connected with apoptosis and responsible for the cleavage of IL-1b and IL-18, is also a member of the IL-1 family. The system of the numerous IL-1 receptors and their signal transduction involving protein cascades provokes a range of gene expressions necessary for the initiation and maintenance of inflammatory reaction. In the testis, IL-1 is constitutively expressed, where it creates a unique microenvironment for diploid gametogenic cell conversion into specialized haploid spermatozoa. It may also be an element of the physiological protection from autoimmune attack by host testicular antigens and a part of immune privilege. This review is to summarize the knowledge of the local control of spermatogenesis and immunomodulation in the male gonad. As infertility is one of the main problems of industrialized countries, study of the pathophysiology of the male genital tract appears essential in future clinical practice.

Effects of Immunosuppressants on Immune Response to Vaccine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Cao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the response rate to vaccination in different treatment groups (nonimmunosuppressants and immunosuppressants. Data Sources: We completed an online systematic search using PubMed to identify all articles published in English between January 1990 and December 2013 assessing the effect of the response rate to vaccination in different treatment groups (with and without immunomodulators. The following terms were used: "inflammatory bowel disease (IBD" OR "Crohn′s disease" OR "ulcerative colitis" AND ("vaccination" OR "vaccine" AND ("corticosteroids" OR "mercaptopurine" OR "azathioprine" OR "methotrexate [MTX]" AND "immunomodulators." Study Selection: The inclusion criteria of articles were that the studies: (1 Randomized controlled trials which included patients with a diagnosis of IBD (established by standard clinical, radiographic, endoscopic, and histologic criteria; (2 exposed patients received immunomodulators for maintenance (weight-appropriate doses of 6-mercaptopurine/azathioprine or within 3 months of stopping, 15 mg or more MTX per week or within 3 months of stopping; (3 exposed patients received nonimmunomodulators (no therapy, antibiotics only, mesalazine only, biological agent only such as infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab or natalizumab or within 3 months of stopping one of these agents. The exclusion criteria of articles were that the studies: (1 History of hepatitis B virus (HBV, influenza or streptococcus pneumoniae infection; (2 patients who had previously been vaccinated against HBV, influenza or streptococcus pneumoniae; (3 any medical condition known to cause immunosuppression (e.g. chronic renal failure and human immunodeficiency virus infection; (4 individuals with positive hepatitis markers or liver cirrhosis; (5 patients with a known allergy to eggs or other components of the vaccines and (6 pregnancy. Results: Patients treated with immunomodulators were associated with lower response rates to

Proteome-wide analysis of neural stem cell differentiation to facilitate transition to cell replacement therapies

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Žižková, Martina; Suchá, Rita; Tylečková, Jiřina; Jarkovská, Karla; Mairychová, Kateřina; Kotrčová, Eva; Marsala, M.; Gadher, S. J.; Kovářová, Hana

2015-01-01

Roč. 12, č. 1 (2015), s. 83-95 ISSN 1478-9450 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ED2.1.00/03.0124; GA TA ČR(CZ) TA01011466 Institutional support: RVO:67985904 Keywords : cell therapy * immunomodulation * neural stem cell differentiation * neural subpopulation * neurodegenerative disease Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.465, year: 2015

Natural disease course of Crohn's disease during the first 5 years after diagnosis in a European population-based inception cohort: an Epi-IBD study.

Science.gov (United States)

Burisch, Johan; Kiudelis, Gediminas; Kupcinskas, Limas; Kievit, Hendrika Adriana Linda; Andersen, Karina Winther; Andersen, Vibeke; Salupere, Riina; Pedersen, Natalia; Kjeldsen, Jens; D'Incà, Renata; Valpiani, Daniela; Schwartz, Doron; Odes, Selwyn; Olsen, Jóngerð; Nielsen, Kári Rubek; Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Lakatos, Peter Laszlo; Toca, Alina; Turcan, Svetlana; Katsanos, Konstantinos H; Christodoulou, Dimitrios K; Fumery, Mathurin; Gower-Rousseau, Corinne; Zammit, Stefania Chetcuti; Ellul, Pierre; Eriksson, Carl; Halfvarson, Jonas; Magro, Fernando Jose; Duricova, Dana; Bortlik, Martin; Fernandez, Alberto; Hernández, Vicent; Myers, Sally; Sebastian, Shaji; Oksanen, Pia; Collin, Pekka; Goldis, Adrian; Misra, Ravi; Arebi, Naila; Kaimakliotis, Ioannis P; Nikuina, Inna; Belousova, Elena; Brinar, Marko; Cukovic-Cavka, Silvija; Langholz, Ebbe; Munkholm, Pia

2018-01-23

The Epi-IBD cohort is a prospective population-based inception cohort of unselected patients with inflammatory bowel disease from 29 European centres covering a background population of almost 10 million people. The aim of this study was to assess the 5-year outcome and disease course of patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Patients were followed up prospectively from the time of diagnosis, including collection of their clinical data, demographics, disease activity, medical therapy, surgery, cancers and deaths. Associations between outcomes and multiple covariates were analysed by Cox regression analysis. In total, 488 patients were included in the study. During follow-up, 107 (22%) patients received surgery, while 176 (36%) patients were hospitalised because of CD. A total of 49 (14%) patients diagnosed with non-stricturing, non-penetrating disease progressed to either stricturing and/or penetrating disease. These rates did not differ between patients from Western and Eastern Europe. However, significant geographic differences were noted regarding treatment: more patients in Western Europe received biological therapy (33%) and immunomodulators (66%) than did those in Eastern Europe (14% and 54%, respectively, P<0.01), while more Eastern European patients received 5-aminosalicylates (90% vs 56%, P<0.05). Treatment with immunomodulators reduced the risk of surgery (HR: 0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.6) and hospitalisation (HR: 0.3, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.5). Despite patients being treated early and frequently with immunomodulators and biological therapy in Western Europe, 5-year outcomes including surgery and phenotype progression in this cohort were comparable across Western and Eastern Europe. Differences in treatment strategies between Western and Eastern European centres did not affect the disease course. Treatment with immunomodulators reduced the risk of surgery and hospitalisation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the

Protective action of the immunomodulator ginsan against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury via control of oxidative stress and the inflammatory response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Ji-Young; Kim, Mi-Hyoung; Kim, Hyung-Doo; Ahn, Ji-Yeon; Yun, Yeon-Sook; Song, Jie-Young

2010-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate immunomodulator ginsan, a polysaccharide extracted from Panax ginseng, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced liver injury. BALB/c mice were injected i.p. with ginsan 24 h prior to CCl 4 administration. Serum liver enzyme levels, histology, expression of antioxidant enzymes, and several cytokines/chemokines were subsequently evaluated. Ginsan treatment markedly suppressed the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and hepatic histological necrosis increased by CCl 4 treatment. Ginsan inhibited CCl 4 induced lipid peroxidation through the cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) downregulation. The hepatoprotective effect of ginsan was attributed to induction of anti-oxidant protein contents, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) as well as restoration of the hepatic glutathione (GSH) concentration. The marked increase of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IFN-γ) and chemokines (MCP-1, MIP-2β, KC) in CCl 4 treated mice was additionally attenuated by ginsan, thereby preventing leukocyte infiltration and local inflammation. Our results suggest that ginsan effectively prevent liver injury, mainly through downregulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory response.

Neutrophils stimulation index in people under consumption of broiler chickens meat at pre-slaughter stress correction

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S. Grabovskyi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The data about changes in neutrophils stimulation index in men blood after consumption of broiler chicken meat with the natural origin immunomodulators, introduced in feed before slaughter, is presented in this paper. Spleen extract biologically active substances were used as immunomodulators and anti-stressors during pre-slaughter period. Biologically active substances influence on putrescin, spermine and spermidine content in broiler chicken blood before slaughter and on some non-specific resistance indices in people was determined after consumption of broiler chicken meat. Two groups of broiler chickens at one month age were formed for the study. The spleen extract obtained with ultrasound application (I research group served as biologically active substances was added to the feed of broiler chickens in pre-slaughter period (five days before slaughter. Blood polyamines such as putrescin, spermine and spermidine were determined by the method of High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC on the liquid chromatograph Agilent 1200 (USA. The second experiment was conducted on 10 people. We recruited 10 healthy male medical students (20 years old, on average after the National Medical license examination. Spleen extract polyamines as immunomodulators and anti-stressors have the most effective influence on total quantity of polyamines in broiler chicken blood. As a result of research, it is found that aerosol introduction of spleen extract into broiler chicken feed reliably increases total quantity of polyamines by 39% and, in particular, spermidine concentration by 34%, and spermine by 40% compared with broiler chickens of the control group. Some non-specific body resistance indices in men blood upon consumption of broiler chicken meat varied within the physiological norm. The neutrophils stimulation index increased in men blood (+0,82 after consumption of meat of broiler chickens to which spleen extract as immunomodulator and anti-stressor was

The glatiramoid class of immunomodulator drugs.

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Varkony, Haim; Weinstein, Vera; Klinger, Ety; Sterling, Jeffrey; Cooperman, Helena; Komlosh, Turi; Ladkani, David; Schwartz, Rivka

2009-03-01

Glatiramer acetate (GA) is a complex heterogenous mixture of polypeptides with immunomodulatory activity approved for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. GA is the first, and was until recently, the only member of the glatiramoids, a family of synthetic copolymer mixtures comprising the four amino acids, L-glutamic acid, L-alanine, L-lysine and L-tyrosine, in a defined molar ratio. Another glatiramoid, protiramer, was recently evaluated in preclinical studies and in two small Phase II clinical trials with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients. Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of GA and other glatiramoids, the clinically active epitopes within the mixture cannot be identified and the consistency of polypeptide sequences within the mixture is dependent on a tightly controlled manufacturing process. Although no two glatiramoids can be proved identical, it is possible to differentiate among members of the glatiramoid class using analytical methods and immunological and biological markers. Even slight differences in the distribution of molecular masses or in the composition of antigenic polypeptide sequences among glatiramoids can significantly influence their efficacy, toxicity and immunogenicity profiles. Experience with GA may be instructive regarding important safety and efficacy considerations for new glatiramoid mixtures now in development.

Immunomodulating microRNAs of mycobacterial infections.

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Bettencourt, Paulo; Pires, David; Anes, Elsa

2016-03-01

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have emerged as key regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by sequence-specific binding to target mRNAs. Some microRNAs block translation, while others promote mRNA degradation, leading to a reduction in protein availability. A single miRNA can potentially regulate the expression of multiple genes and their encoded proteins. Therefore, miRNAs can influence molecular signalling pathways and regulate many biological processes in health and disease. Upon infection, host cells rapidly change their transcriptional programs, including miRNA expression, as a response against the invading microorganism. Not surprisingly, pathogens can also alter the host miRNA profile to their own benefit, which is of major importance to scientists addressing high morbidity and mortality infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. In this review, we present recent findings on the miRNAs regulation of the host response against mycobacterial infections, providing new insights into host-pathogen interactions. Understanding these findings and its implications could reveal new opportunities for designing better diagnostic tools, therapies and more effective vaccines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The lack of a big picture in tuberculosis: the clinical point of view, the problems of experimental modeling and immunomodulation. The factors we should consider when designing novel treatment strategies.

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Vilaplana, Cristina; Cardona, Pere-Joan

2014-01-01

This short review explores the large gap between clinical issues and basic science, and suggests why tuberculosis research should focus on redirect the immune system and not only on eradicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacillus. Along the manuscript, several concepts involved in human tuberculosis are explored in order to understand the big picture, including infection and disease dynamics, animal modeling, liquefaction, inflammation and immunomodulation. Scientists should take into account all these factors in order to answer questions with clinical relevance. Moreover, the inclusion of the concept of a strong inflammatory response being required in order to develop cavitary tuberculosis disease opens a new field for developing new therapeutic and prophylactic tools in which destruction of the bacilli may not necessarily be the final goal.

Mesenchymal stromal cells express GARP/LRRC32 on their surface: effects on their biology and immunomodulatory capacity.

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Carrillo-Galvez, Ana Belén; Cobo, Marién; Cuevas-Ocaña, Sara; Gutiérrez-Guerrero, Alejandra; Sánchez-Gilabert, Almudena; Bongarzone, Pierpaolo; García-Pérez, Angélica; Muñoz, Pilar; Benabdellah, Karim; Toscano, Miguel G; Martín, Francisco; Anderson, Per

2015-01-01

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) represent a promising tool for therapy in regenerative medicine, transplantation, and autoimmune disease due to their trophic and immunomodulatory activities. However, we are still far from understanding the mechanisms of action of MSCs in these processes. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in MSC migration, differentiation, and immunomodulation. Recently, glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP) was shown to bind latency-associated peptide (LAP)/TGF-β1 to the cell surface of activated Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and megakaryocytes/platelets. In this manuscript, we show that human and mouse MSCs express GARP which presents LAP/TGF-β1 on their cell surface. Silencing GARP expression in MSCs increased their secretion and activation of TGF-β1 and reduced their proliferative capacity in a TGF-β1-independent manner. Importantly, we showed that GARP expression on MSCs contributed to their ability to inhibit T-cell responses in vitro. In summary, we have found that GARP is an essential molecule for MSC biology, regulating their immunomodulatory and proliferative activities. We envision GARP as a new target for improving the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs and also as a novel MSC marker. © 2014 AlphaMed Press.

The enkephalinergic nervous system and its immunomodulation on the developing immune system during the ontogenesis of oyster Crassostrea gigas.

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Liu, Zhaoqun; Zhou, Zhi; Wang, Lingling; Song, Xiaorui; Chen, Hao; Wang, Weilin; Liu, Rui; Wang, Mengqiang; Wang, Hao; Song, Linsheng

2015-08-01

Enkephalinergic neuroendocrine-immune regulatory system is one of the most important neuroendocrine-immune systems in both vertebrates and invertebrates for its significant role in the immune regulation. In the present study, the early onset of enkephalinergic nervous system and its immunomodulation on the developing immune system during the ontogenesis of oyster Crassostrea gigas were investigated to illustrate the function of neural regulation on the innate immune system in oyster larvae. [Met(5)]-enkephalin (Met-ENK) was firstly observed on the marginal of the dorsal half of D-hinged larvae. Six immune-related molecules, including four PRRs (CgCTL-1, CgCTL-2, CgCTL-4, CgNatterin-3) and two immune effectors (CgTNF-1 and CgEcSOD) were detected in the early developmental stages of trochophore, D-hinged and umbo larvae of oyster. After incubated with [Met(5)]-enkephalin, the mRNA expression level of all the PRRs changed significantly (p immune effectors were up-regulated significantly at 3 h and 6 h in trochophore larvae (p system of oyster was firstly appeared in D-hinged larvae, while the primitive immune defense system existed in the region of prototroch in trochophore larvae and developed maturely after D-hinged larvae. The developing immune system could be regulated by the neurotransmitter [Met(5)]-enkephalin released by the neuroendocrine system in oyster C. gigas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concerted evolution rapidly eliminates sequence variation in rDNA coding regions but not in intergenic spacers in Nicotiana tabacum allotetraploid

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunerová Bedřichová, Jana; Renny-Byfield, S.; Matyášek, Roman; Leitch, A.; Kovařík, Aleš

2017-01-01

Roč. 303, č. 8 (2017), s. 1043-1060 ISSN 0378-2697 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-11642S; GA ČR(CZ) GC16-02149J Institutional support: RVO:68081707 Keywords : Concerted evolution * Immunomodulation * Neutrophils Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3) Impact factor: 1.239, year: 2016

[Common perilla (Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton.) as a perspective immunomodulator].

Science.gov (United States)

Ragazinskiene, Ona; Gailys, Virginijus; Jankauskiene, Konstancija; Simoniene, Genovaite; Jurkstiene, Vilma

2004-01-01

Common perilla (Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton) is a new perspective annual medicinal dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae Lindl.) plant in Lithuania. Its medicinal raw material and preparations produced of it are characterised by the variety of pharmacological effects: desensitizing, antimicrobial, anti tumorous, and antioxidative. This species was introduced from the East Asia and cultivated in many European, Asian, and North American countries. The common perilla has been cultivated in Lithuania as a decorative plant in parks and squares since 1990. This plant has been introduced in the collection and exposition of medicinal plants in Kaunas Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University since 1998 with the purpose to analyze biological and pharmacological properties of plants and to assess the quality and quantity of the raw herb. It would be reasonable to carry out experimental research on biological qualities and raw material of the common perilla in Lithuania in accordance with the contemporary technologies and requirements of the European Union standards.

Immunostimulatory Activity of the Cytokine-Based Biologic, IRX-2, on Human Papillomavirus-Exposed Langerhans Cells.

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Da Silva, Diane M; Woodham, Andrew W; Naylor, Paul H; Egan, James E; Berinstein, Neil L; Kast, W Martin

2016-05-01

Langerhans cells (LCs) are the antigen-presenting cells of the epithelial layer and are responsible for initiating immune responses against skin and mucosa-invading viruses. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-mediated suppression of LC function is a crucial mechanism of HPV immune evasion, which can lead to persistent infection and development of several human cancers, including cervical, anal, and head and neck cancers. The cell-derived cytokine-based biologic, IRX-2, consists of multiple well-defined cytokines and is broadly active on various immune cell subsets. In this study, we investigated primary human LC activation after exposure to HPV16, followed by treatment with IRX-2 in vitro, and evaluated their subsequent ability to induce HPV16-specific T cells. In contrast to its activity on dendritic cells, HPV16 alone is not sufficient to induce phenotypic and functional activation of LCs. However, IRX-2 induces a significant upregulation of antigen presentation and costimulatory molecules, T helper 1 (Th1)-associated cytokine release, and chemokine-directed migration of LCs pre-exposed to HPV16. Furthermore, LCs treated with IRX-2 after HPV16 exposure induced CD8(+) T-cell responses against specific HLA-A*0201-binding HPV16 T-cell epitopes. The present study suggests that IRX-2 is an attractive immunomodulator for assisting the immune response in eradication of HPV-infected cells, thereby potentially preventing HPV-induced cancers.

Bioactive polyurethane implants with hydroxyapatite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rozhnova, R.; Kebuladze, I.; Galatenko, N. [NAS Ukraine, Kiev (Ukraine). Dept. of Polymers of Medical Appointment

2001-07-01

Biologically active polyurethane compositions for plastic of bone defects that contain bioceramic - hydroxyapatite (HAP) and immunomodulator - levamisole (LEV) were designed. The influence of the biologically active fillers in structure polyurethane compositions on their physical and chemical properties in condition in vivo by method of Equilibrium Swelling, method of IR-spectroscopy, roentgen-structural analysis was studied. The introduce in structure of the biodegraded polymeric matrix of HAP is established to promote accumulation of the inorganic component of bone tissue in vivo which is being by basis of the bone formation in regenerating tissue. (orig.)

[Breast milk: its nutritional composition and functional properties].

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Tackoen, M

2012-09-01

Human milk is a complex biological fluid with thousands of components. The milk composition in the mammalian species is specific and adapted to the needs of the offspring. It contains macronutrients (proteins, lipids and carbohydrates), micronutrients (minerals and vitamins) and numerous biologically active substrates. Human milk not only covers the nutritional needs of the newborn but protects the baby against infection, inflammation and oxidative stress. It has immunomodulation properties and confers trophical protection to the intestinal mucosa. The newborn infant is particularly immature: innate immunity, adaptive immunity and intestinal immaturity. Human milk will offer this exogenous protective and immunomodulating source. The development of the composition of the intestinal microflora of the neonate will be impacted by pre- and probiotic components of human milk. Current scientific knowledge of human milk properties highlights interdependency of the different components, ontogeny of the intestinal function, development of the mucosal intestinal immune system, colonization by the intestinal microbiota and protection against pathogens. Quality of these interactions influences the newborn's short and long-term health status. The promotion of breastfeeding with the support of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) program and labeling has been shown to have positive impact in public health.

COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF IMMUNOMODULATING PROPERTIES OF C HITOSAN AND ITS DERIVATIVES

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L. A. Ivanushko

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. Comparative study was carried out, aiming to assess immunostimulatory properties of high-molecular chitosan (Ch-HM and its derivatives, i.e., low molecular weight chitosan (Ch-LM, N-3-hydroxymyristoyl (Ch-LM at a low acylation ratio, N-3-hydroxymyristoylchitooligosaccharides (N-acylchito-biose, -triose, -tetraose, N-, O-carboxyalkylchitosans (carboxymethyl, -ethyl, -propyl derivates. It was established, that the chemical modifications of chitosan influenced its biological activity. The derivatives of chitosan were found to have improved physical properties (good solubility in neutral and alkaline solutions, low viscosity in acidic solutions, good absorption from a gastrointestinal compartment, as compared with initial (high molecular weight chitosan formula. They possess immunomodulatory properties and may be regarded as promising substances for preparation of medical drugs and biologically active food additives (BAFA.

Creating biological nanomaterials using synthetic biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, MaryJoe K; Ruder, Warren C

2014-01-01

Synthetic biology is a new discipline that combines science and engineering approaches to precisely control biological networks. These signaling networks are especially important in fields such as biomedicine and biochemical engineering. Additionally, biological networks can also be critical to the production of naturally occurring biological nanomaterials, and as a result, synthetic biology holds tremendous potential in creating new materials. This review introduces the field of synthetic biology, discusses how biological systems naturally produce materials, and then presents examples and strategies for incorporating synthetic biology approaches in the development of new materials. In particular, strategies for using synthetic biology to produce both organic and inorganic nanomaterials are discussed. Ultimately, synthetic biology holds the potential to dramatically impact biological materials science with significant potential applications in medical systems. (review)

Creating biological nanomaterials using synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, MaryJoe K; Ruder, Warren C

2014-02-01

Synthetic biology is a new discipline that combines science and engineering approaches to precisely control biological networks. These signaling networks are especially important in fields such as biomedicine and biochemical engineering. Additionally, biological networks can also be critical to the production of naturally occurring biological nanomaterials, and as a result, synthetic biology holds tremendous potential in creating new materials. This review introduces the field of synthetic biology, discusses how biological systems naturally produce materials, and then presents examples and strategies for incorporating synthetic biology approaches in the development of new materials. In particular, strategies for using synthetic biology to produce both organic and inorganic nanomaterials are discussed. Ultimately, synthetic biology holds the potential to dramatically impact biological materials science with significant potential applications in medical systems.

Effect of botanical immunomodulators on human CYP3A4 inhibition: implications for concurrent use as adjuvants in cancer therapy.

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Patil, Dada; Gautam, Manish; Gairola, Sunil; Jadhav, Suresh; Patwardhan, Bhushan

2014-03-01

Many botanical immunomodulators are used as adjuvants along with cancer chemotherapy. However, information on the impact of concurrent administration of such botanicals on pharmacokinetics of chemotherapy agents is inadequate. This study investigates inhibitory activities of 3 popular botanical adjuvants: ASPARAGUS RACEMOSU: (root aqueous extract; ARE), WITHANIA SOMNIFER: (root aqueous extract; WSE), and TINOSPORA CORDIFOLI: (stem aqueous extract, TCE) on human CYP3A4 isoenzyme, responsible for metabolism of several chemotherapy agents. . Testosterone 6-β hydroxylation was monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography as an indicator of CYP3A4 catalytic activities. Ketoconazole (positive control) and extracts were studied at their in vivo-relevant concentrations. TCE showed mild inhibition while no significant inhibitory activities were observed in WSE and ARE. TCE was further fractionated to obtain polar and nonpolar fractions. The nonpolar fraction showed significant CYP3A4 inhibition with IC50 13.06 ± 1.38 µg/mL. Major constituents of nonpolar fraction were identified using HPLC-DAD-MS profiling as berberine, jatrorrhizine, and palmatine, which showed IC50 values as 6.25 ± 0.30, 15.18 ± 1.59, and 15.53 ± 1.89 µg/mL, respectively. Our findings suggest that constituents of TCE extract especially protoberberine alkaloids have the potential to interact with cancer chemotherapy agents that are metabolized by CYP3A4 in vivo.

[The immunology of cholera and the molecular biology of cholera toxin. Recent progress and future perspectives].

Science.gov (United States)

Carrada-Bravo, T

1994-01-01

Vibrio cholerae has recently called the attention of researchers due to its strong immunogenicity and also because it serves as coadjunct immunomodulator of the immune response of the intestinal mucosae for the mixed added antigens as well as for those covalently linked to the toxin. The immunopathogeny of cholera is a complex phenomenon. This article presents the preliminary results of experiments conducted with laboratory rats in order to find the IgA intestinal response of rodents and humans.

Endometrial IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha, mRNA expression in mares resistant or susceptible to post-breeding endometritis. Effects of estrous cycle, artificial insemination and immunomodulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fumuso, Elida; Giguère, Steeve; Wade, José; Rogan, Dragan; Videla-Dorna, Ignacio; Bowden, Raúl A

2003-11-15

Endometrial mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) was assessed in mares resistant (RM) or susceptible (SM) to persistent post-breeding endometritis (PPBE). Eight RM and eight SM, were selected based on reproductive records and functional tests out of a herd of 2,000 light cross-type mares. Three experiments were done to study transcription patterns in (i) basal conditions; (ii) after artificial insemination (AI); and (iii) after administration of an immunomodulator at time of artificial insemination. Endometrial biopsies were taken during consecutive cycles: (i) at estrus, when follicles reached 35 mm and at diestrus (7 +/- 1 days after ovulation); (ii) at 24 h post-AI, with dead semen (estrus) and in diestrus; (iii) at 24 h after treatment with a Mycobacterium phlei cell-wall extract (MCWE) preparation and AI (with dead semen), and at diestrus. mRNA expression was quantitated by real time PCR. Under basal conditions, SM had significantly higher mRNA expression of all cytokines in estrus and of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in diestrus, compared to RM. After AI, there were no differences between RM and SM in estrus; however, mRNA expression for all three pro-inflammatory cytokines was higher than under basal conditions. In diestrus, RM showed significantly lower IL-1beta and TNF-alpha mRNA expression than SM. When MCWE was administered at time of AI, no differences between cytokine induction from RM and SM were found. Globally, mRNA expression for all three cytokines correlated well among themselves when expression was high. The present study showed that (i) in basal conditions RM had lower mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines than SM with no effect of estrous cycle; (ii) AI upregulated mRNA expression for all three cytokines in both RM and SM, with persistance in diestrus in the latter; (iii) treatment with MCWE at time of AI down-regulated mRNA expression

The role of Nicotiana gluca Graham (paraguayan herbs as an adjuvant in immunomodulation of Newcastle disease vaccine for broilers Estudo da ação de Nicotiana glauca Graham (erva paraguaia como coadjuvante em vacina contra a doença de Newcastle em frangos de corte

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabiane Pereira Gentilini

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The Nicotiana glauca is a native plant species from Argentina, but found all over South América, being used against headaches, rheumatism, injuries, ulcers, and so on. Researchers have considered it as having immunomodulation effect. This study was conducted to investigate the use of a aqueous extract of Nicotiana glauca Graham as an immunomodulator (adjuvant of a Newcastle disease vaccine.. A total of 56 broilers were distributed into 4 experimental groups. Each one of them received 3 dosages of this vaccine with or without the addition of different concentrations of the extract Using hemmoaglutination inhibition techniques , the results have shown differences (P<0.05 in the third sera collection. An increase in the antibody titer with the inclusion of 5 mg/dosage of the extract (Treatment 3 as compared to 1 mg/dosage (Treatment 2 and 10 mg/dosage of the extract (Treatment 4 was observed, However, birds from Treatment 3 did not differ (P> 0.05 from Treatment 1. These results indicated that further investigations are required, including the use of cytotoxicity tests in vitro, to evaluate the immunomodulation effect of this extract.

KEY WORDS: Immunomodulation effect, Nicotiana glauca Graham, vaccine.

Las β-(1®3-glucanas: moléculas inmunomoduladoras contaminantes de productos farmacéuticos β-(1®3-glucans as immunomodulating moléculas polluting pharmaceuticals

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Zenia Pardo Ruiz

2012-03-01

of the available information, the main aspects related to this topic were analyzed and shown in this paper. b-(1®3-glucans are glucose-derived polymers found mainly in the cellular wall of fungi, yeasts and plants. They are considered pathogens-associated molecular patterns that are ecognized by several receptors, being dectin-1 the key recognition receptor of these structures. Some authors have underlined their Immunomodulating properties. It has been demonstrated that they synergize and potentate the actions of Toll-like receptor ligands on the release of proinflammatory cytokines, though b-(1®3-glucans have shown an antinflamatory profile which greatly depends on their structural characteristics. b-(1®3-glucans are important pollutants stemming from cellulose depth filters used in clarification process of parenteral blood derivatives. For this reason, it is necessary to study the consequences of their presence in parenterals. This review summarized the main aspects related with the recognition and biological activities of b-(1®3-glucans as well as it delved into studies on their presence in blood derivatives as main pollutant. Finally, the paper underlined the role of Monnocyte Activation Test to detect b-(1®3-glucans in parenterals.

Endogenous and exogenously-induced immunomodulation of tumour-host responsiveness

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Richard J. Ablin

1987-01-01

Full Text Available In spite of the availability of multiple effector mechanisms of the immune system to combat tumour growth and metastases, their impairment frequently accompanies the appearance of cancer. Factors contributing to this impairment may be related to properties of the host and/or the tumour itself and may be with respect to their origin -endogenous or exogenour. Based on the unique biological behavior of prostate cancer (PCa, and its apparent escape from immune surveillance in the presence of tumour immuno genicity, continuing investigation of endogenous and exogenous factors thought to be relevant to its pathogenesis have been made. For this purpose further studies of the suggested role of human seminal plasma (SePl and the synthetic oestrogen, diethylstiboestrol (DES, as representative endogenous and exogenous immunomodulatory factors (IMF of tumour-host responsiveness, together with evaluation of human prostatic tissue extracts and leuprolide (the luteinizing-hormone-releasing-hormone proposed as an alternate to DES therapy have been made by evaluating their effect on the lytic activity of natural killer (NK cells. SePl and prostate extracts significantly suppressed NK cell lysis. Physicochemical studies suggest SePl and prostate IMF to be associated with high and low molecular weight macromolecules; and implicate the participation of transglutaminase and prostaglandins. Comparative study of therapeutic levels of DES vs. leuprolide on NK cell lysis demonstrated significant suppression by DES vs. a negligible effect of leuprolide. Metastases are highly prevalent in PCa, and contribute significantly to its morbidity and mortality. Further knowledge of the range of effects of endogenous and exogenous IMF on effector mechanisms of tumour-host responsiveness, to include suppression of NK cells, and elucidation of their nature, may contribute toward our understanding of the unique biological behavior of tumours of the prostate, in addition to

Is synthetic biology mechanical biology?

Science.gov (United States)

Holm, Sune

2015-12-01

A widespread and influential characterization of synthetic biology emphasizes that synthetic biology is the application of engineering principles to living systems. Furthermore, there is a strong tendency to express the engineering approach to organisms in terms of what seems to be an ontological claim: organisms are machines. In the paper I investigate the ontological and heuristic significance of the machine analogy in synthetic biology. I argue that the use of the machine analogy and the aim of producing rationally designed organisms does not necessarily imply a commitment to mechanical biology. The ideal of applying engineering principles to biology is best understood as expressing recognition of the machine-unlikeness of natural organisms and the limits of human cognition. The paper suggests an interpretation of the identification of organisms with machines in synthetic biology according to which it expresses a strategy for representing, understanding, and constructing living systems that are more machine-like than natural organisms.

