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Topic Review
Synbiotics in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic relapsing gastrointestinal disorders that are characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The involvement of three distinct recurrent inflammatory features that sustains the chronic inflammation in IBD have been clearly identified that includes, disturbances in the gut microbiota, dysregulated immune response and altered colonic epithelial integrity. Dietary components such as prebiotic dietary fibres (DF) and probiotics due to their potential in modulating immune functions and influencing microbiota are promising strategies in the context of IBD. In this entry, we review the recent evidence from in-vivo studies to support the application of synergistic synbiotic carrying whole-plant complex prebiotic fibre and probiotic in resolving in the inflammatory cycle in IBD.
  • 918
  • 16 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Nanotherapy: Potential Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the Central Nervous System, characterized by an inflammatory process leading to the destruction of myelin with neuronal death and neurodegeneration. In MS, lymphocytes cross the blood-brain barrier, creating inflammatory demyelinated plaques located primarily in the white matter. MS potential treatments involve various mechanisms of action on immune cells, immunosuppression, inhibition of the passage through the blood-brain barrier, and immunotolerance.
  • 916
  • 13 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Renal Cell Carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignant tumor associated with various tumor microenvironments (TMEs).
  • 915
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features
In 2015 the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) “Task Force on Undifferentiated Forms of Connective Tissue Disease-associated Interstitial Lung Disease” proposed classification criteria for a new research category defined as “Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features” (IPAF), to uniformly define patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and features of autoimmunity, without a definite connective tissue disease. These classification criteria were based on a variable combination of features obtained from three domains: a clinical domain consisting of extra-thoracic features, a serologic domain with specific autoantibodies, and a morphologic domain with imaging patterns, histopathological findings, or multicompartment involvement. Features suggesting a systemic vasculitis were excluded. Since publication of ERS/ATS IPAF research criteria, various retrospective studies have been published focusing on prevalence; clinical, morphological, and serological features; and prognosis of these patients showing a broad heterogeneity in the results. Recently, two prospective, cohort studies were performed, confirming the existence of some peculiarities for this clinical entity and the possible progression of IPAF to a defined connective tissue disease (CTD) in about 15% of cases. Moreover, a non-specific interstitial pneumonia pattern, an anti-nuclear antibody positivity, and a Raynaud phenomenon were the most common findings. In comparison with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), IPAF patients showed a better performance in pulmonary function tests and less necessity of oxygen delivery. However, at this stage of our knowledge, we believe that further prospective studies, possibly derived from multicenter cohorts and through randomized control trials, to further validate the proposed classification criteria are needed. 
  • 914
  • 27 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Parvovirus-Based Combinatorial Cancer Immunotherapy
Resistance to anticancer treatments poses continuing challenges to oncology researchers and clinicians. The underlying mechanisms are complex and multifactorial. However, the immunologically “cold” tumor microenvironment (TME) has recently emerged as one of the critical players in cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Therefore, TME modulation through induction of an immunological switch towards inflammation (“warming up”) is among the leading approaches in modern oncology. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are seen today not merely as tumor cell-killing (oncolytic) agents, but also as cancer therapeutics with multimodal antitumor action. Due to their intrinsic or engineered capacity for overcoming immune escape mechanisms, warming up the TME and promoting antitumor immune responses, OVs hold the potential for creating a proinflammatory background, which may in turn facilitate the action of other (immunomodulating) drugs. This review deals with the smallest among all OVs, the H-1 parvovirus (H-1PV), and focuses on H-1PV-based combinatorial approaches, whose efficiency has been proven in preclinical and/or clinical settings. Special focus is given to cancer types with most devastating impact on life expectancy that urgently call for novel therapies.
  • 914
  • 11 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Innate Immune Control of Fungal Infections
Fungal spores are ubiquitous in the environment and are encountered on a daily basis. Fungi that enter the body are usually controlled by human's innate immune system, preventing disease from developing. Detection of fungal surface ligands by Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) triggers a pro-inflammatory response, resulting in innate immune activation and elimination of fungi when the immune response is effective, or ineffective clearance and development of disease when immunity fails.
