Acidity of Microenvironment as a Further Driver of Tumor Metabolic Reprogramming

In the last decade, experimental research has intensely focused on metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells, which contributes to cancer cell adaptation and survival in different and hostile microenvironments.

Metabolic reprogramming consists of the switch of tumor cells from aerobic or anaerobic glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation. A comprehensive vision of the metabolic scenario involving functionally different tumor cell subpopulations was proposed as a necessary premise to the design of new strategies of diagnosis and therapy.

 Special focus has been put on the role of acidosis of certain tumor regions, a very important although frequently neglected aspect.

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The Control of Apoptotic Death in the Cells of Granulomatous Inflammatory Lesions from Mice with Latent Tuberculous Infection in the Ex Vivo Model

Tuberculosis is a leading worldwide health problem. The latent, symptom-free stage of tuberculous infection is characterized by the formation of granulomas, specific aggregates of immune cells, predominantly macrophages, containing mycobacteria.

The apoptotic death of macrophages containing mycobacteria is considered the main mechanism by which animals and human organisms oppose tuberculous infection and control its development.

Previously, we have comparedMycobacterium-host cell relationships in individual granuloma cells from mice with latent tuberculous infection and cells from mouse bone marrow and peritoneal cultures infected with BCG vaccine in vitro and shown that increased death rates were revealed for macrophages heavily loaded with mycobacteria after acute BCG infection in vitro. 

Subtleties and Dynamics of Antibody Function: Lessons from Bovine Antibody Fragments

Antibody, nature’s most magnificent molecule, has come of age moving forward from an era of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to its applications as functional antibody fragments or modifications thereof for developing new drugs against vexing diseases, such as, cancer and viral infections.

The conventional therapies against these diseases have not been successful resulting in a shift towards development of novel antibody-based therapeutics.

The clinical success of antibodies can be assessed from their major commercial impact as evidenced by the market for antibody drugs being over $60 billion in 2013, which is expected to double globally within the decade.

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Diastematomyelia- An Unusual Presentation to Rheumatology

Clinically she had scoliosis and was tender to palpate posterior to the greater trochanter in a soft tissue/muscular distribution. She also had lumbar spine pain which radiated to the groin and anterior thigh.

MRI revealed Diastematomyelia with a bony bar at L3 and resultant low lying cord extending to L4-L5. The lower nerve roots were found posteriorly within the thecal sac and it was felt adhesions from previous surgery resulted in a posterior fusion anomaly in the lower lumbar region.

The defect in the posterior elements extended from mid L4 to at least S2 level. The images obtained were classical images of this relatively rare condition

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The Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene Polymorphisms in Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions in Saudi Women

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) genes regulate proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, hence, are essential for both physiological and pathological angiogenesis.

The aim of the present study was to examine the association between three common VEGF single nucleotide polymorphisms (-583 T/C, -1154 G/A, and 936 C/T) and the risk of RSA in Saudi women.

A total of 200 women; 100 with RSA-patient matched with 100 controls were enrolled sequentially. Genotyping was conducted using TaqMan assay in order to detect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in DNA extracts from blood samples.

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Targeting Immune-Evasion Mechanisms as a Possible New Approach in the Fight against Tuberculosis

The emergence of multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains, the difficulties in the development of new safe therapies or the production of a protective vaccine against tuberculosis make the study of the strategies developed by Mtb to escape from the host immune system an important source of potential targets of immunointervention in the fight against tuberculosis.

A mechanism of immune-evasion specific for the post-primary tuberculosis based on the differentiation of disabled antigen presenting cells is described.

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The Control of Apoptotic Death in the Cells of Granulomatous Inflammatory Lesions from Mice with Latent Tuberculous Infection in the Ex Vivo Model

Tuberculosis is a leading worldwide health problem. The latent, symptom-free stage of tuberculous infection is characterized by the formation of granulomas, specific aggregates of immune cells, predominantly macrophages, containing mycobacteria.

The apoptotic death of macrophages containing mycobacteria is considered the main mechanism by which animals and human organisms oppose tuberculous infection and control its development.

Previously, we have comparedMycobacterium-host cell relationships in individual granuloma cells from mice with latent tuberculous infection and cells from mouse bone marrow and peritoneal cultures infected with BCG vaccine in vitro and shown that increased death rates were revealed for macrophages heavily loaded with mycobacteria after acute BCG infection in vitro.

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Asthma and Environmental Indicators: A Time-series Study

To estimate the risk of ozone concentration and hospitalizations for asthma. This is an ecological time series, which included individuals from 0 to 10 years old who lived in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul (Brasil), from 2008 to 2010.

The data on hospitalizations for asthma were obtained online from DATASUS website. Data from environment levels of ozone were obtained from Instituto de Física of UFMS and temperature and humidity from Centro de Monitoramento de Clima e Recursos Hídricos (CEMTEC).

Gap designs were made from 0 to 6 days and analyzed by generalized additive Poisson’s regression model and its 95% confidence intervals.

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Advances in the Studies of NK Cell Migrations Using Microfluidic Devices

Proper cell migrations are tightly regulated in unicellular and multicellular organisms. For example, cell migration is a critical process in our immune system that will determine the development of different specific immune cell types, promote immune surveillance and the proper mounting of host defence against invading microbes.

Natural killer cells (NK) are granulocytic lymphocytes derived from bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells. The molecular mechanism(s) that govern NK differentiation remains unclear.

Soluble factors (such as IL-15, SCF, Flt3L and IL-7), transcription factors (e.g. Ikaros, E4BP4), and microenvironment of bone marrow are involved in this coordinated NK differentiation process.

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