Review on medicinal uses, pharmacological, phytochemistry and immunomodulatory activity of plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Akram, M; Hamid, A; Khalil, A; Ghaffar, A; Tayyaba, N; Saeed, A; Ali, M; Naveed, A

2014-01-01

Since ancient times, plants have been an exemplary source of medicine. Researchers have discovered some important compounds from plants. The present work constitutes a review of the medicinal plants whose immunomodulant activity has been proven. We performed PUBMED, EMBASE, Google scholar searches for research papers of medicinal plants having immunomodulant activity. Medicinal plants used by traditional physicians or reported as having immunomodulant activity include Acacia concocinna, Camellia sinensis, Lawsonia inermis Linn, Piper longum Linn, Gelidium amansii, Petroselinum crispum, Plantago major and Allium sativum. Immunomodulant activities of some of these medicinal plants have been investigated. The medicinal plants documented have immunomodulant activity and should be further investigated via clinical trial.

Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties of the herbal preparation indicated for prevention and treatment of alopecia

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Galkin AY

2013-10-01

exhibited moderate anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties. It is promising for the prevention and treatment of alopecia.Keywords: herbal preparation, Arctium lappa, Sophora japonica, Acorus calamus, Urtica dioica, Humulus lupulus

AB toxins: a paradigm switch from deadly to desirable.

Science.gov (United States)

Odumosu, Oludare; Nicholas, Dequina; Yano, Hiroshi; Langridge, William

2010-07-01

To ensure their survival, a number of bacterial and plant species have evolved a common strategy to capture energy from other biological systems. Being imperfect pathogens, organisms synthesizing multi-subunit AB toxins are responsible for the mortality of millions of people and animals annually. Vaccination against these organisms and their toxins has proved rather ineffective in providing long-term protection from disease. In response to the debilitating effects of AB toxins on epithelial cells of the digestive mucosa, mechanisms underlying toxin immunomodulation of immune responses have become the focus of increasing experimentation. The results of these studies reveal that AB toxins may have a beneficial application as adjuvants for the enhancement of immune protection against infection and autoimmunity. Here, we examine similarities and differences in the structure and function of bacterial and plant AB toxins that underlie their toxicity and their exceptional properties as immunomodulators for stimulating immune responses against infectious disease and for immune suppression of organ-specific autoimmunity.

AB Toxins: A Paradigm Switch from Deadly to Desirable

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Oludare Odumosu

2010-06-01

Full Text Available To ensure their survival, a number of bacterial and plant species have evolved a common strategy to capture energy from other biological systems. Being imperfect pathogens, organisms synthesizing multi-subunit AB toxins are responsible for the mortality of millions of people and animals annually. Vaccination against these organisms and their toxins has proved rather ineffective in providing long-term protection from disease. In response to the debilitating effects of AB toxins on epithelial cells of the digestive mucosa, mechanisms underlying toxin immunomodulation of immune responses have become the focus of increasing experimentation. The results of these studies reveal that AB toxins may have a beneficial application as adjuvants for the enhancement of immune protection against infection and autoimmunity. Here, we examine similarities and differences in the structure and function of bacterial and plant AB toxins that underlie their toxicity and their exceptional properties as immunomodulators for stimulating immune responses against infectious disease and for immune suppression of organ-specific autoimmunity.

Drug-like analogues of the parasitic worm-derived immunomodulator ES-62 are therapeutic in the MRL/Lpr model of systemic lupus erythematosus

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, D T; Pineda, M A; Suckling, C J; Harnett, W

2015-01-01

Introduction ES-62, a phosphorylcholine (PC)-containing immunomodulator secreted by the parasitic worm Acanthocheilonema viteae, protects against nephritis in the MRL/Lpr mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, ES-62 is not suitable for development as a therapy and thus we have designed drug-like small molecule analogues (SMAs) based around its active PC-moiety. To provide proof of concept that ES-62-based SMAs exhibit therapeutic potential in SLE, we have investigated the capacity of two SMAs to protect against nephritis when administered to MRL/Lpr mice after onset of kidney damage. Methods SMAs 11a and 12b were evaluated for their ability to suppress antinuclear antibody (ANA) generation and consequent kidney pathology in MRL/Lpr mice when administered after the onset of proteinuria. Results SMAs 11a and 12b suppressed development of ANA and proteinuria. Protection reflected downregulation of MyD88 expression by kidney cells and this was associated with reduced production of IL-6, a cytokine that exhibits promise as a therapeutic target for this condition. Conclusions SMAs 11a and 12b provide proof of principle that synthetic compounds based on the safe immunomodulatory mechanisms of parasitic worms can exhibit therapeutic potential as a novel class of drugs for SLE, a disease for which current therapies remain inadequate. PMID:26085597

Cupping regulates local immunomodulation to activate neural-endocrine-immune worknet.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yang; Chen, Bo; Wang, Dong-Qiang; Li, Ming-Yue; Lim, Calista Hui-Min; Guo, Yi; Chen, Zelin

2017-08-01

Research on cupping therapy is lacking at home and abroad. However, cupping and acupuncture therapy are both surface stimulation therapies. This paper suggests the mechanism of cupping therapy and proposes that the same mechanism underlies both cupping and acupuncture therapy. The microenvironment is changed when stimulating the surface of the skin, and physical signals transform into biological signals, which also interact with each other in the body. These signalling cascades activate the neuroendocrine-immune system, which produces the therapeutic effect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental biology, the stem cell of biological disciplines.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Scott F

2017-12-01

Developmental biology (including embryology) is proposed as "the stem cell of biological disciplines." Genetics, cell biology, oncology, immunology, evolutionary mechanisms, neurobiology, and systems biology each has its ancestry in developmental biology. Moreover, developmental biology continues to roll on, budding off more disciplines, while retaining its own identity. While its descendant disciplines differentiate into sciences with a restricted set of paradigms, examples, and techniques, developmental biology remains vigorous, pluripotent, and relatively undifferentiated. In many disciplines, especially in evolutionary biology and oncology, the developmental perspective is being reasserted as an important research program.

Relations between Intuitive Biological Thinking and Biological Misconceptions in Biology Majors and Nonmajors

Science.gov (United States)

Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly

2015-01-01

Research and theory development in cognitive psychology and science education research remain largely isolated. Biology education researchers have documented persistent scientifically inaccurate ideas, often termed misconceptions, among biology students across biological domains. In parallel, cognitive and developmental psychologists have described intuitive conceptual systems—teleological, essentialist, and anthropocentric thinking—that humans use to reason about biology. We hypothesize that seemingly unrelated biological misconceptions may have common origins in these intuitive ways of knowing, termed cognitive construals. We presented 137 undergraduate biology majors and nonmajors with six biological misconceptions. They indicated their agreement with each statement, and explained their rationale for their response. Results indicate frequent agreement with misconceptions, and frequent use of construal-based reasoning among both biology majors and nonmajors in their written explanations. Moreover, results also show associations between specific construals and the misconceptions hypothesized to arise from those construals. Strikingly, such associations were stronger among biology majors than nonmajors. These results demonstrate important linkages between intuitive ways of thinking and misconceptions in discipline-based reasoning, and raise questions about the origins, persistence, and generality of relations between intuitive reasoning and biological misconceptions. PMID:25713093

A Brief Introduction to Chinese Biological Biological

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2005-01-01

Chinese Biological Abstracts sponsored by the Library, the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, the Biological Documentation and Information Network, all of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commenced publication in 1987 and was initiated to provide access to the Chinese information in the field of biology.

Release of Periplasmic Nucleotidase Induced by Human Antimicrobial Peptide in E. coli Causes Accumulation of the Immunomodulator Adenosine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreia Bergamo Estrela

Full Text Available Previous work by our group described that human β-defensin-2 induces accumulation of extracellular adenosine (Ado in E. coli cultures through a non-lytic mechanism causing severe plasmolysis. Here, we investigate the presence of AMP as a direct precursor and the involvement of a bacterial enzyme in the generation of extracellular Ado by treated bacteria. Following hBD-2 treatment, metabolites were quantified in the supernatants using targeted HPLC-MS/MS analysis. Microbial growth was monitored by optical density and cell viability was determined by colony forming units counts. Phosphatase activity was measured using chromogenic substrate pNPP. The results demonstrate that defensin-treated E. coli strain W releases AMP in the extracellular space, where it is converted to Ado by a bacterial soluble factor. An increase in phosphatase activity in the supernatant was observed after peptide treatment, similar to the effect of sucrose-induced osmotic stress, suggesting that the periplasmic 5'nucleotidase (5'-NT is released following the plasmolysis event triggered by the peptide. Ado accumulation was enhanced in the presence of Co2+ ion and inhibited by EDTA, further supporting the involvement of a metallo-phosphatase such as 5'-NT in extracellular AMP conversion into Ado. The comparative analysis of hBD-induced Ado accumulation in different E. coli strains and in Pseudomonas aeruginosa revealed that the response is not correlated to the peptide's effect on cell viability, but indicates it might be dependent on the subcellular distribution of the nucleotidase. Taken together, these data shed light on a yet undescribed mechanism of host-microbial interaction: a human antimicrobial peptide inducing selective release of a bacterial enzyme (E. coli 5'-NT, leading to the formation of a potent immunomodulator metabolite (Ado.

Relations between intuitive biological thinking and biological misconceptions in biology majors and nonmajors.

Science.gov (United States)

Coley, John D; Tanner, Kimberly

2015-03-02

Research and theory development in cognitive psychology and science education research remain largely isolated. Biology education researchers have documented persistent scientifically inaccurate ideas, often termed misconceptions, among biology students across biological domains. In parallel, cognitive and developmental psychologists have described intuitive conceptual systems--teleological, essentialist, and anthropocentric thinking--that humans use to reason about biology. We hypothesize that seemingly unrelated biological misconceptions may have common origins in these intuitive ways of knowing, termed cognitive construals. We presented 137 undergraduate biology majors and nonmajors with six biological misconceptions. They indicated their agreement with each statement, and explained their rationale for their response. Results indicate frequent agreement with misconceptions, and frequent use of construal-based reasoning among both biology majors and nonmajors in their written explanations. Moreover, results also show associations between specific construals and the misconceptions hypothesized to arise from those construals. Strikingly, such associations were stronger among biology majors than nonmajors. These results demonstrate important linkages between intuitive ways of thinking and misconceptions in discipline-based reasoning, and raise questions about the origins, persistence, and generality of relations between intuitive reasoning and biological misconceptions. © 2015 J. D. Coley and K. Tanner. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Efficacy of a Parapoxvirus ovis-based immunomodulator against equine herpesvirus type 1 and Streptococcus equi equi infections in horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ons, Ellen; Van Brussel, Leen; Lane, Stephen; King, Vickie; Cullinane, Ann; Kenna, Rachel; Lyons, Pamela; Hammond, Toni-Ann; Salt, Jeremy; Raue, Rudiger

2014-10-10

The efficacy of Zylexis®, an immunomodulator in horses based on inactivated Parapoxvirus ovis (iPPVO), was assessed using an equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) challenge model in the presence of a natural infection with Streptococcus equi equi (S. equi). Eleven horses were treated with iPPVO and twelve were kept as controls. Six horses were challenged with EHV-1 and commingled with the horses on study. Animals were dosed on Days -2, 0 (just before commingling) and Day 7. On Day 11 significantly less nasal discharge, enlarged lymph nodes, EHV-1 shedding and lower rectal temperatures were observed in the iPPVO-treated group. In addition, iPPVO-treated horses showed significantly fewer enlarged lymph nodes on Days 17 and 19, significantly less lower jaw swelling on Day 3 and significantly lower rectal temperatures on Days 12 and 13. Dyspnoea, depression and anorexia were only recorded for the control group. Following challenge seven out of 11 horses in the iPPVO treated group shed EHV-1 but on Days 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 quantitative virus detection in this group was significantly lower as compared to the controls. All animals shed S. equi but the percentage of animals with positive bacterial detection was lower in the iPPVO group than in the control group from Day 14 through Day 28. This difference was significant on Day 24. No injection site reactions or adverse events were observed. In conclusion, Zylexis administration is safe and reduced clinical signs and shedding related to both EHV-1 and S. equi infections. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developmental biology, the stem cell of biological disciplines

OpenAIRE

Gilbert, Scott F.

2017-01-01

Developmental biology (including embryology) is proposed as "the stem cell of biological disciplines.” Genetics, cell biology, oncology, immunology, evolutionary mechanisms, neurobiology, and systems biology each has its ancestry in developmental biology. Moreover, developmental biology continues to roll on, budding off more disciplines, while retaining its own identity. While its descendant disciplines differentiate into sciences with a restricted set of paradigms, examples, and techniques, ...

MVA and NYVAC as vaccines against emergent infectious diseases and cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Carmen E; Nájera, José L; Krupa, Magdalena; Perdiguero, Beatriz; Esteban, Mariano

2011-06-01

Recombinants based on poxviruses have been used extensively as gene delivery systems to study many biological functions of foreign genes and as vaccines against many pathogens, particularly in the veterinary field. Based on safety record, efficient expression and ability to trigger specific immune responses, two of the most promising poxvirus vectors for human use are the attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) and the Copenhagen derived NYVAC strains. Because of the scientific and clinical interest in these two vectors, here we review their biological characteristics, with emphasis on virus-host cell interactions, viral immunomodulators, gene expression profiling, virus distribution in animals, and application as vaccines against different pathogens and tumors.

Precision Medicine and PET/Computed Tomography in Melanoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Mena, Esther; Sanli, Yasemin; Marcus, Charles; Subramaniam, Rathan M

2017-10-01

Recent advances in genomic profiling and sequencing of melanoma have provided new insights into the development of the basis for molecular biology to more accurately subgroup patients with melanoma. The development of novel mutation-targeted and immunomodulation therapy as a major component of precision oncology has revolutionized the management and outcome of patients with metastatic melanoma. PET imaging plays an important role in noninvasively assessing the tumor biological behavior, to guide individualized treatment and assess response to therapy. This review summarizes the recent genomic discoveries in melanoma in the era of targeted therapy and their implications for functional PET imaging. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The role of mouse mesenchymal stem cells in differentiation of naive T-cells into anti-inflammatory regulatory T-cell or proinflammatory helper T-Cell 17 population

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Svobodová, Eliška; Krulová, Magdalena; Zajícová, Alena; Pokorná, Kateřina; Procházková, Jana; Trošan, Peter; Holáň, Vladimír

2012-01-01

Roč. 21, č. 6 (2012), s. 901-910 ISSN 1547-3287 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN200520804; GA MŠk 1M0506; GA ČR GAP304/11/0653; GA ČR GD310/08/H077; GA ČR(CZ) GAP301/11/1568 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : mesenchymal stem cells * immunomodulation * T-cell development Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.670, year: 2012

Pembangunan Kebun Biologi Wamena*[establishment of Wamena Biological Gardens

OpenAIRE

Rahmansyah, M; Latupapua, HJD

2003-01-01

The richness of biological resources (biodiversity) in mountainous area of Papua is an asset that has to be preserved.Exploitation of natural resources often cause damage on those biological assets and as genetic resources.Care has to be taken to overcome the situation of biological degradation, and alternate steps had been shaped on ex-situ biological conservation. Wamena Biological Gardens, as an ex-situ biological conservation, has been established to keep the high mountain biological and ...

Evaluation of follow-up of therapy with fenbendazole incorporated into stabilized liposomes and immunomodulator glucan in mice infected with Toxocara canis larvae.

Science.gov (United States)

Hrckova, G; Velebný, S; Obwaller, A; Auer, H; Kogan, G

2007-01-01

Anthelmintic activity of benzimidazole carbamate anthelmintics is low against dormant Toxocara canis larvae during late infections in paratenic hosts. The present study was conducted to examine the efficacy of pure fenbendazole, or drug incorporated into sterically stabilized liposomes (SL-FBZ) administered to T. canis-infected mice alone and after its co-administration with the immunomodulator (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan against larvae localized in muscles and brains. Therapy with either drug forms (in total 250 mg/kg in 10 doses) commenced on day 28 post-infection (p.i.) and the efficacy of treatment, examined on day 30 after the last dose of drug, was the highest in groups of mice treated with SL-FBZ in combination with glucan (89.5+/-5.8% in the muscles, 66.1+/-8.1% in brains). During 56 days of follow-up after termination of therapy, serum levels of anti-TES IgG antibodies, circulating IgG-TES immune complexes (CIC) as well as IgG antibodies to the most immunogenic part of recombinant myosin antigen of T. canis larvae were investigated. In contrast to anti-TES IgG antibodies, levels of CIC and anti-myosin antibodies were in the linear correlation with the efficacy of treatments beginning from day 38 post-therapy. We also showed that the serum levels of CIC as well as anti-myosin IgG antibodies seem to be the suitable serological markers for the monitoring of progress in larval destruction and TES resorption from the tissues.

Development trend of radiation biology research-systems radiation biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min Rui

2010-01-01

Radiation biology research has past 80 years. We have known much more about fundamentals, processes and results of biology effects induced by radiation and various factors that influence biology effects wide and deep, however many old and new scientific problems occurring in the field of radiation biology research remain to be illustrated. To explore and figure these scientific problems need systemic concept, methods and multi dimension view on the base of considerations of complexity of biology system, diversity of biology response, temporal and spatial process of biological effects during occurrence, and complex feed back network of biological regulations. (authors)

Relations between Intuitive Biological Thinking and Biological Misconceptions in Biology Majors and Nonmajors

Science.gov (United States)

Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly

2015-01-01

Research and theory development in cognitive psychology and science education research remain largely isolated. Biology education researchers have documented persistent scientifically inaccurate ideas, often termed "misconceptions," among biology students across biological domains. In parallel, cognitive and developmental psychologists…

Synthetic Biology: Putting Synthesis into Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Jing; Luo, Yunzi; Zhao, Huimin

2010-01-01

The ability to manipulate living organisms is at the heart of a range of emerging technologies that serve to address important and current problems in environment, energy, and health. However, with all its complexity and interconnectivity, biology has for many years been recalcitrant to engineering manipulations. The recent advances in synthesis, analysis, and modeling methods have finally provided the tools necessary to manipulate living systems in meaningful ways, and have led to the coining of a field named synthetic biology. The scope of synthetic biology is as complicated as life itself – encompassing many branches of science, and across many scales of application. New DNA synthesis and assembly techniques have made routine the customization of very large DNA molecules. This in turn has allowed the incorporation of multiple genes and pathways. By coupling these with techniques that allow for the modeling and design of protein functions, scientists have now gained the tools to create completely novel biological machineries. Even the ultimate biological machinery – a self-replicating organism – is being pursued at this moment. It is the purpose of this review to dissect and organize these various components of synthetic biology into a coherent picture. PMID:21064036

Problems of radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minkova, M.

1991-01-01

A brief review is presented on the dose-dependent radiation injuries and possibilities of the classical chemical radioprotectors. Data are given on different substances of biological origin, including some natural for the body admixtures with a confirmed radioprotective action: biogenic amines (serotonin, mexamine), adenylic nucleotides, amino acids, polyamines, immunomodulators (bacterial endotoxines), prostaglandins, leucotrienes, antioxidants, vitamines (A, E, B 2 , B 6 , P, biotin, flavenoids), natural fats, plant oils and unsaturated fat acids, extracts from green seaweeds and adaptogens. 81 refs

Problems of radiation protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minkova, M [Meditsinska Akademiya, Sofia (Bulgaria). Nauchen Inst. po Rentgenologiya i Radiobiologiya

1991-01-01

A brief review is presented on the dose-dependent radiation injuries and possibilities of the classical chemical radioprotectors. Data are given on different substances of biological origin, including some natural for the body admixtures with a confirmed radioprotective action: biogenic amines (serotonin, mexamine), adenylic nucleotides, amino acids, polyamines, immunomodulators (bacterial endotoxines), prostaglandins, leucotrienes, antioxidants, vitamines (A, E, B{sub 2}, B{sub 6}, P, biotin, flavenoids), natural fats, plant oils and unsaturated fat acids, extracts from green seaweeds and adaptogens. 81 refs.

7th Annual Systems Biology Symposium: Systems Biology and Engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galitski, Timothy P.

2008-04-01

Systems biology recognizes the complex multi-scale organization of biological systems, from molecules to ecosystems. The International Symposium on Systems Biology has been hosted by the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, Washington, since 2002. The annual two-day event gathers the most influential researchers transforming biology into an integrative discipline investingating complex systems. Engineering and application of new technology is a central element of systems biology. Genome-scale, or very small-scale, biological questions drive the enigneering of new technologies, which enable new modes of experimentation and computational analysis, leading to new biological insights and questions. Concepts and analytical methods in engineering are now finding direct applications in biology. Therefore, the 2008 Symposium, funded in partnership with the Department of Energy, featured global leaders in "Systems Biology and Engineering."

The Promises of Biology and the Biology of Promises

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lee, Jieun

2015-01-01

commitments with differently imagined futures. I argue that promises are constitutive of the stem cell biology, rather than being derivative of it. Since the biological concept of stem cells is predicated on the future that they promise, the biological life of stem cells is inextricably intertwined...... patients’ bodies in anticipation of materializing the promises of stem cell biology, they are produced as a new form of biovaluable. The promises of biology move beyond the closed circuit of scientific knowledge production, and proliferate in the speculative marketplaces of promises. Part II looks at how...... of technologized biology and biological time can appear promising with the backdrop of the imagined intransigence of social, political, and economic order in the Korean society....

Building biological foundries for next-generation synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Ran; Yuan, YongBo; Zhao, HuiMin

2015-07-01

Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary field that takes top-down approaches to understand and engineer biological systems through design-build-test cycles. A number of advances in this relatively young field have greatly accelerated such engineering cycles. Specifically, various innovative tools were developed for in silico biosystems design, DNA de novo synthesis and assembly, construct verification, as well as metabolite analysis, which have laid a solid foundation for building biological foundries for rapid prototyping of improved or novel biosystems. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art technologies for synthetic biology and discusses the challenges to establish such biological foundries.

Marine molecular biology: an emerging field of biological sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Thakur, Narsinh L; Jain, Roopesh; Natalio, Filipe; Hamer, Bojan; Thakur, Archana N; Müller, Werner E G

2008-01-01

An appreciation of the potential applications of molecular biology is of growing importance in many areas of life sciences, including marine biology. During the past two decades, the development of sophisticated molecular technologies and instruments for biomedical research has resulted in significant advances in the biological sciences. However, the value of molecular techniques for addressing problems in marine biology has only recently begun to be cherished. It has been proven that the exploitation of molecular biological techniques will allow difficult research questions about marine organisms and ocean processes to be addressed. Marine molecular biology is a discipline, which strives to define and solve the problems regarding the sustainable exploration of marine life for human health and welfare, through the cooperation between scientists working in marine biology, molecular biology, microbiology and chemistry disciplines. Several success stories of the applications of molecular techniques in the field of marine biology are guiding further research in this area. In this review different molecular techniques are discussed, which have application in marine microbiology, marine invertebrate biology, marine ecology, marine natural products, material sciences, fisheries, conservation and bio-invasion etc. In summary, if marine biologists and molecular biologists continue to work towards strong partnership during the next decade and recognize intellectual and technological advantages and benefits of such partnership, an exciting new frontier of marine molecular biology will emerge in the future.

STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF COMPLEX TREATMENT USING IMMUNOMODULATORS ON THE STATE OF LOCAL IMMUNITY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC GENERALIZED PERIODONTITIS I-II SEVERITY ON ENTEROBIASIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Savel’eva NN

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Due to the high prevalence of chronic generalized periodontitis there is a need for a broader analysis of the causes and development of diseases, as well as the search for effective treatments for etiopathogenetical. The aim of this work was to study the effect of newly developed therapy on local immunity in patients CGP I and II severity with enterobiasis. Material & methods. The main group consisted of 32 people with СGP I degree and 60 people with СGP II severity who were treated according to our scheme. The control group consisted of 30 people with СGP I degree and 58 people with СGP II severity, treated with conventional treatment. The control group consisted of 30 people without periodontal disease and chronic diseases of other systems. All patients were studied the main group and the comparison group conducted a basic local therapeutic treatment of periodontal disease, including professional oral hygiene, temporary splinting of teeth, selective prishlifovyvanie teeth. For medical treatment of periodontal tissues using 0.05% - 0.2% solution of chlorhexidine bigluconate. Further treatment of patients of the main group carried out in 2 stages. At the first stage the main group received: irrigation and instillation of periodontal tissue in periodontal pockets antiseptic preparation "Dekasan" application keratoplastic drug "Katomas". Systemically administered drug tonic "Sage oil" probiotic "Kvertulin" immunomodulator "Erbisol". In the second phase, patients received: applications on the gums periodontal gel "Lizomukoid" systemically complex preparation "Оil extract from pumpkin seeds." All patients of the main group used toothpaste "Lacalut flora" and rinse "grapefruit". In the comparison group, patients received applications in periodontal pockets (drug Dalatsin C application to the gums (keratoplastic drug Aekol system - a probiotic Linex, immunomodulator "Echinacea compositum С". All patients with the comparison group

Study of new ways of supplementary and combinatory therapy of rheumatoid arthritis with immunomodulators. Glucomannan and Imunoglukán in adjuvant arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauerová, K; Paulovicová, E; Mihalová, D; Svík, K; Ponist, S

2009-01-01

We studied the anti-arthritic activity of glucomannan (GM) isolated from Candida utilis and of Imunoglukán, a beta-(1,3/1,6)-D-glucan (IMG) isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus. Adjuvant arthritis (AA) was induced intradermally by the injection of Mycobacterium butyricum in incomplete Freund's adjuvant to Lewis rats. Blood for biochemical and immunological analysis was collected on experimental days 1, 14, 21, and 28. A clinical parameter--hind paw volume (HPV)--was also measured. The detection of IL-1 alpha, IL-4, TNF alpha, and MCP-1 was done by immunoflowcytometry. On day 28--the end of the experiment--we determined spectrophotometrically: the total anti-oxidant status (TAS) of plasma samples along with thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS) levels in plasma and we assessed the activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in hind paw joint homogenate. The experiments included healthy animals, arthritic animals without treatment, and arthritic animals with administration of glucomannan (GM-AA) in the oral daily dose of 15 mg/kg b.w. and of IMG (IMG-AA) in the oral daily dose of 2 mg/kg b.w. The progress of AA was manifested by all parameters monitored. Both substances had beneficial effects on HPV, TBARS levels, GGT activity, and TAS levels. For cytokine assessment, only IMG-AA samples were selected, considering the significant HPV improvement accompanied with the observed anti-oxidant action. IMG administration had a positive immunomodulating effect on all cytokine plasma levels measured, changed markedly due to arthritis progression. Thus, IMG may be considered as a candidate for combinatorial therapy of rheumatoid arthritis.

Academic Preparation in Biology and Advocacy for Teaching Evolution: Biology versus Non-Biology Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Nehm, Ross H.; Kim, Sun Young; Sheppard, Keith

2009-01-01

Despite considerable focus on evolution knowledge-belief relationships, little research has targeted populations with strong content backgrounds, such as undergraduate degrees in biology. This study (1) measured precertified biology and non-biology teachers' (n = 167) knowledge of evolution and the nature of science; (2) quantified teacher…

Mathematical biology

CERN Document Server

Murray, James D

1993-01-01

The book is a textbook (with many exercises) giving an in-depth account of the practical use of mathematical modelling in the biomedical sciences. The mathematical level required is generally not high and the emphasis is on what is required to solve the real biological problem. The subject matter is drawn, e.g. from population biology, reaction kinetics, biological oscillators and switches, Belousov-Zhabotinskii reaction, reaction-diffusion theory, biological wave phenomena, central pattern generators, neural models, spread of epidemics, mechanochemical theory of biological pattern formation and importance in evolution. Most of the models are based on real biological problems and the predictions and explanations offered as a direct result of mathematical analysis of the models are important aspects of the book. The aim is to provide a thorough training in practical mathematical biology and to show how exciting and novel mathematical challenges arise from a genuine interdisciplinary involvement with the biosci...

[Neuroendocrine immunomodulation].

Science.gov (United States)

Uchakin, P N; Uchakina, O N; Tobin, B V; Ershov, F I

2007-01-01

Close interaction between the immune and nervous systems is well documented. The ability of immunocompetent cells to express receptors to neuroendocrine mediators as well as secrete many of them is proved. The current literature suggests that the hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonodal axes play the most significant role in the regulation of immune responsiveness. On the other hand, the immune system communicates with the CNS directly through the cytokines that are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, or directly via the nervus vagus, as well as via secondary messengers. Receptors to a number of cytokines have been found in the nervous tissue. Moreover, glial cells are able to secrete cytokines in the amount significant enough for at least autocrine action. In this article, the authors review the role of the "major" stress hormones such as cortisol, DHEA, growth hormone in the regulation of immune response, as well as neuro- and psychotropic properties of two major groups of cytokines that support cell-mediated (Type 1) and humoral (Type 2) immune reactions. This review emphasizes neuro-endocrine-immune interactions in response to infection both under laboratory and clinical conditions.

Medicinal plants from Mali: Chemistry and biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wangensteen, Helle; Diallo, Drissa; Paulsen, Berit Smestad

2015-12-24

Mali is one of the countries in West Africa where the health system rely the most on traditional medicine. The healers are mainly using medicinal plants for their treatments. The studies performed being the basis for this review is of importance as they will contribute to sustaining the traditional knowledge. They contribute to evaluate and improve locally produced herbal remedies, and the review gives also an overview of the plant preparations that will have the most potential to be evaluated for new Improved Traditional Medicines. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the studies performed related to medicinal plants from Mali in the period 1995-2015. These studies include ethnopharmacology, chemistry and biological studies of the plants that were chosen based on our interviews with the healers in different regions of Mali, and contribute to sustainable knowledge on the medicinal plants. The Department of Traditional Medicine, Bamako, Mali, is responsible for registering the knowledge of the traditional healers on their use of medicinal plants and also identifying compounds in the plants responsible for the bioactivities claimed. The studies reported aimed at getting information from the healers on the use of medicinal plants, and study the biology and chemistry of selected plants for the purpose of verifying the traditional use of the plants. These studies should form the basis for necessary knowledge for the development of registered Improved Traditional Medicines in Mali. The healers were the ethnopharmacological informants. Questions asked initially were related to wound healing. This was because the immune system is involved when wounds are healed, and additionally the immune system is involved in the majority of the illnesses common in Mali. Based on the results of the interviews the plant material for studies was selected. Studies were performed on the plant parts the healers were using when treating their patients. Conventional chromatographic

Biological Agents

Science.gov (United States)

... E-Tools Safety and Health Topics / Biological Agents Biological Agents This page requires that javascript be enabled ... 202) 693-2300 if additional assistance is required. Biological Agents Menu Overview In Focus: Ebola Frederick A. ...