  • 914
  • 17 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Trigonella foenum-graecum
Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek) is a valuable medicinal plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. Plant seeds are mostly used in Asian, African, and Mediterranean countries as major ingredients of daily diets and in domains such as cosmetics, fragrances, beverages, nutrition, medicine and industry. The major pharmacological attributes of fenugreek are hypotensive, antioxidant, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, galactagogue, laxative, febrifuge, carminative, anticholesterolemic, antimicrobial, etc. 
  • 914
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a complex syndrome that develops in patients with cirrhosis and is characterized by acute decompensation, organ failure(s) and high short-term mortality. ACLF frequently occurs in close temporal relationship to a precipitating event, such as acute alcoholic, drug-induced or viral hepatitis or bacterial infection and, in cases without precipitating events, probably related to intestinal translocation of bacterial products. Dysbalanced immune function is central to its pathogenesis and outcome with an initial excessive systemic inflammatory response that drives organ failure and mortality. This hyperinflammatory state ultimately impairs the host defensive mechanisms of immune cells, rendering ACLF patients immunocompromised and more vulnerable to secondary infections, and therefore to higher organ dysfunction and mortality. (Draft for you)
  • 911
  • 24 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Pyroptosis in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Pyroptosis is a gasdermin-mediated, membrane pore forming, proinflammatory type of cell death. This necrotic form of cell death causes cell swelling and lysis and was initially found to be an infection triggered event occurring mostly in myeloid cells which leads to ion fluxes and release of proteins of the interleukin (IL) family. It was first described in 1992 by a group that saw a Caspase 1-dependent form of cell death in macrophages that were infected with Shigella flexneri and initially thought it was a form of apoptosis because of its caspase dependency. Pyroptosis is an important event in non-infectious diseases as well and therapeutic approaches have been developed in the hope of influencing several of these disease outcomes.
  • 911
  • 22 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin K and SARS-CoV-2
Prevalent coagulopathy and thromboembolism are observed in severe COVID-19 patients with 40% of COVID-19 mortality being associated with cardiovascular complications. Abnormal coagulation parameters are related to poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Victims also displayed presence of extensive thrombosis in infected lungs. Vitamin K is well-known to play an essential role in the coagulation system. Latest study revealed an existing correlation between vitamin K deficiency and COVID-19 severity, highlighting a role of vitamin K, probably via coagulation modulation.
  • 910
  • 06 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Functional Foods in the Context of Viral Infection
The concept of functional foods is thought to have first arisen in Japan less than 40 years ago, with the Japanese initiating the concept of functional food science based on the words of the ancient Chinese, in which they stated that “Medicine and food are isogenic”. Here we discuss the immunomodulatory mechanisms of key functional foods, including dairy proteins and hydrolysates, plant-based functional foods, fermentates, and foods enriched with vitamin D, zinc, and selenium. Our findings reveal four key immunity boosting mechanisms by functional foods, including inhibition of viral proliferation and binding to host cells, modulation of the innate immune response in macrophages and dendritic cells, enhancement of specific immune responses in T cells and B cells, and promotion of the intestinal barrier function. Overall, this entry demonstrates that diet-derived nutrients and functional foods show immense potential to boost viral immunity in high-risk individuals and can be an important approach to improving overall immune health.
  • 910
  • 10 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Molecular Epidemiology across Cancer Types in Microsatellite Instability
Microsatellite instability (MSI) occurs in a wide variety of tumor types and is one of the most important predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
  • 909
  • 23 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein
The development of new therapeutic approaches to diseases relies on the identification of key molecular targets involved in amplifying disease processes. One such molecule is thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), also designated thioredoxin-binding protein-2 (TBP-2), a member of the α-arrestin family of proteins and a central regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism, involved in diabetes-associated vascular endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. TXNIP sequesters reduced thioredoxin (TRX), inhibiting its function, resulting in increased oxidative stress. Many different cellular stress factors regulate TXNIP expression, including high glucose, endoplasmic reticulum stress, free radicals, hypoxia, nitric oxide, insulin, and adenosine-containing molecules. TXNIP is also directly involved in inflammatory activation through its interaction with the nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, and pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome complex. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease have significant pathologies associated with increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular dysfunctions.
