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Cell-based Cancer Therapies Cytotoxicity is a property of some immune cells to induce lysis of other cells that can be detected as non-functional or transformed. In the recent years, redirecting cytotoxicity in cancer has been the base of cell-based cancer therapies that involve the use of living cells to treat cancer. There are several types Read More

Introduction Immunological tolerance describes a diverse range of host processes that prevent potentially harmful immune responses within that host (1). A fundamental property of the immune system is its ability to mediate self-defense with minimal collateral damage to the host. The system uses several different mechanisms to achieve this goal, which is collectively referred to Read More

Genetics and Mechanisms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) encompasses chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Genetic factors are key contributors to IBD susceptibility, and understanding candidate genes is crucial to comprehend the disease’s complex pathogenesis. Murine models serve as valuable tools to study Read More

HIV, the Microbiome and Cellular Immunity   HIV in infants Of the 2.1 million children under the age of 15 that live with HIV infection, 90% of those are in Sub-Saharan Africa. At least 1/3 of infants born in Sub-Saharan Africa have been exposed to maternal HIV infection and antiretroviral treatment. Majority of HIV is Read More

Innate Epithelial Barrier Defense In the gastrointestinal tract it is of paramount importance to host health that the intestinal micro­biota is kept at a distance from intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), minimizing the likelihood of tissue damage and invasion. Innate immune strategies include the use of a mucus layer, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and innate lymphoid cells Read More

Introduction The term ‘microbiota’ defines the community of symbiotic microbes including bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protozoa that have established their own niches within a host and provide supporting roles in host immunity and metabolism. Some commensals organisms are often referred to as “pathobionts” because they can cause disease under certain conditions. The intestinal tract Read More

The GI tract Periodontitis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease associated with the accumulation of dental plaque (referred to as dental biofilm/biofilm), characterized by the progressive destruction of the supporting structures of the teeth, including the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. (Kwon et al., 2021) During inflammation, defense cells release certain endogenous biological molecules such Read More

Introduction Erlich put forward the term ‘horror autotoxicus’ to refer to the body’s aversion to immunological self-destruction, and postulated that mechanisms must prevent reaction against self Healthy individuals have a smouldering autoimmune response that can escape control (a system of many checks and balances) to cause autoimmune disorders A major area of interest is how Read More

Introduction The T cell repertoire in a healthy adult is shaped by thymic selection (positive and negative), where naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells can then interact, and be primed, with “foreign” antigen in the secondary lymphoid tissues Antigen engagement via the T cell receptor (TCR) then shapes the repertoire of antigen-specific T cells and most likely the functional attributes of the T Read More

02 November 2022

Using a murine model, researchers have identified and described a type of T cell, that promotes the production of certain cytokines that play a key role in immunity against fungal pathogens…