The Relationships Between Epistemic Beliefs in Biology and Approaches to Learning Biology Among Biology-Major University Students in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yi-Chun; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2012-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between students' epistemic beliefs in biology and their approaches to learning biology. To this end, two instruments, the epistemic beliefs in biology and the approaches to learning biology surveys, were developed and administered to 520 university biology students, respectively. By and large, it was found that the students reflected "mixed" motives in biology learning, while those who had more sophisticated epistemic beliefs tended to employ deep strategies. In addition, the results of paired t tests revealed that the female students were more likely to possess beliefs about biological knowledge residing in external authorities, to believe in a right answer, and to utilize rote learning as a learning strategy. Moreover, compared to juniors and seniors, freshmen and sophomores tended to hold less mature views on all factors of epistemic beliefs regarding biology. Another comparison indicated that theoretical biology students (e.g. students majoring in the Department of Biology) tended to have more mature beliefs in learning biology and more advanced strategies for biology learning than those students studying applied biology (e.g. in the Department of Biotechnology). Stepwise regression analysis, in general, indicated that students who valued the role of experiments and justify epistemic assumptions and knowledge claims based on evidence were more oriented towards having mixed motives and utilizing deep strategies to learn biology. In contrast, students who believed in the certainty of biological knowledge were more likely to adopt rote learning strategies and to aim to qualify in biology.

Modern Biology

OpenAIRE

ALEKSIC, Branko

2014-01-01

The purpose of this course is to learn the philosophy, principles, and techniques of modern biology. The course is particularly designed for those who have not learned biology previously or whose major is other than biology, and who may think that they do not need to know any biology at all. The topics are covered in a rather general, overview manner, but certain level of diligence in grasping concepts and memorizing the terminology is expected.

Biologics in the management of ulcerative colitis – comparative safety and efficacy of TNF-α antagonists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fausel R

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rebecca Fausel,1 Anita Afzali1,2 1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 2Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program, UW Medicine – Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA Abstract: Ulcerative colitis can cause debilitating symptoms and complications such as colonic strictures, colonic dysplasia, colorectal cancer, and toxic megacolon or perforation. Goals of treatment in ulcerative colitis include resolution of gastrointestinal symptoms, healing of colonic mucosa, and prevention of disease complications. Our treatment armamentarium has expanded dramatically over the past 10 years, and we now have multiple biologic agents approved for the treatment of moderate-severe disease, in addition to conventional therapies such as 5-aminosalicylates, thiopurines, and corticosteroids. In this review, we will provide a detailed discussion of the three tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α inhibitors currently approved for treatment of ulcerative colitis: infliximab, adalimumab, and golimumab. All three agents are effective for inducing and maintaining clinical response and remission in patients with ulcerative colitis, and they have comparable safety profiles. There are no head-to-head trials comparing their efficacy, and the choice of agent is most often based on insurance coverage, route of administration, and patient preference. Combination therapy with an immunomodulator is proven to be more effective than anti-TNF monotherapy, and patients who lose response to an anti-TNF agent should undergo dose intensification in order to regain clinical response. Despite therapeutic optimization, a significant percentage of patients will not achieve clinical remission with anti-TNF agents, and so newer therapies are on the horizon. Keywords: ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab

Positioning genomics in biology education: content mapping of undergraduate biology textbooks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wernick, Naomi L B; Ndung'u, Eric; Haughton, Dominique; Ledley, Fred D

2014-12-01

Biological thought increasingly recognizes the centrality of the genome in constituting and regulating processes ranging from cellular systems to ecology and evolution. In this paper, we ask whether genomics is similarly positioned as a core concept in the instructional sequence for undergraduate biology. Using quantitative methods, we analyzed the order in which core biological concepts were introduced in textbooks for first-year general and human biology. Statistical analysis was performed using self-organizing map algorithms and conventional methods to identify clusters of terms and their relative position in the books. General biology textbooks for both majors and nonmajors introduced genome-related content after text related to cell biology and biological chemistry, but before content describing higher-order biological processes. However, human biology textbooks most often introduced genomic content near the end of the books. These results suggest that genomics is not yet positioned as a core concept in commonly used textbooks for first-year biology and raises questions about whether such textbooks, or courses based on the outline of these textbooks, provide an appropriate foundation for understanding contemporary biological science.

Translational environmental biology: cell biology informing conservation.

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Traylor-Knowles, Nikki; Palumbi, Stephen R

2014-05-01

Typically, findings from cell biology have been beneficial for preventing human disease. However, translational applications from cell biology can also be applied to conservation efforts, such as protecting coral reefs. Recent efforts to understand the cell biological mechanisms maintaining coral health such as innate immunity and acclimatization have prompted new developments in conservation. Similar to biomedicine, we urge that future efforts should focus on better frameworks for biomarker development to protect coral reefs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer treatment: what's ahead?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parvez, T.

2005-01-01

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are standard modalities for cancer treatment. Biological therapy (immunotherapy, biotherapy, or biological response modifier therapy) is a comparatively novel addition to this armamentarium. Biological therapies use the body's immune system, either directly or indirectly, to fight cancer or to lessen the side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments. Biological therapeutic agents include interferons, interleukins, colony-simulating factors, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, gene therapy, and nonspecific immunomodulating agents. A promising form of cancer treatment is immunotherapy. Immunotherapy for cancer is essentially the stimulation of the immune system through a variety of reagents such as vaccines, infusion of T-cells, or cytokines. These reagents act through one of several mechanisms including stimulating the anti-tumour response, decreasing suppressor mechanisms, altering tumour cells to increase their immunogenicity and making them more susceptible to immunologic defenses, and improving tolerance to cytotoxic agents or radiotherapy. This review describes some novel approaches in the immunotherapy in cancer. (author)

Quantum Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro Sergi

2009-06-01

Full Text Available A critical assessment of the recent developmentsof molecular biology is presented.The thesis that they do not lead to a conceptualunderstanding of life and biological systems is defended.Maturana and Varela's concept of autopoiesis is briefly sketchedand its logical circularity avoided by postulatingthe existence of underlying living processes,entailing amplification from the microscopic to the macroscopic scale,with increasing complexity in the passage from one scale to the other.Following such a line of thought, the currently accepted model of condensed matter, which is based on electrostatics and short-ranged forces,is criticized. It is suggested that the correct interpretationof quantum dispersion forces (van der Waals, hydrogen bonding, and so onas quantum coherence effects hints at the necessity of includinglong-ranged forces (or mechanisms for them incondensed matter theories of biological processes.Some quantum effects in biology are reviewedand quantum mechanics is acknowledged as conceptually important to biology since withoutit most (if not all of the biological structuresand signalling processes would not even exist. Moreover, it is suggested that long-rangequantum coherent dynamics, including electron polarization,may be invoked to explain signal amplificationprocess in biological systems in general.

Using recombinant Lactococci as an approach to dissect the immunomodulating capacity of surface piliation in probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

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Ingemar von Ossowski

Full Text Available Primarily arising from their well understood beneficial health effects, many lactobacilli strains are considered good candidates for use as probiotics in humans and animals. Lactobacillar probiosis can itself be best typified by the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain, which, with its well-documented clinical benefits, has emerged as one of the most widely used probiotics in the food and health-supplement industries. Even so, many facets of its molecular mechanisms and limitations as a beneficial commensal bacterium still remain to be thoroughly explored and dissected. Because L. rhamnosus GG is one of only a few such strains exhibiting surface piliation (called SpaCBA, we sought to examine whether this particular type of cell-surface appendage has a discernible immunomodulating capacity and is able to trigger targeted responses in human immune-related cells. Thus, presented herein for this study, we recombinantly engineered Lactococcus lactis to produce native (and pilin-deleted SpaCBA pili that were assembled in a structurally authentic form and anchored to the cell surface, and which had retained mucus-binding functionality. By using these recombinant lactococcal constructs, we were able to demonstrate that the SpaCBA pilus can be a contributory factor in the activation of Toll-like receptor 2-dependent signaling in HEK cells as well as in the modulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12 production in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells. From these data, we suggest that the recombinant-expressed and surface-anchored SpaCBA pilus, given its projected functioning in the gut environment, might be viewed as a new microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP-like modulator of innate immunity. Accordingly, our study has brought some new insight to the molecular immunogenicity of the SpaCBA pilus, thus opening the way to a better understanding of its possible role in the multifaceted nature of L. rhamnosus GG

Characterization of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei integrin β and its role in immunomodulation by dsRNA-mediated gene silencing.

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Lin, Yong-Chin; Chen, Jiann-Chu; Chen, Yu-Yuan; Liu, Chun-Hung; Cheng, Winton; Hsu, Chih-Hung; Tsui, Wen-Ching

2013-06-01

The full sequence of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei integrin β (LV-B) is 2879bp which encodes 787 amino acids (aa) of the open reading frame (ORF). The mature protein (764 aa) contains (1) an extracellular domain (ED) of 692 aa, (2) a transmembrane domain (TD) of 23 aa, and (3) a cytoplasmic domain (CD) of 49 aa. The cloned LV-B grouped together with crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus integrin β (PL-B1), but was far away from vertebrate integrin β1, β3, β5, β6, β7, and β8, and another L. vannamei integrin β (LV). A Southern blot analysis indicated that the cloned LV-B was a single copy of genomic DNA. LV-B mRNA was expressed in all tissues, and was highly expressed in haemocytes. LV-B was downregulated in shrimp 24 and 96h after having received white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). LV-B expression by haemocytes of shrimp was higher in the postmoult (A and B) stage, and lower in the premoult (D2/D3) stage. LV-B expression was significantly higher by shrimp reared in 2.5‰ and 5‰ salinities. Shrimp injected with integrin β dsRNA showed gene silencing of integrin β after 36h. LV-B-silenced shrimp showed decreased hyaline cells (HCs), granular cells (GCs, including semi-granular cells), the total haemocyte count (THC), respiratory bursts (RBs), and lysozyme activity, but showed increased RB/HC, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity/HC, and the phenoloxidase (PO) activity/GC. LV-B-silenced shrimp showed upregulated expressions of lipopolysaccharide- and β-glucan-binding protein (LGBP), peroxinectin (PX), prophenoloxidase I (proPO I), proPO II, proPO-activating enzyme (ppA), α2-macroglobulin (α2-M), cytMnSOD, mtMnSOD, and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). It was concluded that integrin β plays important roles in proPO activation, phagocytosis, and the antioxidant system for immunomodulation in shrimp. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Relationships between Epistemic Beliefs in Biology and Approaches to Learning Biology among Biology-Major University Students in Taiwan

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Lin, Yi-Chun; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between students' epistemic beliefs in biology and their approaches to learning biology. To this end, two instruments, the epistemic beliefs in biology and the approaches to learning biology surveys, were developed and administered to 520 university biology students, respectively. By and…

Human Milk Glycoproteins Protect Infants Against Human Pathogens

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Liu, Bo

2013-01-01

Abstract Breastfeeding protects the neonate against pathogen infection. Major mechanisms of protection include human milk glycoconjugates functioning as soluble receptor mimetics that inhibit pathogen binding to the mucosal cell surface, prebiotic stimulation of gut colonization by favorable microbiota, immunomodulation, and as a substrate for bacterial fermentation products in the gut. Human milk proteins are predominantly glycosylated, and some biological functions of these human milk glycoproteins (HMGPs) have been reported. HMGPs range in size from 14 kDa to 2,000 kDa and include mucins, secretory immunoglobulin A, bile salt-stimulated lipase, lactoferrin, butyrophilin, lactadherin, leptin, and adiponectin. This review summarizes known biological roles of HMGPs that may contribute to the ability of human milk to protect neonates from disease. PMID:23697737

Isolation, structural elucidation and immunomodulatory activity of fructans from aged garlic extract.

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Chandrashekar, Puthanapura M; Prashanth, Keelara V Harish; Venkatesh, Yeldur P

2011-02-01

Traditionally, garlic (Allium sativum) is known to be a significant immune booster. Aged garlic extract (AGE) possesses superior immunomodulatory effects than raw garlic; these effects are attributed to the transformed organosulfur compounds. AGE is also known to contain fructans; the amount of fructans in AGE represents a small fraction (0.22%) of the total fructans in raw garlic. In order to evaluate the biological activity of fructans present in AGE, both high molecular weight (>3.5 kDa; HF) and low molecular weight (immunomodulators such as zymosan and mannan. This study clearly demonstrates that garlic fructans also contribute to the immunomodulatory properties of AGE, and is the first such study on the biological effects of garlic fructans. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glucan–Resveratrol–Vitamin C Combination Offers Protection against Toxic Agents

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Jana Vetvickova

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Biological immunomodulators are routinely evaluated as a natural source of molecules with profound effects on the immune system. They belong to a group of physiologically active compounds, collectively termed biological response modifiers. Most of the studies were focused on immune system stimulation. Recently, they have become the focus of studies seeking molecules that are able to overcome negative effects of various immunotoxins. This paper concentrates on the effects of a glucan/resveratrol/vitamin C combination on immunosuppressive effects of mercury and perfluorinated hydrocarbons. Effects described in this review have strong clinical potential, as environmental contaminants have adverse effects on all aspects of the immune system and represent a serious threat to the health of both humans and animals.

Informing biological design by integration of systems and synthetic biology.

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Smolke, Christina D; Silver, Pamela A

2011-03-18

Synthetic biology aims to make the engineering of biology faster and more predictable. In contrast, systems biology focuses on the interaction of myriad components and how these give rise to the dynamic and complex behavior of biological systems. Here, we examine the synergies between these two fields. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing synthetic biology.

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Agapakis, Christina M

2014-03-21

Synthetic biology is frequently defined as the application of engineering design principles to biology. Such principles are intended to streamline the practice of biological engineering, to shorten the time required to design, build, and test synthetic gene networks. This streamlining of iterative design cycles can facilitate the future construction of biological systems for a range of applications in the production of fuels, foods, materials, and medicines. The promise of these potential applications as well as the emphasis on design has prompted critical reflection on synthetic biology from design theorists and practicing designers from many fields, who can bring valuable perspectives to the discipline. While interdisciplinary connections between biologists and engineers have built synthetic biology via the science and the technology of biology, interdisciplinary collaboration with artists, designers, and social theorists can provide insight on the connections between technology and society. Such collaborations can open up new avenues and new principles for research and design, as well as shed new light on the challenging context-dependence-both biological and social-that face living technologies at many scales. This review is inspired by the session titled "Design and Synthetic Biology: Connecting People and Technology" at Synthetic Biology 6.0 and covers a range of literature on design practice in synthetic biology and beyond. Critical engagement with how design is used to shape the discipline opens up new possibilities for how we might design the future of synthetic biology.

Combination therapy of radiation and immunomodulators in the treatment of MM46 tumor transplanted in C3H/He mice. Histological and histoenzymatic studies using alpha-naphtyl acetate esterase staining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyaji, Chihiro; Imanaka, Kazufumi; Gose, Kyuhei; Ichiyanagi, Akihiro; Imajo, Yoshinari (Kobe Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine)

1983-12-01

Female C3H/He mice aged 13 weeks with transplanted MM 46 tumor were used in histological and enzymohistochemical studies on the timing of administration of immunomodulators, PSK (a protein bound polysaccharide prepared from Coriolus versicolor), or OK-432 (Streptococcal preparation) combined with two fractionated local irradiation with the total dose of 3,000 rad. The daily dose of 250 mg/kg of PSK, or 1 KE/mouse of OK-432 was respectively injected intraperitoneally for four consecutive days before or after irradiation. Mice were sacrificed before irradiation and 7, 14 and 21 days after irradiation. Resected tumor tissues were examined using H-E staining and ..cap alpha..-naphtyl acetate esterase (ANAE) staining to observe the stromal reactions such as the infiltration of mononuclear cells and fibroblasts around tumor tissues. When PSK or OK-432 was administered after irradiation, remarkable lymphocytic infiltration was observed compared with the control group and the group to which PSK or OK-432 was administered before irradiation. ANAE staining revealed most of infiltrating lymphocytes were T-cells. These results suggested that PSK and OK-432 which were received after radiotherapy enhanced the immunological responses against tumors which were represented by remarkable lymphocytic infiltration.

Pompholyx eczema

Science.gov (United States)

... include: Corticosteroids, which calm swollen or inflamed skin Immunomodulators, applied to the skin, which help keep the ... Corticosteroid pills Corticosteroid shots Coal tar preparations Systemic immunomodulators Phototherapy (ultraviolet light therapy)

Managing biological diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Samson, Fred B.; Knopf, Fritz L.

1993-01-01

Biological diversity is the variety of life and accompanying ecological processes (Off. Technol. Assess. 1987, Wilcove and Samson 1987, Keystone 1991). Conservation of biological diversity is a major environmental issue (Wilson 1988, Counc. Environ. Quality 1991). The health and future of the earth's ecological systems (Lubchenco et al. 1991), global climate change (Botkin 1990), and an ever-increasing rate in loss of species, communities, and ecological systems (Myers 1990) are among issues drawing biological diversity to the mainstream of conservation worldwide (Int. Union Conserv. Nat. and Nat. Resour. [IUCN] et al. 1991). The legal mandate for conserving biological diversity is now in place (Carlson 1988, Doremus 1991). More than 19 federal laws govern the use of biological resources in the United States (Rein 1991). The proposed National Biological Diversity Conservation and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 585 and S.58) notes the need for a national biological diversity policy, would create a national center for biological diversity research, and recommends a federal interagency strategy for ecosystem conservation. There are, however, hard choices ahead for the conservation of biological diversity, and biologists are grappling with how to set priorities in research and management (Roberts 1988). We sense disillusion among field biologists and managers relative to how to operationally approach the seemingly overwhelming charge of conserving biological diversity. Biologists also need to respond to critics like Hunt (1991) who suggest a tree farm has more biological diversity than an equal area of old-growth forest. At present, science has played only a minor role in the conservation of biological diversity (Weston 1992) with no unified approach available to evaluate strategies and programs that address the quality and quantity of biological diversity (Murphy 1990, Erwin 1992). Although actions to conserve biological diversity need to be clearly defined by

Women are underrepresented in computational biology: An analysis of the scholarly literature in biology, computer science and computational biology.

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Kevin S Bonham

2017-10-01

Full Text Available While women are generally underrepresented in STEM fields, there are noticeable differences between fields. For instance, the gender ratio in biology is more balanced than in computer science. We were interested in how this difference is reflected in the interdisciplinary field of computational/quantitative biology. To this end, we examined the proportion of female authors in publications from the PubMed and arXiv databases. There are fewer female authors on research papers in computational biology, as compared to biology in general. This is true across authorship position, year, and journal impact factor. A comparison with arXiv shows that quantitative biology papers have a higher ratio of female authors than computer science papers, placing computational biology in between its two parent fields in terms of gender representation. Both in biology and in computational biology, a female last author increases the probability of other authors on the paper being female, pointing to a potential role of female PIs in influencing the gender balance.

Women are underrepresented in computational biology: An analysis of the scholarly literature in biology, computer science and computational biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonham, Kevin S; Stefan, Melanie I

2017-10-01

While women are generally underrepresented in STEM fields, there are noticeable differences between fields. For instance, the gender ratio in biology is more balanced than in computer science. We were interested in how this difference is reflected in the interdisciplinary field of computational/quantitative biology. To this end, we examined the proportion of female authors in publications from the PubMed and arXiv databases. There are fewer female authors on research papers in computational biology, as compared to biology in general. This is true across authorship position, year, and journal impact factor. A comparison with arXiv shows that quantitative biology papers have a higher ratio of female authors than computer science papers, placing computational biology in between its two parent fields in terms of gender representation. Both in biology and in computational biology, a female last author increases the probability of other authors on the paper being female, pointing to a potential role of female PIs in influencing the gender balance.

Biological conversion system

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, C.D.

A system for bioconversion of organic material comprises a primary bioreactor column wherein a biological active agent (zymomonas mobilis) converts the organic material (sugar) to a product (alcohol), a rejuvenator column wherein the biological activity of said biological active agent is enhanced, and means for circulating said biological active agent between said primary bioreactor column and said rejuvenator column.

Development of the Biology Card Sorting Task to Measure Conceptual Expertise in Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Julia I.; Combs, Elijah D.; Nagami, Paul H.; Alto, Valerie M.; Goh, Henry G.; Gourdet, Muryam A. A.; Hough, Christina M.; Nickell, Ashley E.; Peer, Adrian G.; Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

2013-01-01

There are widespread aspirations to focus undergraduate biology education on teaching students to think conceptually like biologists; however, there is a dearth of assessment tools designed to measure progress from novice to expert biological conceptual thinking. We present the development of a novel assessment tool, the Biology Card Sorting Task, designed to probe how individuals organize their conceptual knowledge of biology. While modeled on tasks from cognitive psychology, this task is unique in its design to test two hypothesized conceptual frameworks for the organization of biological knowledge: 1) a surface feature organization focused on organism type and 2) a deep feature organization focused on fundamental biological concepts. In this initial investigation of the Biology Card Sorting Task, each of six analytical measures showed statistically significant differences when used to compare the card sorting results of putative biological experts (biology faculty) and novices (non–biology major undergraduates). Consistently, biology faculty appeared to sort based on hypothesized deep features, while non–biology majors appeared to sort based on either surface features or nonhypothesized organizational frameworks. Results suggest that this novel task is robust in distinguishing populations of biology experts and biology novices and may be an adaptable tool for tracking emerging biology conceptual expertise. PMID:24297290

Structural Biology Fact Sheet

Science.gov (United States)

... NIGMS NIGMS Home > Science Education > Structural Biology Structural Biology Tagline (Optional) Middle/Main Content Area PDF Version (688 KB) Other Fact Sheets What is structural biology? Structural biology is the study of how biological ...

Fostering synergy between cell biology and systems biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Eddy, James A; Funk, Cory C; Price, Nathan D

2015-08-01

In the shared pursuit of elucidating detailed mechanisms of cell function, systems biology presents a natural complement to ongoing efforts in cell biology. Systems biology aims to characterize biological systems through integrated and quantitative modeling of cellular information. The process of model building and analysis provides value through synthesizing and cataloging information about cells and molecules, predicting mechanisms and identifying generalizable themes, generating hypotheses and guiding experimental design, and highlighting knowledge gaps and refining understanding. In turn, incorporating domain expertise and experimental data is crucial for building towards whole cell models. An iterative cycle of interaction between cell and systems biologists advances the goals of both fields and establishes a framework for mechanistic understanding of the genome-to-phenome relationship. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding IBD Medications and Side Effects

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... important not to suddenly stop taking this medication. Immunomodulators: These include azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), methotrexate, ... ongoing inflammation. Usually given orally (methotrexate is injectable), immunomodulators are typically used in people for whom aminosalicylates ...

Maintenance Therapy in IBD

Science.gov (United States)

... also found to be safe and well tolerated. Immunomodulators 6-MP and Azathioprine 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP, ... to a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker or immunomodulator; or had an inadequate response with, were intolerant ...

Immunomodulatory treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and prednisone in patients with recurrent miscarriage and implantation failure after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nyborg, Kathinka Marie; Kolte, Astrid Marie; Larsen, Elisabeth Clare

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess outcome in terms of live-birth rate after fresh or frozen IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles where immunomodulation was given to patients with recurrent pregnancy loss after prior ART treatments. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study....... SETTING: Tertiary care university hospital. PATIENT(S): Fifty-two patients with a history of at least three consecutive pregnancy losses after ART who underwent at least one further ART cycle with concurrent immunomodulation in 2003-2012. INTERVENTION(S): Immunomodulation with IV immunoglobulin...... and prednisone starting from before ET and continuing in the first trimester if pregnancy was established. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Live-birth rate per ET and cumulative live-birth rate after up to five ETs. RESULT(S): Nineteen patients (36.5%) achieved a live birth after the first ET with immunomodulation...

Inmunomodulación y antiangiogénesis en la terapéutica oncológica: De la investigación básica a la clínica Immunomodulation and antiangiogenesis in cancer therapy: From basic to clinical research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Graciela Scharovsky

2012-02-01

Full Text Available La investigación básica y pre-clínica en oncología celular y molecular son pilares fundamentales en los que se apoyan la mayoría de los adelantos en la terapéutica del cáncer. Los hallazgos obtenidos y su aplicación en la práctica clínica constituyen la causa del avance sostenido en el tratamiento de la enfermedad neoplásica. El objetivo de este trabajo es resumir y discutir los resultados pre-clínicos en inmunomodulación y anti-angiogénesis para el tratamiento de diversos tipos de tumores, obtenidos en nuestro Instituto durante los últimos 15 años, y la posterior traslación y aplicación del conocimiento experimental en un Ensayo Clínico Fase I/II. Se describen los resultados que contribuyeron a descifrar los mecanismos de acción de la inmunomodulación antimetastásica con ciclofosfamida, la quimioterapia metronómica con diferentes drogas únicas o combinaciones, y finalmente el diseño y resultados preliminares de un ensayo clínico de quimioterapia metronómica para pacientes con cáncer de mama avanzado.Basic and pre-clinic research in cellular and molecular oncology are the main supports accounting for the advancement in cancer therapeutics. The findings achieved, and their implementation in clinical practice are responsible for the permanent improvement in the treatment of the neoplastic disease. Our present objective is to summarize and discuss the pre-clinical findings in immunomodulation and anti-angiogenesis for the treatment of several types of tumors obtained in our Institute during the last 15 years, and the subsequent translation and application of the acquired experimental knowledge in a Phase I/II Clinical Trial. We present the results and mechanisms of action of antimetastatic immunomodulation with cyclophosphamide, the metronomic chemotherapy with different single drugs and their combinations, and finally the design and preliminary results of a clinical trial with metronomic chemotherapy for patients with

Plant synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wusheng; Stewart, C Neal

2015-05-01

Plant synthetic biology is an emerging field that combines engineering principles with plant biology toward the design and production of new devices. This emerging field should play an important role in future agriculture for traditional crop improvement, but also in enabling novel bioproduction in plants. In this review we discuss the design cycles of synthetic biology as well as key engineering principles, genetic parts, and computational tools that can be utilized in plant synthetic biology. Some pioneering examples are offered as a demonstration of how synthetic biology can be used to modify plants for specific purposes. These include synthetic sensors, synthetic metabolic pathways, and synthetic genomes. We also speculate about the future of synthetic biology of plants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

‘Can Simple Biological Systems be Built from Standardized Interchangeable Parts?’:Negotiating Biology and Engineering in a Synthetic Biology Competition

OpenAIRE

Frow, Emma; Calvert, Jane

2013-01-01

Synthetic biology represents a recent attempt to bring engineering principles and practices to working with biology. In practice, the nature of the relationship between engineering and biology in synthetic biology is a subject of ongoing debate. The disciplines of biology and engineering are typically seen to involve differentways of knowing and doing, and to embody different assumptions and objectives. Tensions between these approaches are playing out as the field of synthetic biology is bei...

Synthetic biological networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Archer, Eric; Süel, Gürol M

2013-01-01

Despite their obvious relationship and overlap, the field of physics is blessed with many insightful laws, while such laws are sadly absent in biology. Here we aim to discuss how the rise of a more recent field known as synthetic biology may allow us to more directly test hypotheses regarding the possible design principles of natural biological networks and systems. In particular, this review focuses on synthetic gene regulatory networks engineered to perform specific functions or exhibit particular dynamic behaviors. Advances in synthetic biology may set the stage to uncover the relationship of potential biological principles to those developed in physics. (review article)

Liposome-based polymer complex as a novel adjuvant: enhancement of specific antibody production and isotype switch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen CH

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Chia-Hung Chen1,*, Yu-Ling Lin1,*, Yen-Ku Liu1, Pei-Juin He2, Ching-Min Lin1, Yi-Han Chiu2, Chang-Jer Wu3, Tian-Lu Cheng4, Shih-Jen Liu5,6,**, Kuang-Wen Liao1,2,**1Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, 2Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 3Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 4Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 5National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, 6Graduate Institute of Immunology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, , *Chia-Hung Chen and Yu-Ling Lin contributed equally to this work**Kuang-Wen Liao and Shih-Jen Liu contributed equally to this workAbstract: The aim of vaccination is to induce appropriate immunity against pathogens. Antibody-mediated immunity is critical for protection against many virus diseases, although it is becoming more evident that coordinated, multifunctional immune responses lead to the most effective defense. Specific antibody (Ab isotypes are more efficient at protecting against pathogen invasion in different locations in the body. For example, compared to other Ab isotypes, immunoglobulin (Ig A provides more protection at mucosal areas. In this study, we developed a cationic lipopolymer (liposome-polyethylene glycol-polyethyleneimine complex [LPPC] adjuvant that strongly adsorbs antigens or immunomodulators onto its surface to enhance or switch immune responses. The results demonstrate that LPPC enhances uptake ability, surface marker expression, proinflammatory cytokine release, and antigen presentation in mouse phagocytes. In contrast to Freund's adjuvant, LPPC preferentially activates Th1-immunity against antigens in vivo. With lipopolysaccharides or CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, LPPC dramatically enhances the IgA or IgG2A proportion of total Ig, even in hosts that have developed

Biological effects of radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This fourth chapter presents: cell structure and metabolism; radiation interaction with biological tissues; steps of the production of biological effect of radiation; radiosensitivity of tissues; classification of biological effects; reversibility, transmissivity and influence factors; pre-natal biological effects; biological effects in therapy and syndrome of acute irradiation

Physics and biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frauenfelder, H.

1988-01-01

The author points out that the coupling between physics and biology is becoming closer as time goes on. He tries to show that physical studies on biological systems not only yield insight into biology but also provide results of interest to physics. Biological systems are extremly complex system. Ideally one would like to understand the behavior of such systems in terms of the behavior of its constituent atoms. Since in small organisms this may be 10 20 atoms, it is clear these are not simple many-body systems. He reviews the basic elements of cells and then considers the broader questions of structure, complexity, and function, which must be looked at on levels from the cell to the organism. Despite the vast amount of observational material already in existence, biophysics and biological physics are only at a beginning. We can expect that physics will continue to interact strongly with biology. Actually, the connection also includes chemistry and mathematics. New tools that become available in physics will continue to be applied to biological problems. We can expect that the flow of information will not be one way; biological systems will provide new information on many old and new parts of physics, from reaction theory and transport phenomena to complexity, cooperativity, and nonlinear processes

Integrated Biological Control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

JOHNSON, A.R.

2002-01-01

Biological control is any activity taken to prevent, limit, clean up, or remediate potential environmental, health and safety, or workplace quality impacts from plants, animals, or microorganisms. At Hanford the principal emphasis of biological control is to prevent the transport of radioactive contamination by biological vectors (plants, animals, or microorganisms), and where necessary, control and clean up resulting contamination. Other aspects of biological control at Hanford include industrial weed control (e.g.; tumbleweeds), noxious weed control (invasive, non-native plant species), and pest control (undesirable animals such as rodents and stinging insects; and microorganisms such as molds that adversely affect the quality of the workplace environment). Biological control activities may be either preventive (apriori) or in response to existing contamination spread (aposteriori). Surveillance activities, including ground, vegetation, flying insect, and other surveys, and apriori control actions, such as herbicide spraying and placing biological barriers, are important in preventing radioactive contamination spread. If surveillance discovers that biological vectors have spread radioactive contamination, aposteriori control measures, such as fixing contamination, followed by cleanup and removal of the contamination to an approved disposal location are typical response functions. In some cases remediation following the contamination cleanup and removal is necessary. Biological control activities for industrial weeds, noxious weeds and pests have similar modes of prevention and response

Feedback dynamics and cell function: Why systems biology is called Systems Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolkenhauer, Olaf; Mesarovic, Mihajlo

2005-05-01

A new paradigm, like Systems Biology, should challenge the way research has been conducted previously. This Opinion article aims to present Systems Biology, not as the application of engineering principles to biology but as a merger of systems- and control theory with molecular- and cell biology. In our view, the central dogma of Systems Biology is that it is system dynamics that gives rise to the functioning and function of cells. The concepts of feedback regulation and control of pathways and the coordination of cell function are emphasized as an important area of Systems Biology research. The hurdles and risks for this area are discussed from the perspective of dynamic pathway modelling. Most of all, the aim of this article is to promote mathematical modelling and simulation as a part of molecular- and cell biology. Systems Biology is a success if it is widely accepted that there is nothing more practical than a good theory.