  • 908
  • 22 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Liver Resident Memory T Cells
Immunological memory is fundamental to maintain immunity against re-invading pathogens. It is the basis for prolonged protection induced by vaccines and can be mediated by humoral or cellular responses - the latter largely mediated by T cells. Memory T cells belong to different subsets with specialized functions and distributions within the body. They can be broadly separated into circulating memory cells, which pace the entire body through the lymphatics and blood, and tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells, which are constrained to peripheral tissues. Retained in the tissues where they form, TRM cells provide a frontline defense against reinfection. Here, we review this population of cells with specific attention to the liver, where TRM cells have been found to protect against infections, in particular those by Plasmodium species that cause malaria.
  • 902
  • 13 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Microglia in Brain Homeostasis and Neuroinflammation
Neuroinflammation is a common hallmark in different neurodegenerative conditions that share neuronal dysfunction and a progressive loss of a selectively vulnerable brain cell population. Alongside ageing and genetics, inflammation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are considered key risk factors. Microglia are considered immune sentinels of the central nervous system capable of initiating an innate and adaptive immune response. Nevertheless, the pathological mechanisms underlying the initiation and spread of inflammation in the brain are still poorly described.
  • 899
  • 23 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines
COVID-19 vaccines have been developed to confer immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Prior to the pandemic of COVID-19 which started in March 2020, there was a well-established understanding about the structure and pathogenesis of previously known Coronaviruses from the SARS and MERS outbreaks. In addition to this, vaccines for various Coronaviruses were available for veterinary use. This knowledge supported the creation of various vaccine platforms for SARS-CoV-2. Before COVID-19 there are no reports of a vaccine being developed in under a year and no vaccine for preventing coronavirus infection in humans had ever been developed. Approximately nine different technologies are being researched and developed at various levels in order to design an effective COVID-19 vaccine. As the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for generating substantial adaptive immune response, mostly all the vaccine candidates have been targeting the whole spike protein or epitopes of spike protein as a vaccine candidate.
  • 898
  • 13 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Chasing Uterine Cancer with NK Cell-Based Immunotherapies
Gynecological cancers, including endometrial adenocarcinoma, significantly contribute to cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. The immune system plays a significant role in endometrial cancer pathogenesis. (uterine) NK cells, a component of innate immunity, are among the critical innate immune cells in the uterus crucial in menstruation, embryonic development, and fighting infections. NK cell number and function influence endometrial cancer development and progression. Hence, it becomes crucial to understand the role of local (uterine) NK cells in uterine cancer.
  • 896
  • 20 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Inflammasomes in Teleosts
Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) play a crucial role in inducing inflammatory responses; they recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns, damage-associated molecular patterns, and environmental factors. 
  • 895
  • 04 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 2 in Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents one of the most common causes of death among cancers worldwide. Its incidence has been increasing among the young population. Many risk factors contribute to the development and progression of CRC and about 70% of them are sporadic. The CRC microenvironment is highly heterogeneous and represents a very complex immunosuppressive platform. Many cytokines and their receptors are vital participants in this immunosuppressive microenvironment. Tumor necrosis factors (TNFs) and TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2) are critical players in the development of CRC. TNFR2 was observed to have increased the immunosuppressive activity of CRC cells via regulatory T cells (T regs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in the CRC microenvironment.
  • 895
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Mitochondria at Work
Mitochondria can adapt to the requirements of different organs. For instance long-life energy supply for the heart or metabolism for function of the liver. Dysregulations are observed in all major chronic diseases. The paper includes interventional strategies for cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndromes, cancer, cachexia and immune system exhaustion.
  • 894
  • 07 Dec 2020
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