Synthetic Biology: Advancing Biological Frontiers by Building Synthetic Systems

OpenAIRE

Chen, Yvonne Yu-Hsuan; Galloway, Kate E; Smolke, Christina D

2012-01-01

Advances in synthetic biology are contributing to diverse research areas, from basic biology to biomanufacturing and disease therapy. We discuss the theoretical foundation, applications, and potential of this emerging field.

Models for synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaznessis, Yiannis N

2007-11-06

Synthetic biological engineering is emerging from biology as a distinct discipline based on quantification. The technologies propelling synthetic biology are not new, nor is the concept of designing novel biological molecules. What is new is the emphasis on system behavior. The objective is the design and construction of new biological devices and systems to deliver useful applications. Numerous synthetic gene circuits have been created in the past decade, including bistable switches, oscillators, and logic gates, and possible applications abound, including biofuels, detectors for biochemical and chemical weapons, disease diagnosis, and gene therapies. More than fifty years after the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA, molecular biology is mature enough for real quantification that is useful for biological engineering applications, similar to the revolution in modeling in chemistry in the 1950s. With the excitement that synthetic biology is generating, the engineering and biological science communities appear remarkably willing to cross disciplinary boundaries toward a common goal.

Has Modern Biology Entered the Mouth? The Clinical Impact of Biological Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, Bruce J.

1991-01-01

Three areas of biological research that are beginning to have an impact on clinical medicine are examined, including molecular biology, cell biology, and biotechnology. It is concluded that oral biologists and educators must work cooperatively to bring rapid biological and biomedical advances into dental training in a meaningful way. (MSE)

Adapting to Biology: Maintaining Container-Closure System Compatibility with the Therapeutic Biologic Revolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Degrazio, Dominick

Many pharmaceutical companies are transitioning their research and development drug product pipeline from traditional small-molecule injectables to the dimension of evolving therapeutic biologics. Important concerns associated with this changeover are becoming forefront, as challenges develop of varying complexity uncommon with the synthesis and production of traditional drugs. Therefore, alternative measures must be established that aim to preserve the efficacy and functionality of a biologic that might not be implemented for small molecules. Conserving protein stability is relative to perpetuating a net equilibrium of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Key to sustaining this balance is the ability of container-closure systems to maintain their compatibility with the ever-changing dynamics of therapeutic biologics. Failure to recognize and adjust the material properties of packaging components to support compatibility with therapeutic biologics can compromise patient safety, drug productivity, and biological stability. This review will examine the differences between small-molecule drugs and therapeutic biologics, lay a basic foundation for understanding the stability of therapeutic biologics, and demonstrate potential sources of container-closure systems' incompatibilities with therapeutic biologics at a mechanistic level. Many pharmaceutical companies are transitioning their research and development drug product pipeline from traditional small-molecule injectables to recombinantly derived therapeutic biologics. Concerns associated with this transformation are becoming prominent, as therapeutic biologics are uncharacteristic to small-molecule drugs. Maintaining the stability of a therapeutic biologic is a combination of balancing intrinsic factors and external elements within the biologic's microenvironment. An important aspect of this balance is relegated to the overall compatibility of primary, parenteral container-closure systems with therapeutic biologics

Marine molecular biology: An emerging field of biological sciences

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Thakur, N.L.; Jain, R.; Natalio, F.; Hamer, B.; Thakur, A.N.; Muller, W.E.G.

An appreciation of the potential applications of molecular biology is of growing importance in many areas of life sciences, including marine biology. During the past two decades, the development of sophisticated molecular technologies...

Standard biological parts knowledgebase.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal Galdzicki

2011-02-01

Full Text Available We have created the Knowledgebase of Standard Biological Parts (SBPkb as a publically accessible Semantic Web resource for synthetic biology (sbolstandard.org. The SBPkb allows researchers to query and retrieve standard biological parts for research and use in synthetic biology. Its initial version includes all of the information about parts stored in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (partsregistry.org. SBPkb transforms this information so that it is computable, using our semantic framework for synthetic biology parts. This framework, known as SBOL-semantic, was built as part of the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL, a project of the Synthetic Biology Data Exchange Group. SBOL-semantic represents commonly used synthetic biology entities, and its purpose is to improve the distribution and exchange of descriptions of biological parts. In this paper, we describe the data, our methods for transformation to SBPkb, and finally, we demonstrate the value of our knowledgebase with a set of sample queries. We use RDF technology and SPARQL queries to retrieve candidate "promoter" parts that are known to be both negatively and positively regulated. This method provides new web based data access to perform searches for parts that are not currently possible.

Standard Biological Parts Knowledgebase

Science.gov (United States)

Galdzicki, Michal; Rodriguez, Cesar; Chandran, Deepak; Sauro, Herbert M.; Gennari, John H.

2011-01-01

We have created the Knowledgebase of Standard Biological Parts (SBPkb) as a publically accessible Semantic Web resource for synthetic biology (sbolstandard.org). The SBPkb allows researchers to query and retrieve standard biological parts for research and use in synthetic biology. Its initial version includes all of the information about parts stored in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (partsregistry.org). SBPkb transforms this information so that it is computable, using our semantic framework for synthetic biology parts. This framework, known as SBOL-semantic, was built as part of the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL), a project of the Synthetic Biology Data Exchange Group. SBOL-semantic represents commonly used synthetic biology entities, and its purpose is to improve the distribution and exchange of descriptions of biological parts. In this paper, we describe the data, our methods for transformation to SBPkb, and finally, we demonstrate the value of our knowledgebase with a set of sample queries. We use RDF technology and SPARQL queries to retrieve candidate “promoter” parts that are known to be both negatively and positively regulated. This method provides new web based data access to perform searches for parts that are not currently possible. PMID:21390321

Standard biological parts knowledgebase.

Science.gov (United States)

Galdzicki, Michal; Rodriguez, Cesar; Chandran, Deepak; Sauro, Herbert M; Gennari, John H

2011-02-24

We have created the Knowledgebase of Standard Biological Parts (SBPkb) as a publically accessible Semantic Web resource for synthetic biology (sbolstandard.org). The SBPkb allows researchers to query and retrieve standard biological parts for research and use in synthetic biology. Its initial version includes all of the information about parts stored in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (partsregistry.org). SBPkb transforms this information so that it is computable, using our semantic framework for synthetic biology parts. This framework, known as SBOL-semantic, was built as part of the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL), a project of the Synthetic Biology Data Exchange Group. SBOL-semantic represents commonly used synthetic biology entities, and its purpose is to improve the distribution and exchange of descriptions of biological parts. In this paper, we describe the data, our methods for transformation to SBPkb, and finally, we demonstrate the value of our knowledgebase with a set of sample queries. We use RDF technology and SPARQL queries to retrieve candidate "promoter" parts that are known to be both negatively and positively regulated. This method provides new web based data access to perform searches for parts that are not currently possible.

Biology Myth-Killers

Science.gov (United States)

Lampert, Evan

2014-01-01

"Biology Myth-Killers" is an activity designed to identify and correct common misconceptions for high school and college introductory biology courses. Students identify common myths, which double as biology misconceptions, and use appropriate sources to share the "truth" about the myths. This learner-centered activity is a fun…

Chemistry and Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Wigston, David L.

1970-01-01

Discusses the relationship between chemisty and biology in the science curriculum. Points out the differences in perception of the disciplines, which the physical scientists favoring reductionism. Suggests that biology departments offer a special course for chemistry students, just as the chemistry departments have done for biology students.…

Biological desulfurisation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arena, B.J. [UOP LLC (United States); Benschop, A.; Janssen, A. [Paques Natural Solutions (Netherlands); Kijlstra, S. [Shell Global Solutions (Netherlands)

2001-03-01

This article focuses on the biological THIOPAQ process for removing hydrogen sulphide from refinery gases and recovering elemental sulphur. Details are given of the process which absorbs hydrogen sulphide-containing gas in alkaline solution prior to oxidation of the dissolved sulphur to elemental sulphur in a THIOPAQ aerobic biological reactor, with regeneration of the caustic solution. Sulphur handling options including sulphur wash, the drying of the sulphur cake, and sulphur smelting by pressure liquefaction are described. Agricultural applications of the biologically recovered sulphur, and application of the THIOPAQ process to sulphur recovery are discussed.

Anti-Lung Cancer Activity through Enhancement of Immunomodulation and Induction of Cell Apoptosis of Total Triterpenes Extracted from Ganoderma luncidum (Leyss. ex Fr. Karst.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Cao

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Ganoderma luncidum (Leyss. ex Fr. Karst. (GLK has been used traditionally for the prevention and treatment of cancers or tumors for a long time in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The triterpenes as main effective components of GLK have been found to be beneficial for the efficacy. The purpose of this study was to examine the anti-lung cancer activity of triterpenes of GLK in vitro and in vivo and to explore their anti-lung cancer effects and potential mechanisms. A549 cells and Lewis tumor-bearing mice were used to evaluate the inhibition effects of triterpenes on cell proliferation and tumor growth. The IC50 of triterpenes of GLK on A549 cells was 24.63 μg/mL. Triterpenes of GLK could significantly inhibit tumor growth in mice (30, 60 and 120 mg/kg. The immune organs indexes including spleen and thymus were increased remarkedly by the treatment with triterpenes. Moreover, they were able to stimulate the immune response by increasing the expressions of IL-6 and TNF-α. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that cell arrest caused by triterpenes treatment (7.5, 15 and 30 μg/mL was in the G2/M phase in A549 cells. Triterpenes induced apoptosis by decreasing the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and pro-caspase 9 and increasing the levels of cleaved-caspase 9. Our findings suggested that the triterpenes of GLK have anti-lung cancer activity in vitro and in vivo via enhancement of immunomodulation and induction of cell apoptosis. The study provides insights into the mechanism of GLK in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

General Biology Syllabus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Scott; Watthews, Thomas

This syllabus has been developed as an alternative to Regents biology and is intended for the average student who could benefit from an introductory biology course. It is divided into seven major units dealing with, respectively: (1) similarities among living things; (2) human biology (focusing on nutrition, transport, respiration, excretion, and…

A first attempt to bring computational biology into advanced high school biology classrooms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Suzanne Renick; Coon, William; Donley, Kristin; Scott, Abby; Goldberg, Debra S

2011-10-01

Computer science has become ubiquitous in many areas of biological research, yet most high school and even college students are unaware of this. As a result, many college biology majors graduate without adequate computational skills for contemporary fields of biology. The absence of a computational element in secondary school biology classrooms is of growing concern to the computational biology community and biology teachers who would like to acquaint their students with updated approaches in the discipline. We present a first attempt to correct this absence by introducing a computational biology element to teach genetic evolution into advanced biology classes in two local high schools. Our primary goal was to show students how computation is used in biology and why a basic understanding of computation is necessary for research in many fields of biology. This curriculum is intended to be taught by a computational biologist who has worked with a high school advanced biology teacher to adapt the unit for his/her classroom, but a motivated high school teacher comfortable with mathematics and computing may be able to teach this alone. In this paper, we present our curriculum, which takes into consideration the constraints of the required curriculum, and discuss our experiences teaching it. We describe the successes and challenges we encountered while bringing this unit to high school students, discuss how we addressed these challenges, and make suggestions for future versions of this curriculum.We believe that our curriculum can be a valuable seed for further development of computational activities aimed at high school biology students. Further, our experiences may be of value to others teaching computational biology at this level. Our curriculum can be obtained at http://ecsite.cs.colorado.edu/?page_id=149#biology or by contacting the authors.

Computational Systems Chemical Biology

OpenAIRE

Oprea, Tudor I.; May, Elebeoba E.; Leitão, Andrei; Tropsha, Alexander

2011-01-01

There is a critical need for improving the level of chemistry awareness in systems biology. The data and information related to modulation of genes and proteins by small molecules continue to accumulate at the same time as simulation tools in systems biology and whole body physiologically-based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) continue to evolve. We called this emerging area at the interface between chemical biology and systems biology systems chemical biology, SCB (Oprea et al., 2007).

Novel High-Throughput Drug Screening Platform for Chemotherapy-Induced Axonal Neuropathy

Science.gov (United States)

2014-05-01

from anti-cancer drug therapy [1,2]. Platinum drugs, taxanes, proteasome inhibitors, vinca alkaloids, epothilones, and immunomodulators are the...and immunomodulators are the standard of anti-cancer therapies for the six most cancers. An estimated 2010 incidence of 994, 680 cases for these

e-Biologics: Fabrication of Sustainable Electronics with "Green" Biological Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Lovley, Derek R

2017-06-27

The growing ubiquity of electronic devices is increasingly consuming substantial energy and rare resources for materials fabrication, as well as creating expansive volumes of toxic waste. This is not sustainable. Electronic biological materials (e-biologics) that are produced with microbes, or designed with microbial components as the guide for synthesis, are a potential green solution. Some e-biologics can be fabricated from renewable feedstocks with relatively low energy inputs, often while avoiding the harsh chemicals used for synthesizing more traditional electronic materials. Several are completely free of toxic components, can be readily recycled, and offer unique features not found in traditional electronic materials in terms of size, performance, and opportunities for diverse functionalization. An appropriate investment in the concerted multidisciplinary collaborative research required to identify and characterize e-biologics and to engineer materials and devices based on e-biologics could be rewarded with a new "green age" of sustainable electronic materials and devices. Copyright © 2017 Lovley.

Biological sample collector

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Gloria A [French Camp, CA

2010-09-07

A biological sample collector is adapted to a collect several biological samples in a plurality of filter wells. A biological sample collector may comprise a manifold plate for mounting a filter plate thereon, the filter plate having a plurality of filter wells therein; a hollow slider for engaging and positioning a tube that slides therethrough; and a slide case within which the hollow slider travels to allow the tube to be aligned with a selected filter well of the plurality of filter wells, wherein when the tube is aligned with the selected filter well, the tube is pushed through the hollow slider and into the selected filter well to sealingly engage the selected filter well and to allow the tube to deposit a biological sample onto a filter in the bottom of the selected filter well. The biological sample collector may be portable.

Quantum biological information theory

CERN Document Server

Djordjevic, Ivan B

2016-01-01

This book is a self-contained, tutorial-based introduction to quantum information theory and quantum biology. It serves as a single-source reference to the topic for researchers in bioengineering, communications engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, biology, computer science, and physics. The book provides all the essential principles of the quantum biological information theory required to describe the quantum information transfer from DNA to proteins, the sources of genetic noise and genetic errors as well as their effects. Integrates quantum information and quantum biology concepts; Assumes only knowledge of basic concepts of vector algebra at undergraduate level; Provides a thorough introduction to basic concepts of quantum information processing, quantum information theory, and quantum biology; Includes in-depth discussion of the quantum biological channel modelling, quantum biological channel capacity calculation, quantum models of aging, quantum models of evolution, quantum models o...

Ins and outs of systems biology vis-à-vis molecular biology: continuation or clear cut?

Science.gov (United States)

De Backer, Philippe; De Waele, Danny; Van Speybroeck, Linda

2010-03-01

The comprehension of living organisms in all their complexity poses a major challenge to the biological sciences. Recently, systems biology has been proposed as a new candidate in the development of such a comprehension. The main objective of this paper is to address what systems biology is and how it is practised. To this end, the basic tools of a systems biological approach are explored and illustrated. In addition, it is questioned whether systems biology 'revolutionizes' molecular biology and 'transcends' its assumed reductionism. The strength of this claim appears to depend on how molecular and systems biology are characterised and on how reductionism is interpreted. Doing credit to molecular biology and to methodological reductionism, it is argued that the distinction between molecular and systems biology is gradual rather than sharp. As such, the classical challenge in biology to manage, interpret and integrate biological data into functional wholes is further intensified by systems biology's use of modelling and bioinformatics, and by its scale enlargement.

A Converter from the Systems Biology Markup Language to the Synthetic Biology Open Language.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Tramy; Roehner, Nicholas; Zundel, Zach; Myers, Chris J

2016-06-17

Standards are important to synthetic biology because they enable exchange and reproducibility of genetic designs. This paper describes a procedure for converting between two standards: the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) and the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL). SBML is a standard for behavioral models of biological systems at the molecular level. SBOL describes structural and basic qualitative behavioral aspects of a biological design. Converting SBML to SBOL enables a consistent connection between behavioral and structural information for a biological design. The conversion process described in this paper leverages Systems Biology Ontology (SBO) annotations to enable inference of a designs qualitative function.

Helminthes could influence the outcome of vaccines against TB in the tropics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elias, D; Akuffo, H; Britton, S

2006-01-01

Helminthes, infections widespread in the tropics, are known to elicit a wide range of immunomodulation characterized by dominant Th2 type immune responses, chronic immune activation as well as up-regulated regulatory T cell activity. Such a wide range of immunomodulation caused by helminthes may ...

The nucleic acid revolution continues - will forensic biology become forensic molecular biology?

Science.gov (United States)

Gunn, Peter; Walsh, Simon; Roux, Claude

2014-01-01

Molecular biology has evolved far beyond that which could have been predicted at the time DNA identity testing was established. Indeed we should now perhaps be referring to "forensic molecular biology." Aside from DNA's established role in identifying the "who" in crime investigations, other developments in medical and developmental molecular biology are now ripe for application to forensic challenges. The impact of DNA methylation and other post-fertilization DNA modifications, plus the emerging role of small RNAs in the control of gene expression, is re-writing our understanding of human biology. It is apparent that these emerging technologies will expand forensic molecular biology to allow for inferences about "when" a crime took place and "what" took place. However, just as the introduction of DNA identity testing engendered many challenges, so the expansion of molecular biology into these domains will raise again the issues of scientific validity, interpretation, probative value, and infringement of personal liberties. This Commentary ponders some of these emerging issues, and presents some ideas on how they will affect the conduct of forensic molecular biology in the foreseeable future.

BiologicalNetworks 2.0 - an integrative view of genome biology data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ponomarenko Julia

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A significant problem in the study of mechanisms of an organism's development is the elucidation of interrelated factors which are making an impact on the different levels of the organism, such as genes, biological molecules, cells, and cell systems. Numerous sources of heterogeneous data which exist for these subsystems are still not integrated sufficiently enough to give researchers a straightforward opportunity to analyze them together in the same frame of study. Systematic application of data integration methods is also hampered by a multitude of such factors as the orthogonal nature of the integrated data and naming problems. Results Here we report on a new version of BiologicalNetworks, a research environment for the integral visualization and analysis of heterogeneous biological data. BiologicalNetworks can be queried for properties of thousands of different types of biological entities (genes/proteins, promoters, COGs, pathways, binding sites, and other and their relations (interactions, co-expression, co-citations, and other. The system includes the build-pathways infrastructure for molecular interactions/relations and module discovery in high-throughput experiments. Also implemented in BiologicalNetworks are the Integrated Genome Viewer and Comparative Genomics Browser applications, which allow for the search and analysis of gene regulatory regions and their conservation in multiple species in conjunction with molecular pathways/networks, experimental data and functional annotations. Conclusions The new release of BiologicalNetworks together with its back-end database introduces extensive functionality for a more efficient integrated multi-level analysis of microarray, sequence, regulatory, and other data. BiologicalNetworks is freely available at http://www.biologicalnetworks.org.

Biological preconcentrator

Science.gov (United States)

Manginell, Ronald P [Albuquerque, NM; Bunker, Bruce C [Albuquerque, NM; Huber, Dale L [Albuquerque, NM

2008-09-09

A biological preconcentrator comprises a stimulus-responsive active film on a stimulus-producing microfabricated platform. The active film can comprise a thermally switchable polymer film that can be used to selectively absorb and desorb proteins from a protein mixture. The biological microfabricated platform can comprise a thin membrane suspended on a substrate with an integral resistive heater and/or thermoelectric cooler for thermal switching of the active polymer film disposed on the membrane. The active polymer film can comprise hydrogel-like polymers, such as poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(n-isopropylacrylamide), that are tethered to the membrane. The biological preconcentrator can be fabricated with semiconductor materials and technologies.

Systems Biology as an Integrated Platform for Bioinformatics, Systems Synthetic Biology, and Systems Metabolic Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bor-Sen; Wu, Chia-Chou

2013-01-01

Systems biology aims at achieving a system-level understanding of living organisms and applying this knowledge to various fields such as synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and medicine. System-level understanding of living organisms can be derived from insight into: (i) system structure and the mechanism of biological networks such as gene regulation, protein interactions, signaling, and metabolic pathways; (ii) system dynamics of biological networks, which provides an understanding of stability, robustness, and transduction ability through system identification, and through system analysis methods; (iii) system control methods at different levels of biological networks, which provide an understanding of systematic mechanisms to robustly control system states, minimize malfunctions, and provide potential therapeutic targets in disease treatment; (iv) systematic design methods for the modification and construction of biological networks with desired behaviors, which provide system design principles and system simulations for synthetic biology designs and systems metabolic engineering. This review describes current developments in systems biology, systems synthetic biology, and systems metabolic engineering for engineering and biology researchers. We also discuss challenges and future prospects for systems biology and the concept of systems biology as an integrated platform for bioinformatics, systems synthetic biology, and systems metabolic engineering. PMID:24709875

Systems Biology as an Integrated Platform for Bioinformatics, Systems Synthetic Biology, and Systems Metabolic Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bor-Sen Chen

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Systems biology aims at achieving a system-level understanding of living organisms and applying this knowledge to various fields such as synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and medicine. System-level understanding of living organisms can be derived from insight into: (i system structure and the mechanism of biological networks such as gene regulation, protein interactions, signaling, and metabolic pathways; (ii system dynamics of biological networks, which provides an understanding of stability, robustness, and transduction ability through system identification, and through system analysis methods; (iii system control methods at different levels of biological networks, which provide an understanding of systematic mechanisms to robustly control system states, minimize malfunctions, and provide potential therapeutic targets in disease treatment; (iv systematic design methods for the modification and construction of biological networks with desired behaviors, which provide system design principles and system simulations for synthetic biology designs and systems metabolic engineering. This review describes current developments in systems biology, systems synthetic biology, and systems metabolic engineering for engineering and biology researchers. We also discuss challenges and future prospects for systems biology and the concept of systems biology as an integrated platform for bioinformatics, systems synthetic biology, and systems metabolic engineering.

Review of Pasteuria penetrans: Biology, Ecology, and Biological Control Potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Z X; Dickson, D W

1998-09-01

Pasteuria penetrans is a mycelial, endospore-forming, bacterial parasite that has shown great potential as a biological control agent of root-knot nematodes. Considerable progress has been made during the last 10 years in understanding its biology and importance as an agent capable of effectively suppressing root-knot nematodes in field soil. The objective of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the biology, ecology, and biological control potential of P. penetrans and other Pasteuria members. Pasteuria spp. are distributed worldwide and have been reported from 323 nematode species belonging to 116 genera of free-living, predatory, plant-parasitic, and entomopathogenic nematodes. Artificial cultivation of P. penetrans has met with limited success; large-scale production of endospores depends on in vivo cultivation. Temperature affects endospore attachment, germination, pathogenesis, and completion of the life cycle in the nematode pseudocoelom. The biological control potential of Pasteuria spp. have been demonstrated on 20 crops; host nematodes include Belonolaimus longicaudatus, Heterodera spp., Meloidogyne spp., and Xiphinema diversicaudatum. Pasteuria penetrans plays an important role in some suppressive soils. The efficacy of the bacterium as a biological control agent has been examined. Approximately 100,000 endospores/g of soil provided immediate control of the peanut root-knot nematode, whereas 1,000 and 5,000 endospores/g of soil each amplified in the host nematode and became suppressive after 3 years.

A timeless biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Tozzi, Arturo; Peters, James F; Chafin, Clifford; De Falco, Domenico; Torday, John S

2018-05-01

Contrary to claims that physics is timeless while biology is time-dependent, we take the opposite standpoint: physical systems' dynamics are constrained by the arrow of time, while living assemblies are time-independent. Indeed, the concepts of "constraints" and "displacements" shed new light on the role of continuous time flow in life evolution, allowing us to sketch a physical gauge theory for biological systems in long timescales. In the very short timescales of biological systems' individual lives, time looks like "frozen" and "fixed", so that the second law of thermodynamics is momentarily wrecked. The global symmetries (standing for biological constrained trajectories, i.e. the energetic gradient flows dictated by the second law of thermodynamics in long timescales) are broken by local "displacements" where time is held constant, i.e., modifications occurring in living systems. Such displacements stand for brief local forces, able to temporarily "break" the cosmic increase in entropy. The force able to restore the symmetries (called "gauge field") stands for the very long timescales of biological evolution. Therefore, at the very low speeds of life evolution, time is no longer one of the four phase space coordinates of a spacetime Universe: it becomes just a gauge field superimposed to three-dimensional biological systems. We discuss the implications in biology: when assessing living beings, the underrated role of isolated "spatial" modifications needs to be emphasized, living apart the evolutionary role of time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computational biology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartmann, Lars Røeboe; Jones, Neil; Simonsen, Jakob Grue

2011-01-01

Computation via biological devices has been the subject of close scrutiny since von Neumann’s early work some 60 years ago. In spite of the many relevant works in this field, the notion of programming biological devices seems to be, at best, ill-defined. While many devices are claimed or proved t...

Mesoscopic biology

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper we present a qualitative outlook of mesoscopic biology where the typical length scale is of the order of nanometers and the energy scales comparable to thermal energy. Novel biomolecular machines, governed by coded information at the level of DNA and proteins, operate at these length scales in biological ...

Will the Convention on Biological Diversity put an end to biological control?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lenteren, van J.C.; Cock, M.J.W.; Brodeur, J.; Barratt, B.I.P.; Bigler, F.; Bolckmans, K.; Haas, F.; Mason, P.G.; Parra, J.R.P.

2011-01-01

Will the Convention on Biological Diversity put an end to biological control? Under the Convention on Biological Diversity countries have sovereign rights over their genetic resources. Agreements governing the access to these resources and the sharing of the benefits arising from their use need to

Mammalian Synthetic Biology: Engineering Biological Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Joshua B; Perez-Pinera, Pablo; Gersbach, Charles A

2017-06-21

The programming of new functions into mammalian cells has tremendous application in research and medicine. Continued improvements in the capacity to sequence and synthesize DNA have rapidly increased our understanding of mechanisms of gene function and regulation on a genome-wide scale and have expanded the set of genetic components available for programming cell biology. The invention of new research tools, including targetable DNA-binding systems such as CRISPR/Cas9 and sensor-actuator devices that can recognize and respond to diverse chemical, mechanical, and optical inputs, has enabled precise control of complex cellular behaviors at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. These tools have been critical for the expansion of synthetic biology techniques from prokaryotic and lower eukaryotic hosts to mammalian systems. Recent progress in the development of genome and epigenome editing tools and in the engineering of designer cells with programmable genetic circuits is expanding approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease and to establish personalized theranostic strategies for next-generation medicines. This review summarizes the development of these enabling technologies and their application to transforming mammalian synthetic biology into a distinct field in research and medicine.

Integrating quantitative thinking into an introductory biology course improves students' mathematical reasoning in biological contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hester, Susan; Buxner, Sanlyn; Elfring, Lisa; Nagy, Lisa

2014-01-01

Recent calls for improving undergraduate biology education have emphasized the importance of students learning to apply quantitative skills to biological problems. Motivated by students' apparent inability to transfer their existing quantitative skills to biological contexts, we designed and taught an introductory molecular and cell biology course in which we integrated application of prerequisite mathematical skills with biology content and reasoning throughout all aspects of the course. In this paper, we describe the principles of our course design and present illustrative examples of course materials integrating mathematics and biology. We also designed an outcome assessment made up of items testing students' understanding of biology concepts and their ability to apply mathematical skills in biological contexts and administered it as a pre/postcourse test to students in the experimental section and other sections of the same course. Precourse results confirmed students' inability to spontaneously transfer their prerequisite mathematics skills to biological problems. Pre/postcourse outcome assessment comparisons showed that, compared with students in other sections, students in the experimental section made greater gains on integrated math/biology items. They also made comparable gains on biology items, indicating that integrating quantitative skills into an introductory biology course does not have a deleterious effect on students' biology learning.

Integrating Quantitative Thinking into an Introductory Biology Course Improves Students’ Mathematical Reasoning in Biological Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Hester, Susan; Buxner, Sanlyn; Elfring, Lisa; Nagy, Lisa

2014-01-01

Recent calls for improving undergraduate biology education have emphasized the importance of students learning to apply quantitative skills to biological problems. Motivated by students’ apparent inability to transfer their existing quantitative skills to biological contexts, we designed and taught an introductory molecular and cell biology course in which we integrated application of prerequisite mathematical skills with biology content and reasoning throughout all aspects of the course. In this paper, we describe the principles of our course design and present illustrative examples of course materials integrating mathematics and biology. We also designed an outcome assessment made up of items testing students’ understanding of biology concepts and their ability to apply mathematical skills in biological contexts and administered it as a pre/postcourse test to students in the experimental section and other sections of the same course. Precourse results confirmed students’ inability to spontaneously transfer their prerequisite mathematics skills to biological problems. Pre/postcourse outcome assessment comparisons showed that, compared with students in other sections, students in the experimental section made greater gains on integrated math/biology items. They also made comparable gains on biology items, indicating that integrating quantitative skills into an introductory biology course does not have a deleterious effect on students’ biology learning. PMID:24591504

Exploring Visuomotor Priming Following Biological and Non-Biological Stimuli

Science.gov (United States)

Gowen, E.; Bradshaw, C.; Galpin, A.; Lawrence, A.; Poliakoff, E.

2010-01-01

Observation of human actions influences the observer's own motor system, termed visuomotor priming, and is believed to be caused by automatic activation of mirror neurons. Evidence suggests that priming effects are larger for biological (human) as opposed to non-biological (object) stimuli and enhanced when viewing stimuli in mirror compared to…

Immunomodulators as Therapeutic Agents in Mitigating the Progression of Parkinson’s Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bethany Grimmig

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is a common neurodegenerative disorder that primarily afflicts the elderly. It is characterized by motor dysfunction due to extensive neuron loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta. There are multiple biological processes that are negatively impacted during the pathogenesis of PD, and are implicated in the cell death in this region. Neuroinflammation is evidently involved in PD pathology and mitigating the inflammatory cascade has been a therapeutic strategy. Age is the number one risk factor for PD and thus needs to be considered in the context of disease pathology. Here, we discuss the role of neuroinflammation within the context of aging as it applies to the development of PD, and the potential for two representative compounds, fractalkine and astaxanthin, to attenuate the pathophysiology that modulates neurodegeneration that occurs in Parkinson’s disease.

From biology to mathematical models and back: teaching modeling to biology students, and biology to math and engineering students.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiel, Hillel J; McManus, Jeffrey M; Shaw, Kendrick M

2010-01-01

We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge that they find difficult. To give students a sense of mastery in each area, several complementary approaches are used in the course: 1) a "live" textbook that allows students to explore models and mathematical processes interactively; 2) benchmark problems providing key skills on which students make continuous progress; 3) assignment of students to teams of two throughout the semester; 4) regular one-on-one interactions with instructors throughout the semester; and 5) a term project in which students reconstruct, analyze, extend, and then write in detail about a recently published biological model. Based on student evaluations and comments, an attitude survey, and the quality of the students' term papers, the course has significantly increased the ability and willingness of biology students to use mathematical concepts and modeling tools to understand biological systems, and it has significantly enhanced engineering students' appreciation of biology.

From Biology to Mathematical Models and Back: Teaching Modeling to Biology Students, and Biology to Math and Engineering Students

Science.gov (United States)

McManus, Jeffrey M.; Shaw, Kendrick M.

2010-01-01

We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge that they find difficult. To give students a sense of mastery in each area, several complementary approaches are used in the course: 1) a “live” textbook that allows students to explore models and mathematical processes interactively; 2) benchmark problems providing key skills on which students make continuous progress; 3) assignment of students to teams of two throughout the semester; 4) regular one-on-one interactions with instructors throughout the semester; and 5) a term project in which students reconstruct, analyze, extend, and then write in detail about a recently published biological model. Based on student evaluations and comments, an attitude survey, and the quality of the students' term papers, the course has significantly increased the ability and willingness of biology students to use mathematical concepts and modeling tools to understand biological systems, and it has significantly enhanced engineering students' appreciation of biology. PMID:20810957

Modulation of immune response by bacterial lipopolysaccharides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo Aldapa-Vega

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Lipopolysaccharide (LPS is a molecule that is profusely found on the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and is also a potent stimulator of the immune response. As the main molecule on the bacterial surface, is also the most biologically active. The immune response of the host is activated by the recognition of LPS through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4 and this receptor-ligand interaction is closely linked to LPS structure. Microorganisms have evolved systems to control the expression and structure of LPS, producing structural variants that are used for modulating the host immune responses during infection. Examples of this include Helicobacter pylori, Francisella tularensis, Chlamydia trachomatis and Salmonella spp. High concentrations of LPS can cause fever, increased heart rate and lead to septic shock and death. However, at relatively low concentrations some LPS are highly active immunomodulators, which can induce non-specific resistance to invading microorganisms. The elucidation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the recognition of LPS and its structural variants has been fundamental to understand inflammation and is currently a pivotal field of research to understand the innate immune response, inflammation, the complex host-pathogen relationship and has important implications for the rational development of new immunomodulators and adjuvants.

Industrial systems biology and its impact on synthetic biology of yeast cell factories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fletcher, Eugene; Krivoruchko, Anastasia; Nielsen, Jens

2016-01-01

Engineering industrial cell factories to effectively yield a desired product while dealing with industrially relevant stresses is usually the most challenging step in the development of industrial production of chemicals using microbial fermentation processes. Using synthetic biology tools......, microbial cell factories such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be engineered to express synthetic pathways for the production of fuels, biopharmaceuticals, fragrances, and food flavors. However, directing fluxes through these synthetic pathways towards the desired product can be demanding due to complex...... regulation or poor gene expression. Systems biology, which applies computational tools and mathematical modeling to understand complex biological networks, can be used to guide synthetic biology design. Here, we present our perspective on how systems biology can impact synthetic biology towards the goal...

Dyneins: structure, biology and disease

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

King, Stephen M

2012-01-01

.... From bench to bedside, Dynein: Structure, Biology and Disease offers research on fundamental cellular processes to researchers and clinicians across developmental biology, cell biology, molecular biology, biophysics, biomedicine...

The fusion of biology, computer science, and engineering: towards efficient and successful synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Linshiz, Gregory; Goldberg, Alex; Konry, Tania; Hillson, Nathan J

2012-01-01

Synthetic biology is a nascent field that emerged in earnest only around the turn of the millennium. It aims to engineer new biological systems and impart new biological functionality, often through genetic modifications. The design and construction of new biological systems is a complex, multistep process, requiring multidisciplinary collaborative efforts from "fusion" scientists who have formal training in computer science or engineering, as well as hands-on biological expertise. The public has high expectations for synthetic biology and eagerly anticipates the development of solutions to the major challenges facing humanity. This article discusses laboratory practices and the conduct of research in synthetic biology. It argues that the fusion science approach, which integrates biology with computer science and engineering best practices, including standardization, process optimization, computer-aided design and laboratory automation, miniaturization, and systematic management, will increase the predictability and reproducibility of experiments and lead to breakthroughs in the construction of new biological systems. The article also discusses several successful fusion projects, including the development of software tools for DNA construction design automation, recursive DNA construction, and the development of integrated microfluidics systems.

A living foundry for Synthetic Biological Materials: A synthetic biology roadmap to new advanced materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosalind A. Le Feuvre

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Society is on the cusp of harnessing recent advances in synthetic biology to discover new bio-based products and routes to their affordable and sustainable manufacture. This is no more evident than in the discovery and manufacture of Synthetic Biological Materials, where synthetic biology has the capacity to usher in a new Materials from Biology era that will revolutionise the discovery and manufacture of innovative synthetic biological materials. These will encompass novel, smart, functionalised and hybrid materials for diverse applications whose discovery and routes to bio-production will be stimulated by the fusion of new technologies positioned across physical, digital and biological spheres. This article, which developed from an international workshop held in Manchester, United Kingdom, in 2017 [1], sets out to identify opportunities in the new materials from biology era. It considers requirements, early understanding and foresight of the challenges faced in delivering a Discovery to Manufacturing Pipeline for synthetic biological materials using synthetic biology approaches. This challenge spans the complete production cycle from intelligent and predictive design, fabrication, evaluation and production of synthetic biological materials to new ways of bringing these products to market. Pathway opportunities are identified that will help foster expertise sharing and infrastructure development to accelerate the delivery of a new generation of synthetic biological materials and the leveraging of existing investments in synthetic biology and advanced materials research to achieve this goal. Keywords: Synthetic biology, Materials, Biological materials, Biomaterials, Advanced materials

Advances in Structural Biology and the Application to Biological Filament Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Popp, David; Koh, Fujiet; Scipion, Clement P M; Ghoshdastider, Umesh; Narita, Akihiro; Holmes, Kenneth C; Robinson, Robert C

2018-04-01

Structural biology has experienced several transformative technological advances in recent years. These include: development of extremely bright X-ray sources (microfocus synchrotron beamlines and free electron lasers) and the use of electrons to extend protein crystallography to ever decreasing crystal sizes; and an increase in the resolution attainable by cryo-electron microscopy. Here we discuss the use of these techniques in general terms and highlight their application for biological filament systems, an area that is severely underrepresented in atomic resolution structures. We assemble a model of a capped tropomyosin-actin minifilament to demonstrate the utility of combining structures determined by different techniques. Finally, we survey the methods that attempt to transform high resolution structural biology into more physiological environments, such as the cell. Together these techniques promise a compelling decade for structural biology and, more importantly, they will provide exciting discoveries in understanding the designs and purposes of biological machines. © 2018 The Authors. BioEssays Published by WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Ingram, M.; Mason, W. B.; Whipple, G. H.; Howland, J. W.

1952-04-07

This report presents a review of present knowledge and concepts of the biological effects of ionizing radiations. Among the topics discussed are the physical and chemical effects of ionizing radiation on biological systems, morphological and physiological changes observed in biological systems subjected to ionizing radiations, physiological changes in the intact animal, latent changes following exposure of biological systems to ionizing radiations, factors influencing the biological response to ionizing radiation, relative effects of various ionizing radiations, and biological dosimetry.

Biology and Economics: Metaphors that Economists usually take from Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danny García Callejas

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Adam Smith, Alfred Marshall, Stanley Jevons, Karl Marx, Francois Quesnay and Joseph Schumpeter all have at least one thing in common: they used biological metaphors when speaking about economics. Nonetheless, today, this relation subsists and biology and economics are viewed as complementary sciences that have a lot to gain from joint research in fields like: evolutionary economics, economic growth, cognitive economics and environmental and ecological economics, among others. This paper, divided in four sections, will show this conclusion and explain that biology and economics are more sisters than strangers

Branching processes in biology

CERN Document Server

Kimmel, Marek

2015-01-01

This book provides a theoretical background of branching processes and discusses their biological applications. Branching processes are a well-developed and powerful set of tools in the field of applied probability. The range of applications considered includes molecular biology, cellular biology, human evolution and medicine. The branching processes discussed include Galton-Watson, Markov, Bellman-Harris, Multitype, and General Processes. As an aid to understanding specific examples, two introductory chapters, and two glossaries are included that provide background material in mathematics and in biology. The book will be of interest to scientists who work in quantitative modeling of biological systems, particularly probabilists, mathematical biologists, biostatisticians, cell biologists, molecular biologists, and bioinformaticians. The authors are a mathematician and cell biologist who have collaborated for more than a decade in the field of branching processes in biology for this new edition. This second ex...

Network Analyses in Systems Biology: New Strategies for Dealing with Biological Complexity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Sara; Serban, Maria; Scholl, Raphael

2018-01-01

of biological networks using tools from graph theory to the application of dynamical systems theory to understand the behavior of complex biological systems. We show how network approaches support and extend traditional mechanistic strategies but also offer novel strategies for dealing with biological...... strategies? When and how can network and mechanistic approaches interact in productive ways? In this paper we address these questions by focusing on how biological networks are represented and analyzed in a diverse class of case studies. Our examples span from the investigation of organizational properties...

Surgery, Crohn's disease, and the biological era: has there been an impact?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Slattery, Eoin

2012-02-01

INTRODUCTION: The management of Crohn\\'s disease (CD) has changed considerably over the last 20 years. Immunomodulators and biological therapies now play a role in treating patients with CD, but little is known of their influence on surgical rates. AIM: To review the surgery rates for CD in an Irish university hospital over a 20-year period and to determine whether newer therapies had an impact on surgical rates. METHOD: Seven hundred twenty-two patients attending St Vincent\\'s University Hospital, Dublin, with CD over a 20-year period (January 1986 to December 2005) were identified. The patients were divided into quartiles. Resection rates were determined in all the quartiles, at both 1 and 3 years from diagnosis. RESULTS: A decline in surgery, 3 years from diagnosis, was noted between the first quartile (72 patients, 40%) and the second quartile (58 patients, 32%; P=0.03). No significant change in surgical rates at 3 years occurred between the other 3 quartiles (32%, 30%, and 35%, respectively; P=NS). The patients who required a resection within 3 years were diagnosed at a younger age in later years. There was a similar predominance of 60% of female patients requiring surgery in all groups. The patients requiring surgery were twice as likely to be ex-smokers or current smokers in all groups. Use of infliximab, within 3 years from diagnosis, increased from 0, 0, and 16 patients (8.8%) to 40 patients (22.1%) in the last quartile. The majority of patients were treated with infliximab on an "on demand" basis. Use of infliximab earlier within the course of the disease was seen in later quartiles (ie, within 1 y of diagnosis): 0, 0, 6, and 21 patients. CONCLUSION: Despite the introduction of infliximab over the past 10 years, no demonstrable difference has been seen in the rates of patients requiring resection surgery within 3 years of diagnosis. The reasons for this are unclear, but may relate to episodic treatment, rather than regular maintenance treatment. Female

Systems Biology-an interdisciplinary approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Friboulet, Alain; Thomas, Daniel

2005-06-15

System-level approaches in biology are not new but foundations of "Systems Biology" are achieved only now at the beginning of the 21st century [Kitano, H., 2001. Foundations of Systems Biology. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA]. The renewed interest for a system-level approach is linked to the progress in collecting experimental data and to the limits of the "reductionist" approach. System-level understanding of native biological and pathological systems is needed to provide potential therapeutic targets. Examples of interdisciplinary approach in Systems Biology are described in U.S., Japan and Europe. Robustness in biology, metabolic engineering and idiotypic networks are discussed in the framework of Systems Biology.

Incidence and Clinical Outcomes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in South Korea, 2011-2014: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Yoon Suk; Han, Minkyung; Kim, Won Ho; Park, Sohee; Cheon, Jae Hee

2017-08-01

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in East Asia; however, population-based data from this region are lacking. We conducted a nationwide, population-based study to examine the incidence and disease course of IBD in South Korea. Using the National Health Insurance claims data, we collected data on patients diagnosed with IBD [10,049 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 5595 with Crohn's disease (CD)] from 2011 to 2014. During the study period, the average annual incidence of UC was 5.0 per 10 5 , while that of CD was 2.8 per 10 5 . Among patients with UC, the cumulative rates of surgery 1 and 4 years after diagnosis were 1.0 and 2.0%; those among patients with CD were 9.0 and 13.9%, respectively. The 1- and 4-year cumulative rates of moderate- to high-dose corticosteroid use were, respectively, 26.6 and 45.2% among patients with UC, and 29.9 and 50.8% among those with CD. Similarly, the 1- and 4-year cumulative rates of immunomodulator use were 14.1 and 26.4% among patients with UC, and 58.3 and 76.1% among those with CD, respectively. With regard to biologic use, the 1- and 4-year cumulative rates were 3.0 and 9.0% among patients with UC, and 11.1 and 31.7% among those with CD, respectively. The recent incidence of IBD in South Korea has been the highest in East Asia. Patients who had been diagnosed recently with IBD showed lower rates of surgery and higher rates of immunomodulator and biologic use compared to those reported ever in South Korea.

Molecular biology - Part II: Beneficial liaisons: Radiobiology meets cellular and molecular biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, Mary Ann; Coleman, C. Norman

1997-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this course is to familiarize radiation oncologists with the concepts and terminology of molecular and cellular biology that are especially relevant to radiation oncology. The ability of radiation oncologists to remain current with the new discoveries of modern biology is essential to the development of improved therapeutic strategies and, importantly, to the proper balance between investment in technology and biology. Objective: This year, this Refresher Course is part of a three-part ''series'' including Drs. McKenna and Dritschilo. The objective is to provide continuing education for the academic and practicing radiation oncologist, physicist and biologist in the modern biologic concepts of cancer and its treatment. An effort will be made to relate these general concepts to the clinic by providing a broad view as to potential new biological treatments which might enhance the efficacy of radiation therapy. The specific focus of this Course will vary from year to year. Some of the classic radiation biology models which form the basis of clinical practice and laboratory research will be examined and 'newer' models will be presented which take into account the emerging knowledge of cellular and molecular biology. A few techniques in molecular and cellular biology will be described to the extent necessary to understand their basic concepts and their applicability. Aspects of radiation biology which will be covered include cell cycle, radiation-induced changes in the cellular phenotype, and considerations of the effect of the tumor microenvironment. It is not the expectation that the attendees will become experts in the particular subjects presented. Rather, it is the intent to increase their curiosity as to the new knowledge that is emerging and to demonstrate that these seemingly complicated areas can be understood and appreciated with a modicum of the effort

Molecular biology - Part II: Beneficial liaisons: Radiobiology meets cellular and molecular biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, Mary Ann; Coleman, C. Norman

1996-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this course is to familiarize radiation oncologists with the concepts and terminology of molecular and cellular biology that are especially relevant to radiation oncology. The ability of radiation oncologists to remain current with the new discoveries of modern biology is essential to the development of improved therapeutic strategies and, importantly, to the proper balance between investment in technology and biology. Objective: This year, this Refresher Course is part of a three-part 'series' including Drs. Martin Brown and Amato Giaccia. The objective is to provide continuing education for the academic and practicing radiation oncologist, physicist and biologist in the modern biologic concepts of cancer and its treatment. An effort will be made to relate these general concepts to the clinic by providing a broad view as to potential new biological treatments which might enhance the efficacy of radiation therapy. The specific focus of this Course will vary from year to year. Some of the classic radiation biology models which form the basis of clinical practice and laboratory research will be examined and 'newer' models will be presented which take into account the emerging knowledge of cellular and molecular biology. A few techniques in molecular and cellular biology will be described to the extent necessary to understand their basic concepts and their applicability. Aspects of radiation biology which will be covered include cell cycle, radiation-induced changes in the cellular phenotype, and considerations of the effect of the tumor microenvironment. It is not the expectation that the attendees will become experts in the particular subjects presented. Rather, it is the intent to increase their curiosity as to the new knowledge that is emerging and to demonstrate that these seemingly complicated areas can be understood and appreciated with a modicum of the effort

Towards multidimensional radiotherapy (MD-CRT): biological imaging and biological conformality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ling, C. Clifton; Humm, John; Larson, Steven; Amols, Howard; Fuks, Zvi; Leibel, Steven; Koutcher, Jason A.

2000-01-01

Purpose: The goals of this study were to survey and summarize the advances in imaging that have potential applications in radiation oncology, and to explore the concept of integrating physical and biological conformality in multidimensional conformal radiotherapy (MD-CRT). Methods and Materials: The advances in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) have greatly improved the physical conformality of treatment planning and delivery. The development of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has provided the 'dose painting' or 'dose sculpting' ability to further customize the delivered dose distribution. The improved capabilities of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, and of positron emission tomography, are beginning to provide physiological and functional information about the tumor and its surroundings. In addition, molecular imaging promises to reveal tumor biology at the genotype and phenotype level. These developments converge to provide significant opportunities for enhancing the success of radiotherapy. Results: The ability of IMRT to deliver nonuniform dose patterns by design brings to fore the question of how to 'dose paint' and 'dose sculpt', leading to the suggestion that 'biological' images may be of assistance. In contrast to the conventional radiological images that primarily provide anatomical information, biological images reveal metabolic, functional, physiological, genotypic, and phenotypic data. Important for radiotherapy, the new and noninvasive imaging methods may yield three-dimensional radiobiological information. Studies are urgently needed to identify genotypes and phenotypes that affect radiosensitivity, and to devise methods to image them noninvasively. Incremental to the concept of gross, clinical, and planning target volumes (GTV, CTV, and PTV), we propose the concept of 'biological target volume' (BTV) and hypothesize that BTV can be derived from biological images and that their use may incrementally improve

Answering biological questions: Querying a systems biology database for nutrigenomics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Evelo, C.T.; Bochove, K. van; Saito, J.T.

2011-01-01

The requirement of systems biology for connecting different levels of biological research leads directly to a need for integrating vast amounts of diverse information in general and of omics data in particular. The nutritional phenotype database addresses this challenge for nutrigenomics. A

"Protected biological control"- Biological pest management in the greenhouse industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pilkington, L.J.; Messelink, G.J.; Lenteren, van J.C.; Mottee, Le K.

2010-01-01

This paper briefly describes the foundations and characteristics of biological control in protected cropping and what drivers are behind adoption of this management system within this industry. Examining a brief history of biological control in greenhouses and what makes it a successful management

Ranitidine improves certain cellular immune responses in asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsøn, H J; Svenningsen, A; Moesgaard, F

1991-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is characterized by a progressive impairment in immunocompetence leading to severe opportunistic infections and malignancies. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the potential impact of immunomodulation by oral ranitidine, 600 mg daily, for 28...... days was studied in 18 HIV-positive patients (CDC group II). All were without clinical signs of infections and were not treated with other known immunomodulating agents. Several immunological parameters related to HIV infection were studied and confirmed to be impaired early in HIV infection...... shown in this study is small, the present result indicates the need for further trials with immunomodulation by ranitidine in HIV-infected individuals....

Tritium biological effects and perspective of the biological study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komatsu, Kenshi

1998-01-01

Since tritium is an emitter of weak β-rays (5.7keV) and is able to bind to DNA, i.e., the most important genome component, the biological effects should be expected to be more profound than that of X-rays and γ-rays. When carcinogenesis, genetical effects and the detriments for fetus and embryo were used as a biological endpoint, most of tritium RBE (relative biological effectiveness) ranged from 1 to 2. The tritium risk in man could be calculated from these RBEs and γ-ray risk for human exposure, which are obtained mainly from the data on Atomic Bomb survivors. However, the exposure modality from environmental tritium should be a chronic irradiation with ultra low dose rate or a fractionated irradiation. We must estimate the tritium effect in man based on biological experiments alone, due to lack of such epidemiological data. Low dose rate experiment should be always accompanied by the statistical problem of data, since their biological effects are fairy low, and they should involve a possible repair system, such as adaptive response (or hormesis effect) and 'Kada effect' observed in bacteria. Here we discuss future works for the tritium assessment in man, such as (1) developing a high radiation sensitive assay system with rodent hybrid cells containing a single human chromosome and also (2) study on mammal DNA repair at molecular levels using a radiosensitive hereditary disease, Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome. (author)

A living foundry for Synthetic Biological Materials: A synthetic biology roadmap to new advanced materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Feuvre, Rosalind A; Scrutton, Nigel S

2018-06-01

Society is on the cusp of harnessing recent advances in synthetic biology to discover new bio-based products and routes to their affordable and sustainable manufacture. This is no more evident than in the discovery and manufacture of Synthetic Biological Materials , where synthetic biology has the capacity to usher in a new Materials from Biology era that will revolutionise the discovery and manufacture of innovative synthetic biological materials. These will encompass novel, smart, functionalised and hybrid materials for diverse applications whose discovery and routes to bio-production will be stimulated by the fusion of new technologies positioned across physical, digital and biological spheres. This article, which developed from an international workshop held in Manchester, United Kingdom, in 2017 [1], sets out to identify opportunities in the new materials from biology era. It considers requirements, early understanding and foresight of the challenges faced in delivering a Discovery to Manufacturing Pipeline for synthetic biological materials using synthetic biology approaches. This challenge spans the complete production cycle from intelligent and predictive design, fabrication, evaluation and production of synthetic biological materials to new ways of bringing these products to market. Pathway opportunities are identified that will help foster expertise sharing and infrastructure development to accelerate the delivery of a new generation of synthetic biological materials and the leveraging of existing investments in synthetic biology and advanced materials research to achieve this goal.

Frontiers in mathematical biology

CERN Document Server

1994-01-01

Volume 100, which is the final volume of the LNBM series serves to commemorate the acievements in two decades of this influential collection of books in mathematical biology. The contributions, by the leading mathematical biologists, survey the state of the art in the subject, and offer speculative, philosophical and critical analyses of the key issues confronting the field. The papers address fundamental issues in cell and molecular biology, organismal biology, evolutionary biology, population ecology, community and ecosystem ecology, and applied biology, plus the explicit and implicit mathematical challenges. Cross-cuttting issues involve the problem of variation among units in nonlinear systems, and the related problems of the interactions among phenomena across scales of space, time and organizational complexity.

SIMS applications in biological research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prince, K.E.; Burke, P.T.; Kelly, I.J.

2000-01-01

Full text: SIMS has been utilised as a tool for biological research since the early 1970's. SIMS' abilities in isotopic detection with high sensitivity, imaging capabilities at a subcellular level, and the possibility of molecular imaging have been the main areas of interest for biological development. However, whilst hundreds of instruments are available in industrial and university laboratories for semiconductor and materials analysis, only a handful successfully perform biological research. For this reason there is generally a lack of awareness of SIMS by the biological community. Biological SIMS analysis requires a working knowledge of both biology and SIMS. Sample preparation is a critical and time consuming prerequisite for any successful biological SIMS study. In addition, for quantification to be possible a homogeneous, matrix matched standard must be available. Once these difficulties are more widely understood and overcome there will be a greater motivation for the biological community to embrace SIMS as a unique tool in their research. This paper provides an overview of some of the more successful biological SIMS application areas internationally, and summarises the types of biological SIMS requests received by ANSTO

Biology of Blood

Science.gov (United States)

... switch to the Professional version Home Blood Disorders Biology of Blood Overview of Blood Resources In This ... Version. DOCTORS: Click here for the Professional Version Biology of Blood Overview of Blood Components of Blood ...

Mechanical Biological Treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bilitewski, B-; Oros, Christiane; Christensen, Thomas Højlund

2011-01-01

The basic processes and technologies of composting and anaerobic digestion, as described in the previous chapters, are usually used for specific or source-separated organic waste flows. However, in the 1990s mechanical biological waste treatment technologies (MBT) were developed for unsorted...... or residual waste (after some recyclables removed at the source). The concept was originally to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, but MBT technologies are today also seen as plants recovering fuel as well as material fractions. As the name suggests the technology combines mechanical treatment...... technologies (screens, sieves, magnets, etc.) with biological technologies (composting, anaerobic digestion). Two main technologies are available: Mechanical biological pretreatment (MBP), which first removes an RDF fraction and then biologically treats the remaining waste before most of it is landfilled...

Industrial systems biology and its impact on synthetic biology of yeast cell factories.

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, Eugene; Krivoruchko, Anastasia; Nielsen, Jens

2016-06-01

Engineering industrial cell factories to effectively yield a desired product while dealing with industrially relevant stresses is usually the most challenging step in the development of industrial production of chemicals using microbial fermentation processes. Using synthetic biology tools, microbial cell factories such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be engineered to express synthetic pathways for the production of fuels, biopharmaceuticals, fragrances, and food flavors. However, directing fluxes through these synthetic pathways towards the desired product can be demanding due to complex regulation or poor gene expression. Systems biology, which applies computational tools and mathematical modeling to understand complex biological networks, can be used to guide synthetic biology design. Here, we present our perspective on how systems biology can impact synthetic biology towards the goal of developing improved yeast cell factories. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1164-1170. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The paradox of natural products as pharmaceuticals. Experimental evidences of a mango stem bark extract.

Science.gov (United States)

Núñez-Sellés, Alberto J; Delgado-Hernández, René; Garrido-Garrido, Gabino; García-Rivera, Dagmar; Guevara-García, Mariela; Pardo-Andreu, Gilberto L

2007-05-01

Recent findings regarding basic, pre-clinical and clinical studies on a mango stem bark extract (MSBE) developed in Cuba (Vimang) on an industrial scale are summarized. Ethnomedical studies, extract reproducibility, biological effects and clinical evaluations in terms of patient quality of life are described as experimental evidences to support the statement that natural products, even being a mixture of compounds, could be as effective as "monoceuticals" for medical uses. Discussion about the use of "monoceuticals" versus "natureceuticals" in health care and medicine is based on effectiveness and availability, taking Vimang as an example of a natural product with supported scientific evidence to be used as antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulator.

Structure, bioactivity, and synthesis of methylated flavonoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Lingrong; Jiang, Yueming; Yang, Jiali; Zhao, Yupeng; Tian, Miaomiao; Yang, Bao

2017-06-01

Methylated flavonoids are an important type of natural flavonoid derivative with potentially multiple health benefits; among other things, they have improved bioavailability compared with flavonoid precursors. Flavonoids have been documented to have broad bioactivities, such as anticancer, immunomodulation, and antioxidant activities, that can be elevated, to a certain extent, by methylation. Understanding the structure, bioactivity, and bioavailability of methylated flavonoids, therefore, is an interesting topic with broad potential applications. Though methylated flavonoids are widely present in plants, their levels are usually low. Because developing efficient techniques to produce these chemicals would likely be beneficial, we provide an overview of their chemical and biological synthesis. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

Biological anti-TNF drugs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prado, Mônica Simon; Bendtzen, Klaus; Andrade, Luis Eduardo Coelho

2017-01-01

practice shows a significant percentage of individuals who do not exhibit the desired response. Loss of therapeutic benefit after initial successful response is designated secondary failure. Immune-biological agents are not self-antigens and are therefore potentially immunogenic. Secondary failure...... is frequently caused by antibodies against immune-biologicals, known as anti-drug antibodies (ADA). ADA that neutralize circulating immune-biologicals and/or promote their clearance can reduce treatment efficacy. Furthermore, ADA can induce adverse events by diverse immunological mechanisms. This review...... provides a comprehensive overview of ADA in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with anti-TNF immune-biologicals, and explores the concept of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) as an effective strategy to improve therapeutic management. Expert opinion: Monitoring circulating ADA and therapeutic immune-biological...

Nutritional Systems Biology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kasper

and network biology has the potential to increase our understanding of how small molecules affect metabolic pathways and homeostasis, how this perturbation changes at the disease state, and to what extent individual genotypes contribute to this. A fruitful strategy in approaching and exploring the field...... biology research. The paper also shows as a proof-of-concept that a systems biology approach to diet is meaningful and demonstrates some basic principles on how to work with diet systematic. The second chapter of this thesis we developed the resource NutriChem v1.0. A foodchemical database linking...... sites of diet on the disease pathway. We propose a framework for interrogating the critical targets in colon cancer process and identifying plant-based dietary interventions as important modifiers using a systems chemical biology approach. The fifth chapter of the thesis is on discovering of novel anti...

Mathematical modeling of biological processes

CERN Document Server

Friedman, Avner

2014-01-01

This book on mathematical modeling of biological processes includes a wide selection of biological topics that demonstrate the power of mathematics and computational codes in setting up biological processes with a rigorous and predictive framework. Topics include: enzyme dynamics, spread of disease, harvesting bacteria, competition among live species, neuronal oscillations, transport of neurofilaments in axon, cancer and cancer therapy, and granulomas. Complete with a description of the biological background and biological question that requires the use of mathematics, this book is developed for graduate students and advanced undergraduate students with only basic knowledge of ordinary differential equations and partial differential equations; background in biology is not required. Students will gain knowledge on how to program with MATLAB without previous programming experience and how to use codes in order to test biological hypothesis.

Upgrading Undergraduate Biology Education

Science.gov (United States)

Musante, Susan

2011-01-01

On many campuses throughout the country, undergraduate biology education is in serious need of an upgrade. During the past few decades, the body of biological knowledge has grown exponentially, and as a research endeavor, the practice of biology has evolved. Education research has also made great strides, revealing many new insights into how…

Fusion of biological membranes

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Pramana – Journal of Physics; Volume 64; Issue 6. Fusion of biological membranes. K Katsov M Müller M Schick. Invited Talks:- Topic 11. Biologically motivated problems (protein-folding models, dynamics at the scale of the cell; biological networks, evolution models, etc.) Volume 64 Issue 6 June 2005 pp ...

Multiscale Biological Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frølich, Simon

of multiscale biological systems have been investigated and new research methods for automated Rietveld refinement and diffraction scattering computed tomography developed. The composite nature of biological materials was investigated at the atomic scale by looking at the consequences of interactions between...

Immunomodulation of glioma cells after gene therapy: induction of major histocompatibility complex class I but not class II antigen in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsa, A T; Chi, J H; Hurley, P T; Jeyapalan, S A; Bruce, J N

2001-09-01

retroviral gene therapy is a primary effect that is dependent on tyrosine kinase activity. Specific immune responses generated after transfection may represent an important general side effect of gene therapy protocols. Elucidation of the mechanism of immunomodulation after gene therapy will likely yield safer and more effective clinical protocols.

Development of the Biology Card Sorting Task to Measure Conceptual Expertise in Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Julia I.; Combs, Elijah D.; Nagami, Paul H.; Alto, Valerie M.; Goh, Henry G.; Gourdet, Muryam A. A.; Hough, Christina M.; Nickell, Ashley E.; Peer, Adrian G.; Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

2013-01-01

There are widespread aspirations to focus undergraduate biology education on teaching students to think conceptually like biologists; however, there is a dearth of assessment tools designed to measure progress from novice to expert biological conceptual thinking. We present the development of a novel assessment tool, the Biology Card Sorting Task,…

Two Dogmas of Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonore Fleming

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The problem with reductionism in biology is not the reduction, but the implicit attitude of determinism that usually accompanies it. Methodological reductionism is supported by deterministic beliefs, but making such a connection is problematic when it is based on an idea of determinism as fixed predictability. Conflating determinism with predictability gives rise to inaccurate models that overlook the dynamic complexity of our world, as well as ignore our epistemic limitations when we try to model it. Furthermore, the assumption of a strictly deterministic framework is unnecessarily hindering to biology. By removing the dogma of determinism, biological methods, including reductive methods, can be expanded to include stochastic models and probabilistic interpretations. Thus, the dogma of reductionism can be saved once its ties with determinism are severed. In this paper, I analyze two problems that have faced molecular biology for the last 50 years—protein folding and cancer. Both cases demonstrate the long influence of reductionism and determinism on molecular biology, as well as how abandoning determinism has opened the door to more probabilistic and unconstrained reductive methods in biology.

Organic chemistry and biology: chemical biology through the eyes of collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hruby, Victor J

2009-12-18

From a scientific perspective, efforts to understand biology including what constitutes health and disease has become a chemical problem. However, chemists and biologists "see" the problems of understanding biology from different perspectives, and this has retarded progress in solving the problems especially as they relate to health and disease. This suggests that close collaboration between chemists and biologists is not only necessary but essential for progress in both the biology and chemistry that will provide solutions to the global questions of biology. This perspective has directed my scientific efforts for the past 45 years, and in this overview I provide my perspective of how the applications of synthetic chemistry, structural design, and numerous other chemical principles have intersected in my collaborations with biologists to provide new tools, new science, and new insights that were only made possible and fruitful by these collaborations.

Effect of Herbal Immunodulator on Body weight gain in immunosuppressed broiler birds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.G. Mode

Full Text Available The herbal immunomodulator was evaluated in immunosupressed broiler birds in terms of body weight gain. The treatment with Ocimum sanctum and Emblica officinalis @ 3 gm /kg feed for 2 weeks were found to be effective immunomodulator in increasing body weight gain in broiler birds. [Vet World 2009; 2(7.000: 269-270

Radiation biology. Chapter 20

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wondergem, J. [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

2014-09-15

Radiation biology (radiobiology) is the study of the action of ionizing radiations on living matter. This chapter gives an overview of the biological effects of ionizing radiation and discusses the physical, chemical and biological variables that affect dose response at the cellular, tissue and whole body levels at doses and dose rates relevant to diagnostic radiology.

Paradigms for biologically inspired design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenau, T. A.; Metzea, A.-L.; Hesselberg, T.

2018-01-01

engineering, medical engineering, nanotechnology, photonics,environmental protection and agriculture. However, a major obstacle for the wider use of biologically inspired design isthe knowledge barrier that exist between the application engineers that have insight into how to design suitable productsand......Biologically inspired design is attracting increasing interest since it offers access to a huge biological repository of wellproven design principles that can be used for developing new and innovative products. Biological phenomena can inspireproduct innovation in as diverse areas as mechanical...... the biologists with detailed knowledge and experience in understanding how biological organisms function in theirenvironment. The biologically inspired design process can therefore be approached using different design paradigmsdepending on the dominant opportunities, challenges and knowledge characteristics...

Graphics processing units in bioinformatics, computational biology and systems biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Nobile, Marco S; Cazzaniga, Paolo; Tangherloni, Andrea; Besozzi, Daniela

2017-09-01

Several studies in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Systems Biology rely on the definition of physico-chemical or mathematical models of biological systems at different scales and levels of complexity, ranging from the interaction of atoms in single molecules up to genome-wide interaction networks. Traditional computational methods and software tools developed in these research fields share a common trait: they can be computationally demanding on Central Processing Units (CPUs), therefore limiting their applicability in many circumstances. To overcome this issue, general-purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are gaining an increasing attention by the scientific community, as they can considerably reduce the running time required by standard CPU-based software, and allow more intensive investigations of biological systems. In this review, we present a collection of GPU tools recently developed to perform computational analyses in life science disciplines, emphasizing the advantages and the drawbacks in the use of these parallel architectures. The complete list of GPU-powered tools here reviewed is available at http://bit.ly/gputools. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Synthetic biology and its alternatives. Descartes, Kant and the idea of engineering biological machines.

Science.gov (United States)

Kogge, Werner; Richter, Michael

2013-06-01

The engineering-based approach of synthetic biology is characterized by an assumption that 'engineering by design' enables the construction of 'living machines'. These 'machines', as biological machines, are expected to display certain properties of life, such as adapting to changing environments and acting in a situated way. This paper proposes that a tension exists between the expectations placed on biological artefacts and the notion of producing such systems by means of engineering; this tension makes it seem implausible that biological systems, especially those with properties characteristic of living beings, can in fact be produced using the specific methods of engineering. We do not claim that engineering techniques have nothing to contribute to the biotechnological construction of biological artefacts. However, drawing on Descartes's and Kant's thinking on the relationship between the organism and the machine, we show that it is considerably more plausible to assume that distinctively biological artefacts emerge within a paradigm different from the paradigm of the Cartesian machine that underlies the engineering approach. We close by calling for increased attention to be paid to approaches within molecular biology and chemistry that rest on conceptions different from those of synthetic biology's engineering paradigm. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neutron in biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niimura, Nobuo

1997-01-01

Neutron in biology can provide an experimental method of directly locating relationship of proteins and DNA. However, there are relatively few experimental study of such objects since it takes a lot of time to collect a sufficient number of Bragg reflections and inelastic spectra due to the low flux of neutron illuminating the sample. Since a next generation neutron source of JAERI will be 5MW spallation neutron source and its effective neutron flux will be 10 2 to 10 3 times higher than the one of JRR-3M, neutron in biology will open a completely new world for structural biology. (author)

Biological warfare agents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duraipandian Thavaselvam

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The recent bioterrorist attacks using anthrax spores have emphasized the need to detect and decontaminate critical facilities in the shortest possible time. There has been a remarkable progress in the detection, protection and decontamination of biological warfare agents as many instrumentation platforms and detection methodologies are developed and commissioned. Even then the threat of biological warfare agents and their use in bioterrorist attacks still remain a leading cause of global concern. Furthermore in the past decade there have been threats due to the emerging new diseases and also the re-emergence of old diseases and development of antimicrobial resistance and spread to new geographical regions. The preparedness against these agents need complete knowledge about the disease, better research and training facilities, diagnostic facilities and improved public health system. This review on the biological warfare agents will provide information on the biological warfare agents, their mode of transmission and spread and also the detection systems available to detect them. In addition the current information on the availability of commercially available and developing technologies against biological warfare agents has also been discussed. The risk that arise due to the use of these agents in warfare or bioterrorism related scenario can be mitigated with the availability of improved detection technologies.

Biological warfare agents

Science.gov (United States)

Thavaselvam, Duraipandian; Vijayaraghavan, Rajagopalan

2010-01-01

The recent bioterrorist attacks using anthrax spores have emphasized the need to detect and decontaminate critical facilities in the shortest possible time. There has been a remarkable progress in the detection, protection and decontamination of biological warfare agents as many instrumentation platforms and detection methodologies are developed and commissioned. Even then the threat of biological warfare agents and their use in bioterrorist attacks still remain a leading cause of global concern. Furthermore in the past decade there have been threats due to the emerging new diseases and also the re-emergence of old diseases and development of antimicrobial resistance and spread to new geographical regions. The preparedness against these agents need complete knowledge about the disease, better research and training facilities, diagnostic facilities and improved public health system. This review on the biological warfare agents will provide information on the biological warfare agents, their mode of transmission and spread and also the detection systems available to detect them. In addition the current information on the availability of commercially available and developing technologies against biological warfare agents has also been discussed. The risk that arise due to the use of these agents in warfare or bioterrorism related scenario can be mitigated with the availability of improved detection technologies. PMID:21829313

Microgravity Fluids for Biology, Workshop

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, DeVon; Kohl, Fred; Massa, Gioia D.; Motil, Brian; Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia; Quincy, Charles; Sato, Kevin; Singh, Bhim; Smith, Jeffrey D.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2013-01-01

Microgravity Fluids for Biology represents an intersection of biology and fluid physics that present exciting research challenges to the Space Life and Physical Sciences Division. Solving and managing the transport processes and fluid mechanics in physiological and biological systems and processes are essential for future space exploration and colonization of space by humans. Adequate understanding of the underlying fluid physics and transport mechanisms will provide new, necessary insights and technologies for analyzing and designing biological systems critical to NASAs mission. To enable this mission, the fluid physics discipline needs to work to enhance the understanding of the influence of gravity on the scales and types of fluids (i.e., non-Newtonian) important to biology and life sciences. In turn, biomimetic, bio-inspired and synthetic biology applications based on physiology and biology can enrich the fluid mechanics and transport phenomena capabilities of the microgravity fluid physics community.

Synthetic biology and occupational risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, John; Murashov, Vladimir; Schulte, Paul

2017-03-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging interdisciplinary field of biotechnology that involves applying the principles of engineering and chemical design to biological systems. Biosafety professionals have done an excellent job in addressing research laboratory safety as synthetic biology and gene editing have emerged from the larger field of biotechnology. Despite these efforts, risks posed by synthetic biology are of increasing concern as research procedures scale up to industrial processes in the larger bioeconomy. A greater number and variety of workers will be exposed to commercial synthetic biology risks in the future, including risks to a variety of workers from the use of lentiviral vectors as gene transfer devices. There is a need to review and enhance current protection measures in the field of synthetic biology, whether in experimental laboratories where new advances are being researched, in health care settings where treatments using viral vectors as gene delivery systems are increasingly being used, or in the industrial bioeconomy. Enhanced worker protection measures should include increased injury and illness surveillance of the synthetic biology workforce; proactive risk assessment and management of synthetic biology products; research on the relative effectiveness of extrinsic and intrinsic biocontainment methods; specific safety guidance for synthetic biology industrial processes; determination of appropriate medical mitigation measures for lentiviral vector exposure incidents; and greater awareness and involvement in synthetic biology safety by the general occupational safety and health community as well as by government occupational safety and health research and regulatory agencies.

Synthetic biology: an emerging engineering discipline.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Allen A; Lu, Timothy K

2012-01-01

Over the past decade, synthetic biology has emerged as an engineering discipline for biological systems. Compared with other substrates, biology poses a unique set of engineering challenges resulting from an incomplete understanding of natural biological systems and tools for manipulating them. To address these challenges, synthetic biology is advancing from developing proof-of-concept designs to focusing on core platforms for rational and high-throughput biological engineering. These platforms span the entire biological design cycle, including DNA construction, parts libraries, computational design tools, and interfaces for manipulating and probing synthetic circuits. The development of these enabling technologies requires an engineering mindset to be applied to biology, with an emphasis on generalizable techniques in addition to application-specific designs. This review aims to discuss the progress and challenges in synthetic biology and to illustrate areas where synthetic biology may impact biomedical engineering and human health.

Opportunities in plant synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Charis; Martin, Lisa; Bastow, Ruth

2014-05-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging field uniting scientists from all disciplines with the aim of designing or re-designing biological processes. Initially, synthetic biology breakthroughs came from microbiology, chemistry, physics, computer science, materials science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines. A transition to multicellular systems is the next logical step for synthetic biologists and plants will provide an ideal platform for this new phase of research. This meeting report highlights some of the exciting plant synthetic biology projects, and tools and resources, presented and discussed at the 2013 GARNet workshop on plant synthetic biology.

[Biological agents].

Science.gov (United States)

Amano, Koichi

2009-03-01

There are two types of biological agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA); monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins. Among the latter, etanercept, a recombinant fusion protein of soluble TNF receptor and IgG was approved in 2005 in Japan. The post-marketing surveillance of 13,894 RA patients revealed the efficacy and safety profiles of etanercept in the Japanese population, as well as overseas studies. Abatacept, a recombinant fusion protein of CTLA4 and IgG, is another biological agent for RA. Two clinical trials disclosed the efficacy of abatacept for difficult-to-treat patients: the AIM for MTX-resistant cases and the ATTAIN for patients who are resistant to anti-TNF. The ATTEST trial suggested abatacept might have more acceptable safety profile than infliximab. These biologics are also promising for the treatment of RA for not only relieving clinical symptoms and signs but retarding structural damage.

Organic Chemistry and Biology: Chemical Biology Through the Eyes of Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Hruby, Victor J.

2011-01-01

From a scientific perspective, efforts to understand biology including what constitutes health and disease has become a chemical problem. However, chemists and biologists “see” the problems of understanding biology from different perspectives, and this has retarded progress in solving the problems especially as they relate to health and disease. This suggests that close collaboration between chemists and biologists is not only necessary but essential for progress in both the biology and chemistry that will provide solutions to the global questions of biology. This perspective has directed my scientific efforts for the past 45 years, and in this overview I provide my perspective of how the applications of synthetic chemistry, structural design, and numerous other chemical principles have intersected in my collaborations with biologists to provide new tools, new science, and new insights that were only made possible and fruitful by these collaborations. PMID:20000552

The Johns Hopkins RTR Consortium: A Collaborative Approach to Advance Translational Science and Standardize Clinical Monitoring of Restorative Transplantation

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

immunosuppression sparing regimens allowing for immunomodulation and tolerance induction after VCA using a translational large animal model. A total of...group I animals died prematurely due to infectious complications related to high dose tacrolimus treatment. 2/3 animals that received sub...Immunomodulation, Chimerism, Costimulatory blockade, Belatacept, CTLA4-Ig, Large animal model 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF

PENGEMBANGAN PENUNTUN PRAKTIKUM BIOLOGI UMUM BERBASIS INKUIRI TERBIMBING MAHASISWA BIOLOGI STKIP PAYAKUMBUH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Nengsi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available One of supporting the implementation of the practicum is the practical guidence. To increase motivation, activities, and learning outcomes it is used inquiry based practical guide for students are invited to experiment with doing practical activities with scientific. The purpose of this study was to reveal the validity, practicalities, and guiding the resulting effectiveness of guidence inquiry based on the general biology lesson for students of biology education STKIP Payakumbuh. This research is the development of Plomp development model which consists of three phases: problem identification and needs analysis, design development and implementation, evaluation. The results of this study indicate that the development of practical guidance guided inquiry based general biology for students of biology education STKIP Payakumbuh valid, practically and effectively.

Biological couplings: Classification and characteristic rules

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2009-01-01

The phenomena that biological functions originate from biological coupling are the important biological foundation of multiple bionics and the significant discoveries in the bionic fields. In this paper, the basic concepts related to biological coupling are introduced from the bionic viewpoint. Constitution, classification and characteristic rules of biological coupling are illuminated, the general modes of biological coupling studies are analyzed, and the prospects of multi-coupling bionics are predicted.

Scaffolded biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Minelli, Alessandro

2016-09-01

Descriptions and interpretations of the natural world are dominated by dichotomies such as organism vs. environment, nature vs. nurture, genetic vs. epigenetic, but in the last couple of decades strong dissatisfaction with those partitions has been repeatedly voiced and a number of alternative perspectives have been suggested, from perspectives such as Dawkins' extended phenotype, Turner's extended organism, Oyama's Developmental Systems Theory and Odling-Smee's niche construction theory. Last in time is the description of biological phenomena in terms of hybrids between an organism (scaffolded system) and a living or non-living scaffold, forming unit systems to study processes such as reproduction and development. As scaffold, eventually, we can define any resource used by the biological system, especially in development and reproduction, without incorporating it as happens in the case of resources fueling metabolism. Addressing biological systems as functionally scaffolded systems may help pointing to functional relationships that can impart temporal marking to the developmental process and thus explain its irreversibility; revisiting the boundary between development and metabolism and also regeneration phenomena, by suggesting a conceptual framework within which to investigate phenomena of regular hypermorphic regeneration such as characteristic of deer antlers; fixing a periodization of development in terms of the times at which a scaffolding relationship begins or is terminated; and promoting plant galls to legitimate study objects of developmental biology.

Tropical Freshwater Biology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tropical Freshwater Biology promotes the publication of scientific contributions in the field of freshwater biology in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. One issue is published annually but this number may be increased. Original research papers and short communications on any aspect of tropical freshwater ...

Biological monitoring of radiation exposure

Science.gov (United States)

Horneck, G.

1998-11-01

Complementary to physical dosimetry, biological dosimetry systems have been developed and applied which weight the different components of environmental radiation according to their biological efficacy. They generally give a record of the accumulated exposure of individuals with high sensitivity and specificity for the toxic agent under consideration. Basically three different types of biological detecting/monitoring systems are available: (i) intrinsic biological dosimeters that record the individual radiation exposure (humans, plants, animals) in measurable units. For monitoring ionizing radiation exposure, in situ biomarkers for genetic (e.g. chromosomal aberrations in human lymphocytes, germ line minisatellite mutation rates) or metabolic changes in serum, plasma and blood (e.g. serum lipids, lipoproteins, lipid peroxides, melatonin, antibody titer) have been used. (ii) Extrinsic biological dosimeters/indicators that record the accumulated dose in biological model systems. Their application includes long-term monitoring of changes in environmental UV radiation and its biological implications as well as dosimetry of personal UV exposure. (iii) Biological detectors/biosensors for genotoxic substances and agents such as bacterial assays (e.g. Ames test, SOS-type test) that are highly sensitive to genotoxins with high specificity. They may be applicable for different aspects in environmental monitoring including the International Space Station.

Anthropic principle in biology and radiation biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akif'ev, A. P.; Degtyarev, S.V.

1999-01-01

It was suggested to add the anthropic principle of the Universe according to which the physical constants of fundamental particles of matter and the laws of their counteraction are those that an appearance of man and mind becomes possible and necessary, with some biological constants to the set of fundamental constants. With reparation of DNA as an example it was shown how a cell ran some parameters of Watson-Crick double helix. It was pointed that the concept of the anthropic principle of the Universe in its full body including biological constants was a key to developing of a unified theory of evolution of the Universe within the limits of scientific creationism [ru

Biological condition gradient: Applying a framework for determining the biological integrity of coral reefs

Science.gov (United States)

The goals of the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) are to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of water resources. Although clean water is a goal, another is to safeguard biological communities by defining levels of biological integrity to protect aquatic...

78 FR 57293 - Distribution of Reference Biological Standards and Biological Preparations

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 42 CFR Part 7 [Docket No. CDC-2013-0013] RIN 0920-AA52 Distribution of Reference Biological Standards and Biological Preparations AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS/CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Confirmation of...

Neutron in biology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niimura, Nobuo [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1997-11-01

Neutron in biology can provide an experimental method of directly locating relationship of proteins and DNA. However, there are relatively few experimental study of such objects since it takes a lot of time to collect a sufficient number of Bragg reflections and inelastic spectra due to the low flux of neutron illuminating the sample. Since a next generation neutron source of JAERI will be 5MW spallation neutron source and its effective neutron flux will be 10{sup 2} to 10{sup 3} times higher than the one of JRR-3M, neutron in biology will open a completely new world for structural biology. (author)

Tracking the emergence of synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapira, Philip; Kwon, Seokbeom; Youtie, Jan

2017-01-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging domain that combines biological and engineering concepts and which has seen rapid growth in research, innovation, and policy interest in recent years. This paper contributes to efforts to delineate this emerging domain by presenting a newly constructed bibliometric definition of synthetic biology. Our approach is dimensioned from a core set of papers in synthetic biology, using procedures to obtain benchmark synthetic biology publication records, extract keywords from these benchmark records, and refine the keywords, supplemented with articles published in dedicated synthetic biology journals. We compare our search strategy with other recent bibliometric approaches to define synthetic biology, using a common source of publication data for the period from 2000 to 2015. The paper details the rapid growth and international spread of research in synthetic biology in recent years, demonstrates that diverse research disciplines are contributing to the multidisciplinary development of synthetic biology research, and visualizes this by profiling synthetic biology research on the map of science. We further show the roles of a relatively concentrated set of research sponsors in funding the growth and trajectories of synthetic biology. In addition to discussing these analyses, the paper notes limitations and suggests lines for further work.

Microfluidic Technologies for Synthetic Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung Kuk Lee

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic technologies have shown powerful abilities for reducing cost, time, and labor, and at the same time, for increasing accuracy, throughput, and performance in the analysis of biological and biochemical samples compared with the conventional, macroscale instruments. Synthetic biology is an emerging field of biology and has drawn much attraction due to its potential to create novel, functional biological parts and systems for special purposes. Since it is believed that the development of synthetic biology can be accelerated through the use of microfluidic technology, in this review work we focus our discussion on the latest microfluidic technologies that can provide unprecedented means in synthetic biology for dynamic profiling of gene expression/regulation with high resolution, highly sensitive on-chip and off-chip detection of metabolites, and whole-cell analysis.

The Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment: A Concept Assessment for Upper-Division Molecular Biology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Couch, Brian A.; Wood, William B.; Knight, Jennifer K.

2015-01-01

Measuring students' conceptual understandings has become increasingly important to biology faculty members involved in evaluating and improving departmental programs. We developed the Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment (MBCA) to gauge comprehension of fundamental concepts in molecular and cell biology and the ability to apply these concepts in…

Stochastic Methods in Biology

CERN Document Server

Kallianpur, Gopinath; Hida, Takeyuki

1987-01-01

The use of probabilistic methods in the biological sciences has been so well established by now that mathematical biology is regarded by many as a distinct dis­ cipline with its own repertoire of techniques. The purpose of the Workshop on sto­ chastic methods in biology held at Nagoya University during the week of July 8-12, 1985, was to enable biologists and probabilists from Japan and the U. S. to discuss the latest developments in their respective fields and to exchange ideas on the ap­ plicability of the more recent developments in stochastic process theory to problems in biology. Eighteen papers were presented at the Workshop and have been grouped under the following headings: I. Population genetics (five papers) II. Measure valued diffusion processes related to population genetics (three papers) III. Neurophysiology (two papers) IV. Fluctuation in living cells (two papers) V. Mathematical methods related to other problems in biology, epidemiology, population dynamics, etc. (six papers) An important f...

Space biology research development

Science.gov (United States)

Bonting, Sjoerd L.

1993-01-01

The purpose of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute is to conduct and promote research related activities regarding the search for extraterrestrial life, particularly intelligent life. Such research encompasses the broad discipline of 'Life in the Universe', including all scientific and technological aspects of astronomy and the planetary sciences, chemical evolution, the origin of life, biological evolution, and cultural evolution. The primary purpose was to provide funding for the Principal Investigator to collaborate with the personnel of the SETI Institute and the NASA-Ames Research center in order to plan and develop space biology research on and in connection with Space Station Freedom; to promote cooperation with the international partners in the space station; to conduct a study on the use of biosensors in space biology research and life support system operation; and to promote space biology research through the initiation of an annual publication 'Advances in Space Biology and Medicine'.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secretory Responses: Senescence Messaging Secretome and Immunomodulation Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria V. Lunyak

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC have been tested in a significant number of clinical trials, where they exhibit regenerative and repair properties directly through their differentiation into the cells of the mesenchymal origin or by modulation of the tissue/organ microenvironment. Despite various clinical effects upon transplantation, the functional properties of these cells in natural settings and their role in tissue regeneration in vivo is not yet fully understood. The omnipresence of MSC throughout vascularized organs equates to a reservoir of potentially therapeutic regenerative depots throughout the body. However, these reservoirs could be subjected to cellular senescence. In this review, we will discuss current progress and challenges in the understanding of different biological pathways leading to senescence. We set out to highlight the seemingly paradoxical property of cellular senescence: its beneficial role in the development and tissue repair and detrimental impact of this process on tissue homeostasis in aging and disease. Taking into account the lessons from the different cell systems, this review elucidates how autocrine and paracrine properties of senescent MSC might impose an additional layer of complexity on the regulation of the immune system in development and disease. New findings that have emerged in the last few years could shed light on sometimes seemingly controversial results obtained from MSC therapeutic applications.

FDA Regulation of Follow-On Biologics

Science.gov (United States)

2009-02-24

opening a pathway for the approval of follow-on biologics. A biologic is a preparation, such as a drug or a vaccine , that is made from living...2006 Drug Trend Report, April 2006, p. 38. C Biologic vs. Follow-on Biologic A biologic is a preparation, such as a drug or a vaccine , that is...doc9496/s1695.pdf. 19 Thijs J. Giezen, Aukje K. Mantel-Teeuwisse, and Sabine M. J. M. Straus, et al., “Safety-related regulatory actions for biologicals

Towards A Theoretical Biology: Reminiscences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

engaged in since the start of my career at the University of Chicago. Theoretical biology was ... research on theoretical problems in biology. Waddington, an ... aimed at stimulating the development of such a theoretical biology. The role the ...

Network biology: Describing biological systems by complex networks. Comment on "Network science of biological systems at different scales: A review" by M. Gosak et al.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalili, Mahdi

2018-03-01

I enjoyed reading Gosak et al. review on analysing biological systems from network science perspective [1]. Network science, first started within Physics community, is now a mature multidisciplinary field of science with many applications ranging from Ecology to biology, medicine, social sciences, engineering and computer science. Gosak et al. discussed how biological systems can be modelled and described by complex network theory which is an important application of network science. Although there has been considerable progress in network biology over the past two decades, this is just the beginning and network science has a great deal to offer to biology and medical sciences.

The immunomodulator, ammonium trichloro[1,2-ethanediolato-O,O']-tellurate, suppresses the propagation of herpes simplex virus 2 by reducing the infectivity of the virus progeny.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheinboim, D; Hindiyeh, M; Mendelson, E; Albeck, M; Sredni, B; Dovrat, S

2015-07-01

Persistent investigations for the identification of novel anti-herpetic drugs are being conducted worldwide, as current treatment options are sometimes insufficient. The immunomodulator, ammonium trichloro[1,2‑ethanediolato‑O,O']‑tellurate (AS101), a non‑toxic tellurium (Ⅳ) compound, has been shown to exhibit anti‑viral activity against a variety of viruses in cell cultures and in animal models. In the present study, the anti‑viral activity of AS101 against herpes simplex virus (HSV)‑1 and 2 was investigated in vitro. The results demonstrated that AS101 significantly restricted HSV‑2-induced plaque formation and reduced the infectivity of the HSV‑2 yield, while HSV‑1 was affected to a lesser extent. The incubation of mature HSV‑1 and HSV‑2 viruses with AS101 had no effect on viral infectivity, indicating that the compound interrupts de novo viral synthesis. The addition of AS101 at up to 9 h post‑infection had almost the same effect as did the addition of the drug together with the virus (it maintained 80% of its total anti‑viral capacity). Quantitative PCR and immunofluoresence staining of viral structural proteins revealed that the viral DNA and protein synthesis stages were not interrupted by the administration of AS101. By contrast, in the presence of the compound, significantly fewer viable viruses (≥2 log reduction) were recovered from the AS10‑treated cell cultures. Of note, when we determined the viability of the intracellular virus, formed in the presence of the compound, a less severe (≤1 log) effect was observed. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that AS101 primarily interferes with late stages of viral replication, such as viral particle envelopment or egress, leading to the production of a defective virus progeny.

Effects of P-MAPA immunomodulator on Toll-like receptor 2, ROS, nitric oxide, MAPKp38 and IKK in PBMC and macrophages from dogs with visceral leishmaniasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo, L M; Perosso, J; Almeida, B F M; Silva, K L O; Somenzari, M A; de Lima, V M F

2014-02-01

Leishmania (L.) chagasi is the etiologic agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) that can be transmitted to humans and dogs. VL in Brazil represents a serious public health problem; therefore, it is important to study new alternatives to treat infected dogs. In dogs, the therapeutic arsenal against canine VL is limited. The immunomodulator protein aggregate magnesium-ammonium phospholinoleate-palmitoleate anhydride (P-MAPA) improves immunocompetence when the immune system is impaired, but its dependence on Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the mechanisms involved in immune response remain unclear. The in vitro action of P-MAPA on the expression of TLR2 and TLR4, reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and IKK phosphorylation was studied in mononuclear cells from peripheral blood and macrophages from healthy and Leishmania-infected dogs. The PBMC or macrophages were isolated and cultured with different concentrations of P-MAPA (20,100 and 200 μg/ml) in a humid environment at 37°C with 5% CO(2). Observation revealed that Leishmania-infected dogs showed a decrease in TLR2 in macrophages compared with healthy dogs and in induction with P-MAPA. ROS were increased in PBMCs from Leishmania spp.-infected dogs compared with healthy dogs and P-MAPA improved ROS production. NO production was increased in culture supernatant from macrophages stimulated by P-MAPA in both healthy and Leishmania spp. infected dogs. Treatment of macrophages from healthy dogs with immunomodulatory P-MAPA induced p38 MAPK and IKK phosphorylation, suggesting signal transduction by this pathway. These findings suggest that P-MAPA has potential as a therapeutic drug in the treatment of canine visceral leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Marine biology, intertidal ecology, and a new place for biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Keith R

2015-01-01

At the present time, there is considerable interest for the physical setting of science, that is, its actual 'place' of practice. Among historians of biology, place has been considered to be a crucial component for the study of ecology. Other historians have noted the 'built' environments (laboratories) for the study of biology along the seashore, even referring to these places in terms more applicable to vacation sites. In this paper, I examine the place of intertidal ecology investigations, both in terms of the physical space and the built space. Part of the examination will investigate the aesthetic aspect of the Pacific Coast, part will evaluate the unique character of the intertidal zone, and part will consider the construction of natural laboratories and built laboratories as characteristic places for biology.

Current and emerging treatments for the management of myasthenia gravis

Science.gov (United States)

Sathasivam, Sivakumar

2011-01-01

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder. There are several treatment options, including symptomatic treatment (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors), short-term immunosuppression (corticosteroids), long-term immunosuppression (azathioprine, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, rituximab, tacrolimus), rapid acting short-term immunomodulation (intravenous immunoglobulin, plasma exchange), and long-term immunomodulation (thymectomy). This review explores in detail these different treatment options. Potential future treatments are also discussed. PMID:21845054

Sequence analysis and identification of new isoform of EP4 receptors in different atlantic salmon tissues (Salmo salar L. and its role in PGE2 induced immunomodulation in vitro.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tz Chun Guo

Full Text Available PGE2 plays an important role in a broad spectrum of physiological and pathological processes mediated through a membrane-bound G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR called EP receptor. In mammals, four subtypes of EP receptor (EP 1-4 are identified and each of them functions through different signal transduction pathways. Orthologous EP receptors have also been identified in other non-mammalian species, such as chicken and zebrafish. EP4 is the only identified PGE2 receptor to date in Atlantic salmon but its tissue distribution and function have not been studied in any detail. In this study, we first sequenced EP4 receptor in different tissues and found that the presence of the 3nt deletion in the 5' untranslated region was accompanied by silent mutation at nt 668. While attempting to amplify the same sequence in TO cells (an Atlantic salmon macrophage-like cell line, we failed to obtain the full-length product. Further investigation revealed different isoform of EP4 receptor in TO cells and we subsequently documented its presence in different Atlantic salmon tissues. These two isoforms of EP4 receptor share high homology in their first half of sequence but differ in the second half part with several deletion segments though the final length of coding sequence is the same for two isoforms. We further studied the immunomodulation effect of PGE2 in TO cells and found that PGE2 inhibited the induction of CXCL-10, CCL-4, IL-8 and IL-1β genes expression in a time dependent manner and without cAMP upregulation.

[Biologics and mycobacterial diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuyuguchi, Kazunari; Matsumoto, Tomoshige

2013-03-01

Various biologics such as TNF-alpha inhibitor or IL-6 inhibitor are now widely used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Many reports suggested that one of the major issues is high risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) associated with using these agents, which is especially important in Japan where tuberculosis still remains endemic. Another concern is the risk of development of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) diseases and we have only scanty information about it. The purpose of this symposium is to elucidate the role of biologics in the development of mycobacterial diseases and to establish the strategy to control them. First, Dr. Tohma showed the epidemiologic data of TB risks associated with using biologics calculated from the clinical database on National Database of Rheumatic Diseases by iR-net in Japan. He estimated TB risks in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to be about four times higher compared with general populations and to become even higher by using biologics. He also pointed out a low rate of implementation of QuantiFERON test (QFT) as screening test for TB infection. Next, Dr. Tokuda discussed the issue of NTM disease associated with using biologics. He suggested the airway disease in RA patients might play some role in the development of NTM disease, which may conversely lead to overdiagnosis of NTM disease in RA patients. He suggested that NTM disease should not be uniformly considered a contraindication to treatment with biologics, considering from the results of recent multicenter study showing relatively favorable outcome of NTM patients receiving biologics. Patients with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) should receive LTBI treatment before starting biologics. Dr. Kato, a chairperson of the Prevention Committee of the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis, proposed a new LTBI guideline including active implementation of LTBI treatment, introducing interferon gamma release assay, and appropriate selection of persons at high risk for

High school and college biology: A multi-level model of the effects of high school biology courses on student academic performance in introductory college biology courses

Science.gov (United States)

Loehr, John Francis

The issue of student preparation for college study in science has been an ongoing concern for both college-bound students and educators of various levels. This study uses a national sample of college students enrolled in introductory biology courses to address the relationship between high school biology preparation and subsequent introductory college biology performance. Multi-Level Modeling was used to investigate the relationship between students' high school science and mathematics experiences and college biology performance. This analysis controls for student demographic and educational background factors along with factors associated with the college or university attended. The results indicated that high school course-taking and science instructional experiences have the largest impact on student achievement in the first introductory college biology course. In particular, enrollment in courses, such as high school Calculus and Advanced Placement (AP) Biology, along with biology course content that focuses on developing a deep understanding of the topics is found to be positively associated with student achievement in introductory college biology. On the other hand, experiencing high numbers of laboratory activities, demonstrations, and independent projects along with higher levels of laboratory freedom are associated with negative achievement. These findings are relevant to high school biology teachers, college students, their parents, and educators looking beyond the goal of high school graduation.

Structural Molecular Biology 2017 | SSRL

Science.gov (United States)

Highlights Training Workshops & Summer Schools Summer Students Structural Molecular Biology Illuminating experimental driver for structural biology research, serving the needs of a large number of academic and — Our Mission The SSRL Structural Molecular Biology program operates as an integrated resource and has

Biological warfare, bioterrorism, and biocrime

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, H. J.; Breeveld, F. J.; Stijnis, C.; Grobusch, M. P.

2014-01-01

Biological weapons achieve their intended target effects through the infectivity of disease-causing infectious agents. The ability to use biological agents in warfare is prohibited by the Biological and Toxin Weapon Convention. Bioterrorism is defined as the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria

Data warehousing in molecular biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Schönbach, C; Kowalski-Saunders, P; Brusic, V

2000-05-01

In the business and healthcare sectors data warehousing has provided effective solutions for information usage and knowledge discovery from databases. However, data warehousing applications in the biological research and development (R&D) sector are lagging far behind. The fuzziness and complexity of biological data represent a major challenge in data warehousing for molecular biology. By combining experiences in other domains with our findings from building a model database, we have defined the requirements for data warehousing in molecular biology.

Quantum Effects in Biological Systems

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

Since the last decade the study of quantum mechanical phenomena in biological systems has become a vibrant field of research. Initially sparked by evidence of quantum effects in energy transport that is instrumental for photosynthesis, quantum biology asks the question of how methods and models from quantum theory can help us to understand fundamental mechanisms in living organisms. This approach entails a paradigm change challenging the related disciplines: The successful framework of quantum theory is taken out of its low-temperature, microscopic regimes and applied to hot and dense macroscopic environments, thereby extending the toolbox of biology and biochemistry at the same time. The Quantum Effects in Biological Systems conference is a platform for researchers from biology, chemistry and physics to present and discuss the latest developments in the field of quantum biology. After meetings in Lisbon (2009), Harvard (2010), Ulm (2011), Berkeley (2012), Vienna (2013), Singapore (2014) and Florence (2015),...

Toward Small-Molecule Inhibition of Protein-Protein Interactions: General Aspects and Recent Progress in Targeting Costimulatory and Coinhibitory (Immune Checkpoint) Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bojadzic, Damir; Buchwald, Peter

2018-05-30

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) that are part of the costimulatory and coinhibitory (immune checkpoint) signaling are critical for adequate T cell response and are important therapeutic targets for immunomodulation. Biologics targeting them have already achieved considerable clinical success in the treatment of autoimmune diseases or transplant recipients (e.g., abatacept, belatacept, and belimumab) as well as cancer (e.g., ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab). In view of such progress, there have been only relatively limited efforts toward developing small-molecule PPI inhibitors (SMPPIIs) targeting these cosignaling interactions, possibly because they, as all other PPIs, are difficult to target by small molecules and were not considered druggable. Nevertheless, substantial progress has been achieved during the last decade. SMPPIIs proving the feasibility of such approaches have been identified through various strategies for a number of cosignaling interactions including CD40-CD40L, OX40-OX40L, BAFFR-BAFF, CD80-CD28, and PD-1-PD-L1s. Here, after an overview of the general aspects and challenges of SMPPII-focused drug discovery, we review them briefly together with relevant structural, immune-signaling, physicochemical, and medicinal chemistry aspects. While so far only a few of these SMPPIIs have shown activity in animal models (DRI-C21045 for CD40-D40L, KR33426 for BAFFR-BAFF) or reached clinical development (RhuDex for CD80-CD28, CA-170 for PD-1-PD-L1), there is proof-of-principle evidence for the feasibility of such approaches in immunomodulation. They can result in products that are easier to develop/manufacture and are less likely to be immunogenic or encounter postmarket safety events than corresponding biologics, and, contrary to them, can even become orally bioavailable. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Platelet lysate enhances synovial fluid multipotential stromal cells functions: Implications for therapeutic use.

Science.gov (United States)

Altaie, Ala; Baboolal, Thomas G; Wall, Owen; Jones, Elena; McGonagle, Dennis

2018-03-01

Although intra-articular injection of platelet products is increasingly used for joint regenerative approaches, there are few data on their biological effects on joint-resident multipotential stromal cells (MSCs), which are directly exposed to the effects of these therapeutic strategies. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of platelet lysate (PL) on synovial fluid-derived MSCs (SF-MSCs), which in vivo have direct access to sites of cartilage injury. SF-MSCs were obtained during knee arthroscopic procedures (N = 7). Colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F), flow-cytometric phenotyping, carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester-based immunomodulation for T-cell and trilineage differentiation assays were performed using PL and compared with standard conditions. PL-enhanced SF-MSC (PL-MSC) proliferation as CFU-F colonies was 1.4-fold larger, and growing cultures had shorter population-doubling times. PL-MSCs and fetal calf serum (FCS)-MSCs had the same immunophenotype and similar immunomodulation activities. In chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation assays, PL-MSCs produced 10% more sulfated-glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) and 45% less Ca ++ compared with FCS-MSCs, respectively. Replacing chondrogenic medium transforming growth factor-β3 with 20% or 50% PL further increased sGAG production of PL-MSCs by 69% and 95%, respectively, compared with complete chondrogenic medium. Also, Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium high glucose (HG-DMEM) plus 50% PL induced more chondrogenesis compared with HG-DMEM plus 10% FCS and was comparable to complete chondrogenic medium. This is the first study to assess SF-MSC responses to PL and provides biological support to the hypothesis that PL may be capable of modulating multiple functional aspects of joint resident MSCs with direct access to injured cartilage. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Virtual lesions of the IFG abolish response facilitation for biological and non-biological cues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roger D Newman-Norlund

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Humans are faster to perform a given action following observation of that same action. Converging evidence suggests that the human mirror neuron system (MNS plays an important role in this phenomenon. However, the specificity of the neural mechanisms governing this effect remain controversial. Specialist theories of imitation suggest that biological cues are maximally capable of eliciting imitative facilitation. Generalist models, on the other hand, posit a broader role for the MNS in linking visual stimuli with appropriate responses. In the present study, we investigated the validity of these two theoretical approaches by disrupting the left and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG during the preparation of congruent (imitative and incongruent (complementary actions cued by either biological (hand or non-biological (static dot stimuli. Delivery of TMS over IFG abolished imitative response facilitation. Critically, this effect was identical whether actions were cued by biological or non-biological stimuli. This finding argues against theories of imitation in which biological stimuli are treated preferentially and stresses the notion of the IFG as a vital center of general perception-action coupling in the human brain.

KREATIVITAS GURU BIOLOGI DALAM MEMETAKAN KOMODITAS HAYATI UNGGULAN LOKAL KE DALAM PEMBELAJARAN BIOLOGI SMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asep Agus Sulaeman

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui kreativitas guru Biologi SMA dalam memetakan topik-topik dari berbagai aspek komoditas hayati unggulan lokal melalui penggunaan metode mind map dan mengetahui kemampuan guru dalam memetakan topik-topik komoditas hayati unggulan lokal ke dalam pembelajaran Biologi di SMA. Analisis data kreativitas guru Biologi SMA dilakukan secara deskriptif kuantitatif terhadap mind map dengan menggunakan kriteria sesuai instrumen yang dikembangkan. Adapun analisis data tentang jumlah topik-topik Biologi dan jenis kegiatan pembelajaran berbasis komoditas hayati unggulan lokal dilakukan secara deskriptif kuantatif dan kualitatif. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan nilai aspek-aspek kreativitas guru Biologi yang tinggi, yaitu kemampuan berpikir asli (91,67, peka terhadap masalah (91,67, kemampuan berpikir lancar (90, kemampuan berpikir luwes (88,33, dan kemampuan berpikir terperinci (86,67. Berdasarkan hasil pemetaan yang dilakukan guru, dapat diidentifikasi 15 topik Biologi SMA yang berkaitan dengan komoditas hayati unggulan lokal di Kabupaten Majalengka. Adapun kegiatan pembelajaran berbasis komoditas hayati unggulan yang diusulkan oleh guru tersebar di masing-masing tingkatan kelas dan semesternya dengan jumlah yang berbeda-beda.

Biological detector and method

Science.gov (United States)

Sillerud, Laurel; Alam, Todd M; McDowell, Andrew F

2013-02-26

A biological detector includes a conduit for receiving a fluid containing one or more magnetic nanoparticle-labeled, biological objects to be detected and one or more permanent magnets or electromagnet for establishing a low magnetic field in which the conduit is disposed. A microcoil is disposed proximate the conduit for energization at a frequency that permits detection by NMR spectroscopy of whether the one or more magnetically-labeled biological objects is/are present in the fluid.

Michael Levitt and Computational Biology

Science.gov (United States)

dropdown arrow Site Map A-Z Index Menu Synopsis Michael Levitt and Computational Biology Resources with Michael Levitt, PhD, professor of structural biology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has function. ... Levitt's early work pioneered computational structural biology, which helped to predict

Cameroon Journal of Experimental Biology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Cameroon Journal of Experimental Biology is the official journal of the Cameroon Forum for Biological Sciences (CAFOBIOS). It is an interdisciplinary journal for the publication of original research papers, short communications and review articles in all fields of experimental biology including biochemistry, physiology, ...

Biological Soil Crust Web Site

Science.gov (United States)

www.soilcrust.org Crust 101 Advanced Gallery References CCERS site Links Biological Soil Crusts Textbook Corrections Level of Development Index Biological soil crusts are the community of organisms , mosses, liverworts and lichens. A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S. Drylands: Common

Paleoreconstruction by biological markers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seifert, W K; Moldowan, J M

1981-06-01

During diagenesis and conversion of the original lipid fraction of biological systems to petroleum hydrocarbons, the following four basic events needed for paleoreconstruction may be monitored by biological markers: (1) sourcing, (2) maturation, (3) migration and (4) biodegradation. Actual cases of applying biological markers to petroleum exploration problems in different parts of the world are demonstrated. Cretaceous- and Phosphoria-sourced oils in the Wyoming Thrust Belt can be distinguished from one another by high quality source fingerprinting of biomarker terpanes using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Identification of recently discovered biological markers, head-to-head isoprenoids, allows source differentiation between some oils from Sumatra. The degree of crude oil maturation in basins from California, Alaska, Russia, Wyoming and Louisiana can be assessed by specific biomarker ratios (20S/20R sterane epimers). Field evidence from such interpretation is augmented by laboratory pyrolysis of the rock. Extensive migration is documented by biomarkers in several oils. Biological marker results are consistent with the geological setting and add a dimension in assisting the petroleum explorationist towar paleoreconstruction.

Molecular Imaging in Synthetic Biology, and Synthetic Biology in Molecular Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilad, Assaf A; Shapiro, Mikhail G

2017-06-01

Biomedical synthetic biology is an emerging field in which cells are engineered at the genetic level to carry out novel functions with relevance to biomedical and industrial applications. This approach promises new treatments, imaging tools, and diagnostics for diseases ranging from gastrointestinal inflammatory syndromes to cancer, diabetes, and neurodegeneration. As these cellular technologies undergo pre-clinical and clinical development, it is becoming essential to monitor their location and function in vivo, necessitating appropriate molecular imaging strategies, and therefore, we have created an interest group within the World Molecular Imaging Society focusing on synthetic biology and reporter gene technologies. Here, we highlight recent advances in biomedical synthetic biology, including bacterial therapy, immunotherapy, and regenerative medicine. We then discuss emerging molecular imaging approaches to facilitate in vivo applications, focusing on reporter genes for noninvasive modalities such as magnetic resonance, ultrasound, photoacoustic imaging, bioluminescence, and radionuclear imaging. Because reporter genes can be incorporated directly into engineered genetic circuits, they are particularly well suited to imaging synthetic biological constructs, and developing them provides opportunities for creative molecular and genetic engineering.

Biological basis of detoxication

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Caldwell, John; Jakoby, William B

1983-01-01

This volume considers that premise that most of the major patterns of biological conversion of foreign compounds are known and may have predictive value in assessing the biological course for novel compounds...

Statin-associated immune-mediated myopathy: biology and clinical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Christopher-Stine, Lisa; Basharat, Pari

2017-04-01

In the last 6 years, our understanding of statin-associated myopathy expanded to include not only a toxic myopathy with limited and reversible side-effects but also an autoimmune variety in which statins likely induce an autoimmune myopathy that is both associated with a specific autoantibody and responsive to immunosuppression and immune modulation. This review widens the reader's understanding of statin myopathy to include an autoimmune process. Statin-associated immune-mediated myopathy provides an example of an environmental trigger (statins) directly implicated in an autoimmune disease associated with a genetic predisposition as well as potential risk factors including concomitant diseases and specific statins. Given a median exposure to statins of 38 months, providers should be aware that anti-3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) myopathy may occur even after several years of statin exposure. It is important for the reader to understand the clinical presentation of statin-associated immune-mediated myopathy and the difference in its clinical presentation to that of statins as direct myotoxins. Prompt recognition of such an entity allows the clinician to immediately stop the offending agent if it has not already been discontinued as well as to recognize that statin rechallenge is not a likely option, and that prompt treatment with immunosuppression and/or immunomodulation is usually of enormous benefit to the patient in restoring muscle strength and physical function. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephanopoulos, Gregory

2012-11-16

Metabolic engineering emerged 20 years ago as the discipline occupied with the directed modification of metabolic pathways for the microbial synthesis of various products. As such, it deals with the engineering (design, construction, and optimization) of native as well as non-natural routes of product synthesis, aided in this task by the availability of synthetic DNA, the core enabling technology of synthetic biology. The two fields, however, only partially overlap in their interest in pathway engineering. While fabrication of biobricks, synthetic cells, genetic circuits, and nonlinear cell dynamics, along with pathway engineering, have occupied researchers in the field of synthetic biology, the sum total of these areas does not constitute a coherent definition of synthetic biology with a distinct intellectual foundation and well-defined areas of application. This paper reviews the origins of the two fields and advances two distinct paradigms for each of them: that of unit operations for metabolic engineering and electronic circuits for synthetic biology. In this context, metabolic engineering is about engineering cell factories for the biological manufacturing of chemical and pharmaceutical products, whereas the main focus of synthetic biology is fundamental biological research facilitated by the use of synthetic DNA and genetic circuits.

From Biology to Mathematical Models and Back: Teaching Modeling to Biology Students, and Biology to Math and Engineering Students

Science.gov (United States)

Chiel, Hillel J.; McManus, Jeffrey M.; Shaw, Kendrick M.

2010-01-01

We describe the development of a course to teach modeling and mathematical analysis skills to students of biology and to teach biology to students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, physics, or engineering. The two groups of students have different ways of learning material and often have strong negative feelings toward the area of knowledge…

Integrating biological redesign: where synthetic biology came from and where it needs to go.

Science.gov (United States)

Way, Jeffrey C; Collins, James J; Keasling, Jay D; Silver, Pamela A

2014-03-27

Synthetic biology seeks to extend approaches from engineering and computation to redesign of biology, with goals such as generating new chemicals, improving human health, and addressing environmental issues. Early on, several guiding principles of synthetic biology were articulated, including design according to specification, separation of design from fabrication, use of standardized biological parts and organisms, and abstraction. We review the utility of these principles over the past decade in light of the field's accomplishments in building complex systems based on microbial transcription and metabolism and describe the progress in mammalian cell engineering. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 47319 - Fee Schedule for Reference Biological Standards and Biological Preparations

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-05

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fee Schedule for Reference Biological Standards and Biological Preparations AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and... for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located within the Department of Health and Human Services...

Quantum Mechanics predicts evolutionary biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Torday, J S

2018-07-01

Nowhere are the shortcomings of conventional descriptive biology more evident than in the literature on Quantum Biology. In the on-going effort to apply Quantum Mechanics to evolutionary biology, merging Quantum Mechanics with the fundamentals of evolution as the First Principles of Physiology-namely negentropy, chemiosmosis and homeostasis-offers an authentic opportunity to understand how and why physics constitutes the basic principles of biology. Negentropy and chemiosmosis confer determinism on the unicell, whereas homeostasis constitutes Free Will because it offers a probabilistic range of physiologic set points. Similarly, on this basis several principles of Quantum Mechanics also apply directly to biology. The Pauli Exclusion Principle is both deterministic and probabilistic, whereas non-localization and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle are both probabilistic, providing the long-sought after ontologic and causal continuum from physics to biology and evolution as the holistic integration recognized as consciousness for the first time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular biology of the cell

CERN Document Server

Alberts, Bruce; Lewis, Julian

2000-01-01

Molecular Biology of the Cell is the classic in-dept text reference in cell biology. By extracting the fundamental concepts from this enormous and ever-growing field, the authors tell the story of cell biology, and create a coherent framework through which non-expert readers may approach the subject. Written in clear and concise language, and beautifully illustrated, the book is enjoyable to read, and it provides a clear sense of the excitement of modern biology. Molecular Biology of the Cell sets forth the current understanding of cell biology (completely updated as of Autumn 2001), and it explores the intriguing implications and possibilities of the great deal that remains unknown. The hallmark features of previous editions continue in the Fourth Edition. The book is designed with a clean and open, single-column layout. The art program maintains a completely consistent format and style, and includes over 1,600 photographs, electron micrographs, and original drawings by the authors. Clear and concise concept...

Conservation landmarks: bureau of biological survey and national biological service

Science.gov (United States)

Friend, M.

1995-01-01

A century separates the recent development of the National Biological Service (NBS) and an early predecessor, the Bureau of Biological Survey (BBS). Both organizations were established at critical crossroads for the conservation of the nation's living biological resources and are conservation landmarks of their times. The BBS of the 192()'s was described as 'a government Bureau of the first rank, handling affairs of great scientific, educational, social, and above all, economic importance throughout the United States and its outlying possessions'' (Cameron 1929:144-145). This stature was achieved at a time of great social, economic, and ecological change. BBS had the vision to pioneer new approaches that led to enhanced understanding of the relation between people, other living things, and the environment. The NBS faces similar challenges to address the issues of the 1990's and beyond.

Functions in Biological Kind Classification

Science.gov (United States)

Lombrozo, Tania; Rehder, Bob

2012-01-01

Biological traits that serve functions, such as a zebra's coloration (for camouflage) or a kangaroo's tail (for balance), seem to have a special role in conceptual representations for biological kinds. In five experiments, we investigate whether and why functional features are privileged in biological kind classification. Experiment 1…

Biological and medical sensor technologies

CERN Document Server

Iniewski, Krzysztof

2012-01-01

Biological and Medical Sensor Technologies presents contributions from top experts who explore the development and implementation of sensors for various applications used in medicine and biology. Edited by a pioneer in the area of advanced semiconductor materials, the book is divided into two sections. The first part covers sensors for biological applications. Topics include: Advanced sensing and communication in the biological world DNA-derivative architectures for long-wavelength bio-sensing Label-free silicon photonics Quartz crystal microbalance-based biosensors Lab-on-chip technologies fo

Generating Systems Biology Markup Language Models from the Synthetic Biology Open Language.

Science.gov (United States)

Roehner, Nicholas; Zhang, Zhen; Nguyen, Tramy; Myers, Chris J

2015-08-21

In the context of synthetic biology, model generation is the automated process of constructing biochemical models based on genetic designs. This paper discusses the use cases for model generation in genetic design automation (GDA) software tools and introduces the foundational concepts of standards and model annotation that make this process useful. Finally, this paper presents an implementation of model generation in the GDA software tool iBioSim and provides an example of generating a Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) model from a design of a 4-input AND sensor written in the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL).

Effect of piroxicam, metamizol, and S-adenosylmethionine in a murine model of experimental trichomoniasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nogal-Ruiz J.J.

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Biological effects of piroxicam, metamizol, and S-adenosylmethionine (S-AMET have been tested in NMRI mice infected intraperitoneally with Trichomonas vaginalis. An intraperitoneal treatment during ten preinfection days with piroxicam (10 mg/Kg/day, or metamizol (275 mg/Kg/day, but not with S-AMET (17 mg/Kg/day induced a significant decrease of abdominal lesions and mortality, assessed by means of a pathogenicity index. The trichomonicidal activity of piroxicam, metamizol, and S-AMET was tested in vitro at the concentration of 300 μM, but found ineffective. These assays have shown the usefulness of the experimental trichomoniasis model for the study of the immunomodulating activity of synthetic drugs.

Learning Biology with Plant Pathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Juliet E.

This monograph contains 10 plant pathology experiments that were written to correspond to portions of a biology curriculum. Each experiment is suitable to a biology topic and designed to encourage exploration of those biological concepts being taught. Experiments include: (1) The Symptoms and Signs of Disease; (2) Koch's Postulates; (3)…

37 CFR 1.801 - Biological material.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Biological material. 1.801... Biological Material § 1.801 Biological material. For the purposes of these regulations pertaining to the deposit of biological material for purposes of patents for inventions under 35 U.S.C. 101, the term...

Excited states in biological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cilento, G.; Zinner, K.; Bechara, E.J.H.; Duran, N.; Baptista, R.C. de; Shimizu, Y.; Augusto, O.; Faljoni-Alario, A.; Vidigal, C.C.C.; Oliveira, O.M.M.F.; Haun, M.

1979-01-01

Some aspects of bioluminescence related to bioenergetics are discussed: 1. chemical generation of excited species, by means of two general processes: electron transference and cyclic - and linear peroxide cleavage; 2. biological systems capable of generating excited states and 3. biological functions of these states, specially the non-emissive ones (tripletes). The production and the role of non-emissive excited states in biological systems are analysed, the main purpose of the study being the search for non-emissive states. Experiences carried out in biological systems are described; results and conclusions are given. (M.A.) [pt

Toward University Modeling Instruction—Biology: Adapting Curricular Frameworks from Physics to Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Manthey, Seth; Brewe, Eric

2013-01-01

University Modeling Instruction (UMI) is an approach to curriculum and pedagogy that focuses instruction on engaging students in building, validating, and deploying scientific models. Modeling Instruction has been successfully implemented in both high school and university physics courses. Studies within the physics education research (PER) community have identified UMI's positive impacts on learning gains, equity, attitudinal shifts, and self-efficacy. While the success of this pedagogical approach has been recognized within the physics community, the use of models and modeling practices is still being developed for biology. Drawing from the existing research on UMI in physics, we describe the theoretical foundations of UMI and how UMI can be adapted to include an emphasis on models and modeling for undergraduate introductory biology courses. In particular, we discuss our ongoing work to develop a framework for the first semester of a two-semester introductory biology course sequence by identifying the essential basic models for an introductory biology course sequence. PMID:23737628

Toward university modeling instruction--biology: adapting curricular frameworks from physics to biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Manthey, Seth; Brewe, Eric

2013-06-01

University Modeling Instruction (UMI) is an approach to curriculum and pedagogy that focuses instruction on engaging students in building, validating, and deploying scientific models. Modeling Instruction has been successfully implemented in both high school and university physics courses. Studies within the physics education research (PER) community have identified UMI's positive impacts on learning gains, equity, attitudinal shifts, and self-efficacy. While the success of this pedagogical approach has been recognized within the physics community, the use of models and modeling practices is still being developed for biology. Drawing from the existing research on UMI in physics, we describe the theoretical foundations of UMI and how UMI can be adapted to include an emphasis on models and modeling for undergraduate introductory biology courses. In particular, we discuss our ongoing work to develop a framework for the first semester of a two-semester introductory biology course sequence by identifying the essential basic models for an introductory biology course sequence.

The use of immunosuppressive agents in the management of recalcitrant lower limb ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Millen, A; Coulston, J; Brennan, J; Kennedy, T

2014-08-01

Lower limb ulcers that are resistant to standard forms of treatment place a significant burden on both patients and health services. There is no widely agreed definition of a recalcitrant ulcer but failure to heal following 6-12 months of focused treatment would identify a small group of patients with highly resistant ulceration. We describe a series of patients with recalcitrant ulceration for which immunosuppressive agents have been used. This is a case series of 13 patients who underwent immunomodulation therapy for lower limb ulcers at a tertiary referral university hospital. Regimens of immunomodulation used mainly ciclosporin and/or cyclophosphamide, with concurrent antibiotic therapy. Case notes and computer systems were analysed by two reviewers. A patient was deemed to have a success if their ulcer fully healed while on immunomodulation therapy. Over a period of eight years, from 2004-2012, 13 patients underwent immunomodulation therapy. Among these patients there were 18 ulcerated limbs. Ulcer healing occurred in 10 limbs out of 18 (55.6%) and full healing occurred in six patients (46.2%). Ulcers were present for a median of five years (range 2-40 years), with a median diameter of 7.5 cm (range 4-18 cm) before treatment. Treatment of truly recalcitrant ulceration can be very frustrating for both the patient and physician, with poor success from more standard forms of treatment. We report experience with immunomodulation therapy that suggests there may be benefit from using this treatment in a subset of patients with this debilitating disease.

Comparison of Multiplex Suspension Array Large-Panel Kits for Profiling Cytokines and Chemokines in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Imran H.; Krishnan, V.V.; Ziman, Melanie; Janatpour, Kim; Wun, Ted; Luciw, Paul A.; Tuscano, Joseph

2015-01-01

Background Multiplex analysis allows measurements of a large number of analytes simultaneously in each sample. Based on the Luminex multiplex technology (xMAP), kits for measuring multiple cytokines and chemokines (immunomodulators) are commercially available and are useful in investigations on inflammatory diseases. This study evaluated four multiplex kits (Bio-Plex, LINCOplex, Fluorokine, and Beadlyte) that contained 27, 29, 20 and 22 analytes each, respectively, for the analysis of immunomodulators in plasma of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who underwent treatment with antibody against CD20 (rituximab), a B-cell reductive therapy. Methods Multiplex kits were tested on serial plasma samples obtained from six RA patients at baseline and multiple time points (3, 6, and 9 months) post-treatment with rituximab. The RA patients included in this study had previously failed therapy with disease modifying anti-arthritis drugs (DMARD) and treatment with anti-TNFα antibody (infliximab). Results Computer modeling and hierarchical cluster analysis of the multiplex data allowed a comparison of the performance of multiplex assay kits and revealed profiles of immunomodulators in the RA patients. Conclusions In plasma of RA patients who appeared to have benefited from rituximab treatment the profile of significantly elevated immunomodulators by at least two of the three kits (BioPlex, LINCOplex, Beadlyte), is as follows: IL-12p70, Eotaxin, IL-4, TNFα, Il-9, IL-1β, IFNγ, IL-10, IL-6, and IL-13. Immunomodulator profiling by multiplex analysis may provide useful plasma biomarkers for monitoring response to B-cell reductive therapy in RA patients. PMID:18823005

On the limitations of standard statistical modeling in biological systems: a full Bayesian approach for biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez-Ramirez, Jaime; Sanz, Ricardo

2013-09-01

One of the most important scientific challenges today is the quantitative and predictive understanding of biological function. Classical mathematical and computational approaches have been enormously successful in modeling inert matter, but they may be inadequate to address inherent features of biological systems. We address the conceptual and methodological obstacles that lie in the inverse problem in biological systems modeling. We introduce a full Bayesian approach (FBA), a theoretical framework to study biological function, in which probability distributions are conditional on biophysical information that physically resides in the biological system that is studied by the scientist. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Importance of Biological Databases in Biological Discovery.

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Baxevanis, Andreas D; Bateman, Alex

2015-06-19

Biological databases play a central role in bioinformatics. They offer scientists the opportunity to access a wide variety of biologically relevant data, including the genomic sequences of an increasingly broad range of organisms. This unit provides a brief overview of major sequence databases and portals, such as GenBank, the UCSC Genome Browser, and Ensembl. Model organism databases, including WormBase, The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR), and those made available through the Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) resource, are also covered. Non-sequence-centric databases, such as Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), the Protein Data Bank (PDB), MetaCyc, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), are also discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Biological treatment of Crohn's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Ole Haagen; Bjerrum, Jacob Tveiten; Seidelin, Jakob Benedict

2012-01-01

Introduction of biological agents for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) has led to a transformation of the treatment paradigm. Several biological compounds have been approved for patients with CD refractory to conventional treatment: infliximab, adalimumab and certolizumab pegol (and...... natalizumab in several countries outside the European Union). However, despite the use of biologics for more than a decade, questions still remain about the true efficacy and the best treatment regimens - especially about when to discontinue treatment. Furthermore, a need for optimizing treatment...... with biologics still exists, as 20-40% of patients with CD (depending on selection criteria) do not have any relevant response to the current biological agents (i.e. primary failures). A better patient selection might maximize the clinical outcome while minimizing the complications associated with this type...

Synergistic Synthetic Biology: Units in Concert

Science.gov (United States)

Trosset, Jean-Yves; Carbonell, Pablo

2013-01-01

Synthetic biology aims at translating the methods and strategies from engineering into biology in order to streamline the design and construction of biological devices through standardized parts. Modular synthetic biology devices are designed by means of an adequate elimination of cross-talk that makes circuits orthogonal and specific. To that end, synthetic constructs need to be adequately optimized through in silico modeling by choosing the right complement of genetic parts and by experimental tuning through directed evolution and craftsmanship. In this review, we consider an additional and complementary tool available to the synthetic biologist for innovative design and successful construction of desired circuit functionalities: biological synergies. Synergy is a prevalent emergent property in biological systems that arises from the concerted action of multiple factors producing an amplification or cancelation effect compared with individual actions alone. Synergies appear in domains as diverse as those involved in chemical and protein activity, polypharmacology, and metabolic pathway complementarity. In conventional synthetic biology designs, synergistic cross-talk between parts and modules is generally attenuated in order to verify their orthogonality. Synergistic interactions, however, can induce emergent behavior that might prove useful for synthetic biology applications, like in functional circuit design, multi-drug treatment, or in sensing and delivery devices. Synergistic design principles are therefore complementary to those coming from orthogonal design and may provide added value to synthetic biology applications. The appropriate modeling, characterization, and design of synergies between biological parts and units will allow the discovery of yet unforeseeable, novel synthetic biology applications. PMID:25022769

Synergistic Synthetic Biology: Units in Concert

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trosset, Jean-Yves; Carbonell, Pablo

2013-01-01

Synthetic biology aims at translating the methods and strategies from engineering into biology in order to streamline the design and construction of biological devices through standardized parts. Modular synthetic biology devices are designed by means of an adequate elimination of cross-talk that makes circuits orthogonal and specific. To that end, synthetic constructs need to be adequately optimized through in silico modeling by choosing the right complement of genetic parts and by experimental tuning through directed evolution and craftsmanship. In this review, we consider an additional and complementary tool available to the synthetic biologist for innovative design and successful construction of desired circuit functionalities: biological synergies. Synergy is a prevalent emergent property in biological systems that arises from the concerted action of multiple factors producing an amplification or cancelation effect compared with individual actions alone. Synergies appear in domains as diverse as those involved in chemical and protein activity, polypharmacology, and metabolic pathway complementarity. In conventional synthetic biology designs, synergistic cross-talk between parts and modules is generally attenuated in order to verify their orthogonality. Synergistic interactions, however, can induce emergent behavior that might prove useful for synthetic biology applications, like in functional circuit design, multi-drug treatment, or in sensing and delivery devices. Synergistic design principles are therefore complementary to those coming from orthogonal design and may provide added value to synthetic biology applications. The appropriate modeling, characterization, and design of synergies between biological parts and units will allow the discovery of yet unforeseeable, novel synthetic biology applications.

On the Edge of Mathematics and Biology Integration: Improving Quantitative Skills in Undergraduate Biology Education

Science.gov (United States)

Feser, Jason; Vasaly, Helen; Herrera, Jose

2013-01-01

In this paper, the authors describe how two institutions are helping their undergraduate biology students build quantitative competencies. Incorporation of quantitative skills and reasoning in biology are framed through a discussion of two cases that both concern introductory biology courses, but differ in the complexity of the mathematics and the…

Towards physical principles of biological evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Katsnelson, Mikhail I.; Wolf, Yuri I.; Koonin, Eugene V.

2018-03-01

Biological systems reach organizational complexity that far exceeds the complexity of any known inanimate objects. Biological entities undoubtedly obey the laws of quantum physics and statistical mechanics. However, is modern physics sufficient to adequately describe, model and explain the evolution of biological complexity? Detailed parallels have been drawn between statistical thermodynamics and the population-genetic theory of biological evolution. Based on these parallels, we outline new perspectives on biological innovation and major transitions in evolution, and introduce a biological equivalent of thermodynamic potential that reflects the innovation propensity of an evolving population. Deep analogies have been suggested to also exist between the properties of biological entities and processes, and those of frustrated states in physics, such as glasses. Such systems are characterized by frustration whereby local state with minimal free energy conflict with the global minimum, resulting in ‘emergent phenomena’. We extend such analogies by examining frustration-type phenomena, such as conflicts between different levels of selection, in biological evolution. These frustration effects appear to drive the evolution of biological complexity. We further address evolution in multidimensional fitness landscapes from the point of view of percolation theory and suggest that percolation at level above the critical threshold dictates the tree-like evolution of complex organisms. Taken together, these multiple connections between fundamental processes in physics and biology imply that construction of a meaningful physical theory of biological evolution might not be a futile effort. However, it is unrealistic to expect that such a theory can be created in one scoop; if it ever comes to being, this can only happen through integration of multiple physical models of evolutionary processes. Furthermore, the existing framework of theoretical physics is unlikely to suffice

Synthetic Biology and Personalized Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, K.K.

2013-01-01

Synthetic biology, application of synthetic chemistry to biology, is a broad term that covers the engineering of biological systems with structures and functions not found in nature to process information, manipulate chemicals, produce energy, maintain cell environment and enhance human health. Synthetic biology devices contribute not only to improve our understanding of disease mechanisms, but also provide novel diagnostic tools. Methods based on synthetic biology enable the design of novel strategies for the treatment of cancer, immune diseases metabolic disorders and infectious diseases as well as the production of cheap drugs. The potential of synthetic genome, using an expanded genetic code that is designed for specific drug synthesis as well as delivery and activation of the drug in vivo by a pathological signal, was already pointed out during a lecture delivered at Kuwait University in 2005. Of two approaches to synthetic biology, top-down and bottom-up, the latter is more relevant to the development of personalized medicines as it provides more flexibility in constructing a partially synthetic cell from basic building blocks for a desired task. PMID:22907209

Golimumab and certolizumab: The two new anti-tumor necrosis factor kids on the block

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mittal Mohit

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF agents have revolutionized treatment of psoriasis and many other inflammatory diseases of autoimmune origin. They have considerable advantages over the existing immunomodulators. Anti-TNF agents are designed to target a very specific component of the immune-mediated inflammatory cascades. Thus, they have lower risks of systemic side-effects. In a brief period of 10 years, a growing number of biological therapies are entering the clinical arena while many more biologicals remain on the horizon. With time, the long-term side-effects and efficacies of these individual agents will become clearer and help to determine which ones are the most suitable for long-term care. Golimumab (a human monoclonal anti-TNF-α antibody and Certolizumab (a PEGylated Fab fragment of humanized monoclonal TNF-α antibody are the two latest additions to the anti-TNF regimen. Here, we are providing a brief description about these two drugs and their uses.

A review of Sarcoptes scabiei: past, present and future.

Science.gov (United States)

Arlian, Larry G; Morgan, Marjorie S

2017-06-20

The disease scabies is one of the earliest diseases of humans for which the cause was known. It is caused by the mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, that burrows in the epidermis of the skin of humans and many other mammals. This mite was previously known as Acarus scabiei DeGeer, 1778 before the genus Sarcoptes was established (Latreille 1802) and it became S. scabiei. Research during the last 40 years has tremendously increased insight into the mite's biology, parasite-host interactions, and the mechanisms it uses to evade the host's defenses. This review highlights some of the major advancements of our knowledge of the mite's biology, genome, proteome, and immunomodulating abilities all of which provide a basis for control of the disease. Advances toward the development of a diagnostic blood test to detect a scabies infection and a vaccine to protect susceptible populations from becoming infected, or at least limiting the transmission of the disease, are also presented.

Immunomodulation of multiple myeloma.

Science.gov (United States)

Tohnya, Tanyifor M; Figg, William D

2004-11-01

Multiple myeloma is a multi-process disease, and these different processes are responsible for the reduced sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, hence the relapse and refractory nature of multiple myeloma. Emphasis is now placed on the hypothesis that myeloma cell growth, inhibition of apoptosis and drug resistance are dependent on immunomodulatory cytokines such as IL-6 and pro-angiogenic factors such as VEGF. In addition to its anti-angiogenic effects, the immunomodulatory properties of thalidomide make it a possible therapy for patients with advanced multiple myeloma. This has lead to the clinical development of a number of immunomodulatory thalidomide analogues (IMiDs) which are more potent and have less side effects than the parent drug, thalidomide. In the August 15(th) issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology, Schey SA et al. suggested that an IMiD (CC-4047) maybe efficacious due to T-cell co-stimulation, and safe in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. This article demonstrates a supporting role for IMiDs as immunomodulatory adjuvant therapy.

Dual Causality and the Autonomy of Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, Walter J

2017-03-01

Ernst Mayr's concept of dual causality in biology with the two forms of causes (proximate and ultimate) continues to provide an essential foundation for the philosophy of biology. They are equivalent to functional (=proximate) and evolutionary (=ultimate) causes with both required for full biological explanations. The natural sciences can be classified into nomological, historical nomological and historical dual causality, the last including only biology. Because evolutionary causality is unique to biology and must be included for all complete biological explanations, biology is autonomous from the physical sciences.

A retrospective study of intravenous sodium stibogluconate alone and in combinations with allopurinol, rifampicin, and an immunomodulator in the treatment of Indian post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramesh V

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: A retrospective analysis of treatment outcome using recommended dose of sodium stibogluconate (SSG alone and in combination with other antileishmanial drugs in adults with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL attending as outpatients. Methods: A total of 61 patients seen over ten years were included in the report. All had polymorphic lesions. Diagnosis was based on clinical picture, hailing from kala-azar (KA endemic area, exclusion of other dermatoses, histopathology, and therapeutic response. Patients were distributed into two groups: Group I (n = 32, where SSG was given intravenously; in Group II (n = 29, they were allocated to one of four categories using SSG in combination with other drugs. In the first category, SSG was given along with allopurinol (n = 10; in second with rifampicin (n = 6; and in third with both allopurinol and rifampicin (n = 5. In the fourth category, SSG was administered with an immunomodulator (n = 8, Mw vaccine, known to enhance host Th1 response. Results: Only 12 out of 61 patients completed treatment till histopathologic evidence of cure, five in Group I and seven in Group II, no patient being from third category. None had taken SSG without interruptions. Time taken for papulonodules to subside was similar in both groups, but erythema and induration subsided earlier in Group II. Group I patients attained cure after 120 injections while in Group II it took 95 injections in SSG + allopurinol and Mw vaccine categories respectively, and 110 with SSG + rifampicin. Nevertheless this was insufficient to facilitate compliance. Poor performance and high dropouts related to long duration of therapy, thrombophlebitis, difficulty in accessing veins, disabling rheumatic side-effects and practical problems. Liver, renal and pancreatic functions and ECG remained normal. Conclusion: No major advantage was obtained using allopurinol, rifampicin or Mw vaccine along with SSG as compared to SSG alone.

US Competitiveness in Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gronvall, Gigi Kwik

2015-01-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging technical field that aims to make biology easier to engineer; the field has applications in strategically important sectors for the US economy. While the United States currently leads in synthetic biology R&D, other nations are heavily investing in order to boost their economies, which will inevitably diminish the US leadership position. This outcome is not entirely negative--additional investments will expand markets--but it is critical that the US government take steps to remain competitive: There are applications from which the US population and economy may benefit; there are specific applications with importance for national defense; and US technical leadership will ensure that US experts have a leading role in synthetic biology governance, regulation, and oversight. Measures to increase competitiveness in S&T generally are broadly applicable for synthetic biology and should be pursued. However, the US government will also need to take action on fundamental issues that will affect the field's development, such as countering anti-GMO (genetically modified organism) sentiments and anti-GMO legislation. The United States should maintain its regulatory approach so that it is the product that is regulated, not the method used to create a product. At the same time, the United States needs to ensure that the regulatory framework is updated so that synthetic biology products do not fall into regulatory gaps. Finally, the United States needs to pay close attention to how synthetic biology applications may be governed internationally, such as through the Nagoya Protocol of the Convention on Biological Diversity, so that beneficial applications may be realized.

From biologically-inspired physics to physics-inspired biology From biologically-inspired physics to physics-inspired biology

Science.gov (United States)

Kornyshev, Alexei A.

2010-10-01

The conference 'From DNA-Inspired Physics to Physics-Inspired Biology' (1-5 June 2009, International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy) that myself and two former presidents of the American Biophysical Society—Wilma Olson (Rutgers University) and Adrian Parsegian (NIH), with the support of an ICTP team (Ralf Gebauer (Local Organizer) and Doreen Sauleek (Conference Secretary)), have organized was intended to establish stronger links between the biology and physics communities on the DNA front. The relationships between them were never easy. In 1997, Adrian published a paper in Physics Today ('Harness the Hubris') summarizing his thoughts about the main obstacles for a successful collaboration. The bottom line of that article was that physicists must seriously learn biology before exploring it and even having an interpreter, a friend or co-worker, who will be cooperating with you and translating the problems of biology into a physical language, may not be enough. He started his story with a joke about a physicist asking a biologist: 'I want to study the brain. Tell me something about it!' Biologist: 'First, the brain consists of two parts, and..' Physicist: 'Stop. You have told me too much.' Adrian listed a few direct avenues where physicists' contributions may be particularly welcome. This gentle and elegantly written paper caused, however, a stormy reaction from Bob Austin (Princeton), published together with Adrian's notes, accusing Adrian of forbidding physicists to attack big questions in biology straightaway. Twelve years have passed and many new developments have taken place in the biologist-physicist interaction. This was something I addressed in my opening conference speech, with my position lying somewhere inbetween Parsegian's and Austin's, which is briefly outlined here. I will first recall certain precepts or 'dogmas' that fly in the air like Valkyries, poisoning those relationships. Since the early seventies when I was a first year Ph

Modular analysis of biological networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaltenbach, Hans-Michael; Stelling, Jörg

2012-01-01

The analysis of complex biological networks has traditionally relied on decomposition into smaller, semi-autonomous units such as individual signaling pathways. With the increased scope of systems biology (models), rational approaches to modularization have become an important topic. With increasing acceptance of de facto modularity in biology, widely different definitions of what constitutes a module have sparked controversies. Here, we therefore review prominent classes of modular approaches based on formal network representations. Despite some promising research directions, several important theoretical challenges remain open on the way to formal, function-centered modular decompositions for dynamic biological networks.

Telemetry System of Biological Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Spisak

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The mobile telemetry system of biological parameters serves for reading and wireless data transfer of measured values of selected biological parameters to an outlying computer. It concerns basically long time monitoring of vital function of car pilot.The goal of this projects is to propose mobile telemetry system for reading, wireless transfer and processing of biological parameters of car pilot during physical and psychical stress. It has to be made with respect to minimal consumption, weight and maximal device mobility. This system has to eliminate signal noise, which is created by biological artifacts and disturbances during the data transfer.

PENGEMBANGAN BUKU AJAR BIOLOGI SEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ritia Rahmawati

2016-09-01

Matakuliah Biologi Sel merupakan salah satu matakuliah wajib yang ditempuh oleh mahasiswa tingkat S1 Pendidikan Biologi Universitas Negeri Malang Referensi yang digunakan dalam pembelajaran matakuliah Biologi Sel belum ada referensi yang berbasis penelitian virtual screening dengan bahasa Indonesia sebagai bahasa pengantar. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu pengembangan buku ajar biologi sel berbasis penelitian bioinformatika. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode pengembangan Dick and Carey (2009. Hasil penelitian ini yaitu produk berupa buku ajar yang berbasis penelitian virtual screening yang telah dilakukan validasi ahli (ahli materi dan ahli media pembelajaran dengan nilai 80% dan pengguna buku dengan nilai 89%.

The emerging molecular biology toolbox for the study of long noncoding RNA biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Fok, Ezio T; Scholefield, Janine; Fanucchi, Stephanie; Mhlanga, Musa M

2017-10-01

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in many biological processes. However, due to the unique nature of lncRNAs and the consequential difficulties associated with their characterization, there is a growing disparity between the rate at which lncRNAs are being discovered and the assignment of biological function to these transcripts. Here we present a molecular biology toolbox equipped to help dissect aspects of lncRNA biology and reveal functionality. We outline an approach that begins with a broad survey of genome-wide, high-throughput datasets to identify potential lncRNA candidates and then narrow the focus on specific methods that are well suited to interrogate the transcripts of interest more closely. This involves the use of imaging-based strategies to validate these candidates and observe the behaviors of these transcripts at single molecule resolution in individual cells. We also describe the use of gene editing tools and interactome capture techniques to interrogate functionality and infer mechanism, respectively. With the emergence of lncRNAs as important molecules in healthy and diseased cellular function, it remains crucial to deepen our understanding of their biology.

Approaches to chemical synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiarabelli, Cristiano; Stano, Pasquale; Anella, Fabrizio; Carrara, Paolo; Luisi, Pier Luigi

2012-07-16

Synthetic biology is first represented in terms of two complementary aspects, the bio-engineering one, based on the genetic manipulation of extant microbial forms in order to obtain forms of life which do not exist in nature; and the chemical synthetic biology, an approach mostly based on chemical manipulation for the laboratory synthesis of biological structures that do not exist in nature. The paper is mostly devoted to shortly review chemical synthetic biology projects currently carried out in our laboratory. In particular, we describe: the minimal cell project, then the "Never Born Proteins" and lastly the Never Born RNAs. We describe and critically analyze the main results, emphasizing the possible relevance of chemical synthetic biology for the progress in basic science and biotechnology. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro-separation toward systems biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bi-Feng; Xu, Bo; Zhang, Guisen; Du, Wei; Luo, Qingming

2006-02-17

Current biology is experiencing transformation in logic or philosophy that forces us to reevaluate the concept of cell, tissue or entire organism as a collection of individual components. Systems biology that aims at understanding biological system at the systems level is an emerging research area, which involves interdisciplinary collaborations of life sciences, computational and mathematical sciences, systems engineering, and analytical technology, etc. For analytical chemistry, developing innovative methods to meet the requirement of systems biology represents new challenges as also opportunities and responsibility. In this review, systems biology-oriented micro-separation technologies are introduced for comprehensive profiling of genome, proteome and metabolome, characterization of biomolecules interaction and single cell analysis such as capillary electrophoresis, ultra-thin layer gel electrophoresis, micro-column liquid chromatography, and their multidimensional combinations, parallel integrations, microfabricated formats, and nano technology involvement. Future challenges and directions are also suggested.

Molecular biology: Self-sustaining chemistry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wrede Paul

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Molecular biology is an established interdisciplinary field within biology that deals fundamentally with the function of any nucleic acid in the cellular context. The molecular biology section in Chemistry Central Journal focusses on the genetically determined chemistry and biochemistry occuring in the cell. How can thousands of chemical reactions interact smoothly to maintain the life of cells, even in a variable environment? How is this self-sustaining system achieved? These are questions that should be answered in the light of molecular biology and evolution, but with the application of biophysical, physico-chemical, analytical and preparative technologies. As the Section Editor for the molecular biology section in Chemistry Central Journal, I hope to receive manuscripts that present new approaches aimed at better answering and shedding light upon these fascinating questions related to the chemistry of livings cells.

Clinical oncology based upon radiation biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirata, Hideki

2016-01-01

This paper discussed the biological effects of radiation as physical energy, especially those of X-ray as electromagnetic radiation, by associating the position of clinical oncology with classical radiation cell biology as well as recent molecular biology. First, it described the physical and biological effects of radiation, cell death due to radiation and recovery, radiation effects at tissue level, and location information and dosage information in the radiotherapy of cancer. It also described the territories unresolved through radiation biology, such as low-dose high-sensitivity, bystander effects, etc. (A.O.)

Marine biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thurman, H.V.; Webber, H.H.

1984-01-01

This book discusses both taxonomic and ecological topics on marine biology. Full coverage of marine organisms of all five kingdoms is provided, along with interesting and thorough discussion of all major marine habitats. Organization into six major parts allows flexibility. It also provides insight into important topics such as disposal of nuclear waste at sea, the idea that life began on the ocean floor, and how whales, krill, and people interact. A full-color photo chapter reviews questions, and exercises. The contents are: an overview marine biology: fundamental concepts/investigating life in the ocean; the physical ocean, the ocean floor, the nature of water, the nature and motion of ocean water; general ecology, conditions for life in the sea, biological productivity and energy transfer; marine organisms; monera, protista, mycota and metaphyta; the smaller marine animals, the large animals marine habitats, the intertidal zone/benthos of the continental shelf, the photic zone, the deep ocean, the ocean under stress, marine pollution, appendix a: the metric system and conversion factors/ appendix b: prefixes and suffixes/ appendix c: taxonomic classification of common marine organisms, and glossary, and index

The diversification of developmental biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowe, Nathan; Dietrich, Michael R; Alomepe, Beverly S; Antrim, Amelia F; ByrneSim, Bay Lauris; He, Yi

2015-10-01

In the 1960s, "developmental biology" became the dominant term to describe some of the research that had previously been included under the rubrics of embryology, growth, morphology, and physiology. As scientific societies formed under this new label, a new discipline took shape. Historians, however, have a number of different perspectives on what changes led to this new field of developmental biology and how the field itself was constituted during this period. Using the General Embryological Information Service, a global index of post-World War II development-related research, we have documented and visualized significant changes in the kinds of research that occurred as this new field formed. In particular, our analysis supports the claim that the transition toward developmental biology was marked by a growth in new topics and forms of research. Although many historians privilege the role of molecular biology and/or the molecularization of biology in general during this formative period, we have found that the influence of molecular biology is not sufficient to account for the wide range of new research that constituted developmental biology at the time. Overall, our work creates a robust characterization of the changes that occurred with regard to research on growth and development in the decades following World War II and provides a context for future work on the specific drivers of those changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

pGLO Mutagenesis: A Laboratory Procedure in Molecular Biology for Biology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Bassiri, Eby A.

2011-01-01

A five-session laboratory project was designed to familiarize or increase the laboratory proficiency of biology students and others with techniques and instruments commonly used in molecular biology research laboratories and industries. In this project, the EZ-Tn5 transposon is used to generate and screen a large number of cells transformed with…

Review of domestic radiation biology research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Chun; Song Lingli; Ai Zihui

2011-01-01

Radiation biology research in China during the past ten years are reviewed. It should be noticed that radiation-biology should focus on microdosimetry, microbeam application, and radiation biological mechanism. (authors)

Biological response modifiers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weller, R.E.

1991-10-01

Much of what used to be called immunotherapy is now included in the term biological response modifiers. Biological response modifiers (BRMs) are defined as those agents or approaches that modify the relationship between the tumor and host by modifying the host's biological response to tumor cells with resultant therapeutic effects.'' Most of the early work with BRMs centered around observations of spontaneous tumor regression and the association of tumor regression with concurrent bacterial infections. The BRM can modify the host response in the following ways: Increase the host's antitumor responses through augmentation and/or restoration of effector mechanisms or mediators of the host's defense or decrease the deleterious component by the host's reaction; Increase the host's defenses by the administration of natural biologics (or the synthetic derivatives thereof) as effectors or mediators of an antitumor response; Augment the host's response to modified tumor cells or vaccines, which might stimulate a greater response by the host or increase tumor-cell sensitivity to an existing response; Decrease the transformation and/or increase differentiation (maturation) of tumor cells; or Increase the ability of the host to tolerate damage by cytotoxic modalities of cancer treatment.

Synthetic biology: Emerging bioengineering in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Suhandono, Sony

2017-05-01

The development of synthetic biology will shape the new era of science and technology. It is an emerging bioengineering technique involving genetic engineering which can alter the phenotype and behavior of the cell or the new product. Synthetic biology may produce biomaterials, drugs, vaccines, biosensors, and even a recombinant secondary metabolite used in herbal and complementary medicine, such as artemisinin, a malaria drug which is usually extracted from the plant Artemisia annua. The power of synthetic biology has encouraged scientists in Indonesia, and is still in early development. This paper also covers some research from an Indonesian research institute in synthetic biology such as observing the production of bio surfactants and the enhanced production of artemisinin using a transient expression system. Synthetic biology development in Indonesia may also be related to the iGEM competition, a large synthetic biology research competition which was attended by several universities in Indonesia. The application of synthetic biology for drug discovery will be discussed.

Mapping biological systems to network systems

CERN Document Server

Rathore, Heena

2016-01-01

The book presents the challenges inherent in the paradigm shift of network systems from static to highly dynamic distributed systems – it proposes solutions that the symbiotic nature of biological systems can provide into altering networking systems to adapt to these changes. The author discuss how biological systems – which have the inherent capabilities of evolving, self-organizing, self-repairing and flourishing with time – are inspiring researchers to take opportunities from the biology domain and map them with the problems faced in network domain. The book revolves around the central idea of bio-inspired systems -- it begins by exploring why biology and computer network research are such a natural match. This is followed by presenting a broad overview of biologically inspired research in network systems -- it is classified by the biological field that inspired each topic and by the area of networking in which that topic lies. Each case elucidates how biological concepts have been most successfully ...

World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Guidelines for Biological Treatment of Schizophrenia, Part 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasan, Alkomiet; Falkai, Peter; Wobrock, Thomas

2013-01-01

These updated guidelines are based on a first edition of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for biological treatment of schizophrenia published in 2006. For this 2012 revision, all available publications pertaining to the biological treatment of schizoph...

World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Guidelines for Biological Treatment of Schizophrenia, part 1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasan, Alkomiet; Falkai, Peter; Wobrock, Thomas

2012-01-01

These updated guidelines are based on a first edition of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry Guidelines for Biological Treatment of Schizophrenia published in 2005. For this 2012 revision, all available publications pertaining to the biological treatment of schizophrenia we...

The Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) provides a community standard for communicating designs in synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Galdzicki, Michal; Clancy, Kevin P; Oberortner, Ernst; Pocock, Matthew; Quinn, Jacqueline Y; Rodriguez, Cesar A; Roehner, Nicholas; Wilson, Mandy L; Adam, Laura; Anderson, J Christopher; Bartley, Bryan A; Beal, Jacob; Chandran, Deepak; Chen, Joanna; Densmore, Douglas; Endy, Drew; Grünberg, Raik; Hallinan, Jennifer; Hillson, Nathan J; Johnson, Jeffrey D; Kuchinsky, Allan; Lux, Matthew; Misirli, Goksel; Peccoud, Jean; Plahar, Hector A; Sirin, Evren; Stan, Guy-Bart; Villalobos, Alan; Wipat, Anil; Gennari, John H; Myers, Chris J; Sauro, Herbert M

2014-06-01

The re-use of previously validated designs is critical to the evolution of synthetic biology from a research discipline to an engineering practice. Here we describe the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL), a proposed data standard for exchanging designs within the synthetic biology community. SBOL represents synthetic biology designs in a community-driven, formalized format for exchange between software tools, research groups and commercial service providers. The SBOL Developers Group has implemented SBOL as an XML/RDF serialization and provides software libraries and specification documentation to help developers implement SBOL in their own software. We describe early successes, including a demonstration of the utility of SBOL for information exchange between several different software tools and repositories from both academic and industrial partners. As a community-driven standard, SBOL will be updated as synthetic biology evolves to provide specific capabilities for different aspects of the synthetic biology workflow.

Biological Dialogues: How to Teach Your Students to Learn Fluency in Biology

Science.gov (United States)

May, S. Randolph; Cook, David L.; May, Marilyn K.

2013-01-01

Biology courses have thousands of words to learn in order to intelligently discuss the subject and take tests over the material. Biological fluency is an important goal for students, and practical methods based on constructivist pedagogies can be employed to promote it. We present a method in which pairs of students write dialogues from…

Unaffected perceptual thresholds for biological and non-biological form-from-motion perception in autism spectrum conditions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayse Pinar Saygin

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Perception of biological motion is linked to the action perception system in the human brain, abnormalities within which have been suggested to underlie impairments in social domains observed in autism spectrum conditions (ASC. However, the literature on biological motion perception in ASC is heterogeneous and it is unclear whether deficits are specific to biological motion, or might generalize to form-from-motion perception.We compared psychophysical thresholds for both biological and non-biological form-from-motion perception in adults with ASC and controls. Participants viewed point-light displays depicting a walking person (Biological Motion, a translating rectangle (Structured Object or a translating unfamiliar shape (Unstructured Object. The figures were embedded in noise dots that moved similarly and the task was to determine direction of movement. The number of noise dots varied on each trial and perceptual thresholds were estimated adaptively. We found no evidence for an impairment in biological or non-biological object motion perception in individuals with ASC. Perceptual thresholds in the three conditions were almost identical between the ASC and control groups.Impairments in biological motion and non-biological form-from-motion perception are not across the board in ASC, and are only found for some stimuli and tasks. We discuss our results in relation to other findings in the literature, the heterogeneity of which likely relates to the different tasks performed. It appears that individuals with ASC are unaffected in perceptual processing of form-from-motion, but may exhibit impairments in higher order judgments such as emotion processing. It is important to identify more specifically which processes of motion perception are impacted in ASC before a link can be made between perceptual deficits and the higher-level features of the disorder.

Understanding Biological Regulation Through Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bashor, Caleb J; Collins, James J

2018-03-16

Engineering synthetic gene regulatory circuits proceeds through iterative cycles of design, building, and testing. Initial circuit designs must rely on often-incomplete models of regulation established by fields of reductive inquiry-biochemistry and molecular and systems biology. As differences in designed and experimentally observed circuit behavior are inevitably encountered, investigated, and resolved, each turn of the engineering cycle can force a resynthesis in understanding of natural network function. Here, we outline research that uses the process of gene circuit engineering to advance biological discovery. Synthetic gene circuit engineering research has not only refined our understanding of cellular regulation but furnished biologists with a toolkit that can be directed at natural systems to exact precision manipulation of network structure. As we discuss, using circuit engineering to predictively reorganize, rewire, and reconstruct cellular regulation serves as the ultimate means of testing and understanding how cellular phenotype emerges from systems-level network function. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics Volume 47 is May 20, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Synthetic biology: engineering molecular computers

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2018-01-01

Complicated systems cannot survive the rigors of a chaotic environment, without balancing mechanisms that sense, decide upon and counteract the exerted disturbances. Especially so with living organisms, forced by competition to incredible complexities, escalating also their self-controlling plight. Therefore, they compute. Can we harness biological mechanisms to create artificial computing systems? Biology offers several levels of design abstraction: molecular machines, cells, organisms... ranging from the more easily-defined to the more inherently complex. At the bottom of this stack we find the nucleic acids, RNA and DNA, with their digital structure and relatively precise interactions. They are central enablers of designing artificial biological systems, in the confluence of engineering and biology, that we call Synthetic biology. In the first part, let us follow their trail towards an overview of building computing machines with molecules -- and in the second part, take the case study of iGEM Greece 201...

Finding Hope in Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Takala, Tuija

2017-04-01

For some, synthetic biology represents great hope in offering possible solutions to many of the world's biggest problems, from hunger to sustainable development. Others remain fearful of the harmful uses, such as bioweapons, that synthetic biology can lend itself to, and most hold that issues of biosafety are of utmost importance. In this article, I will evaluate these points of view and conclude that although the biggest promises of synthetic biology are unlikely to become reality, and the probability of accidents is fairly substantial, synthetic biology could still be seen to benefit humanity by enhancing our ethical understanding and by offering a boost to world economy.