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Topic Review
Antiviral Activity of Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous free radical that is largely produced by the enzyme NO synthase (NOS) in cells. NO produced by upper epidermal cells contributes to the inactivation of viruses and bacteria contained in air or aerosols. In addition to enzymatic production, NO can be generated by the chemical reduction of inorganic nitrite (NO2−), an alternative mechanism for NO production in living organisms. Dietary vitamin C, largely contained in fruits and vegetables, can reduce the nitrite in saliva to produce NO in the oral cavity when chewing foods. In the stomach, salivary nitrite can also be reduced to NO by vitamin C secreted from the epidermal cells of the stomach. The strong acidic pH of gastric juice facilitates the chemical reduction of salivary nitrite to produce NO. It is evident that NO exhibits substantial antiviral activity against many types of viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Effects of Oxysterols on Immune Cells
Oxysterols are the products of cholesterol oxidation. They have a wide range of effects on several cells, organs, and systems in the body. Oxysterols also have an influence on the physiology of the immune system, from immune cell maturation and migration to innate and humoral immune responses. 
  • 1.4K
  • 21 Apr 2022
Topic Review
CD4 T-Cell in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term for the chronic immune-mediated idiopathic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, manifesting as Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). IBD is characterized by exacerbated innate and adaptive immunity in the gut in association with microbiota dysbiosis and the disruption of the intestinal barrier, resulting in increased bacterial exposure. In response to signals from microorganisms and damaged tissue, innate immune cells produce inflammatory cytokines and factors that stimulate T and B cells of the adaptive immune system, and a prominent characteristic of IBD patients is the accumulation of inflammatory T-cells and their proinflammatory-associated cytokines in intestinal tissue. Upon antigen recognition and activation, CD4 T-cells differentiate towards a range of distinct phenotypes: T helper(h)1, Th2, Th9, Th17, Th22, T follicular helper (Tfh), and several types of T-regulatory cells (Treg). T-cells are generated according to and adapt to microenvironmental conditions and participate in a complex network of interactions among other immune cells that modulate the further progression of IBD. 
  • 1.4K
  • 09 Feb 2023
Topic Review
TLR7 Implication in Various Clinical Diseases
Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is a class of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) recognizing the pathogen-associated elements and damage and as such is a major player in the innate immune system. TLR7 triggers the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines or type-I interferons (IFN), which is essential for immunoregulation. Increasing reports also highlight that the abnormal activation of endosomal TLR7 is implicated in various immune-related diseases, carcinogenesis as well as the proliferation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Exosome-Mediated Immunosuppression in Tumor Microenvironments
Exosomes are membranous structures secreted by nearly all cell types. As critical messengers for intercellular communication, exosomes deliver bioactive cargoes to recipient cells and are involved in multiple physiopathological processes, including immunoregulation. This pioneering research revealed that cancer cells release programmed death-ligand 1-positive exosomes into the circulation to counter antitumor immunity systemically via T cells. Tumor cell-derived exosomes (TDEs) also play an immunosuppressive role in other immunocytes, including dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Moreover, exosomes secreted by nontumor cells in the tumor microenvironments (TMEs) also exert immunosuppressive effects.
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Mechanism of NETosis
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are net-like structures released from neutrophils. NETs predominantly contain cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) decorated with histones and neutrophil granule proteins. Numerous extrinsic and intrinsic stimuli can induce the formation of NETs such as pathogens, cytokines, immune complexes, microcrystals, antibodies, and other physiological stimuli. The mechanism of NETosis induction can either be ROS-dependent or independent based on the catalase producing activity of the pathogen. NADPH is the source of ROS production, which in turn depends on the upregulation of Ca2+ production in the cytoplasm. ROS-independent induction of NETosis is regulated through toll-like receptors (TLRs). Besides capturing and eliminating pathogens, NETs also aggravate the inflammatory response and thus act as a double-edged sword.
  • 1.4K
  • 18 May 2023
Topic Review
Macrophage Polarization in Atherosclerosis
Macrophages (Macs) are one of the major cell types of the innate immune system. They regulate inflammation and clear infection through antigen presentation, polarization, and phagocytosis. Macs release cytokines to regulate other immune cells.
  • 1.4K
  • 24 Jun 2022
Topic Review Video
Transgenerational-Epigenetic Inheritance and Immune System
Epigenetic modifications cause heritable changes in gene expression which are not due to alterations in underlying DNA sequence. Inside the eukaryotic nucleus, there is condense packing of DNA around histone proteins to constitute chromatin structure. Epigenetic modifications are caused by factors that alter chromatin structure. Some epigenetic factors are enzymes that regulate DNA methylation and histone modifications, non-coding RNA, and prions. An offspring inherits parental epigenetic modifications but most of them are deleted and reset during early developmental stages. Some epigenetic modifications are retained and persist across multiple generations. If any epigenetic modification is the result of a stimulus or immune response in one generation, such that the modification continues to be inherited in subsequent generations which are not subjected to the stimulus; and the inheritance continues beyond the 3rd generation in the female germline and 2nd generation in male, then the phenomenon is called transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TGEI). This entry is focused on a review which discusses some examples of TGEI that are reported in association with  immune system development and disorders.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 May 2021
Topic Review
Mucosal Immune Responses to Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus with a genome comprising 10 genes encoding 11 proteins. While RSV triggers common cold symptoms in healthy adults, it poses a much greater threat to infants and the elderly. A fresh focus on studies of RSV pathogenesis in the airway mucosa is set to revolutionise our understanding of this common and important infection.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Serum lipidomics in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a highly debilitating chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease most prevalent in women. The true etiology of this disease is complex, multifactorial, and is yet to be completely elucidated. Changes in the lipid profile at a molecular level in RA are still poorly understood. Studies on the variation of lipid profile in RA using lipidomics showed that fatty acid and phospholipid profile, especially in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, are affected in this disease. These promising results could lead to the discovery of new diagnostic lipid biomarkers for early diagnosis of RA and targets for personalized medicine.
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Nipah Virus Disease
Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a viral disease caused by a Henipavirus, belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family, responsible for a zoonosis. The course of the disease can be very serious and lead to death. NiV natural hosts are fruit bats (also known as megabats) belonging to the Pteropodidae family, especially those of the Pteropus genus. Natural infection in domestic animals has been described in farming pigs, horses, domestic and feral dogs and cats. Natural NiV transmission is possible intra-species (pig-to-pig, human-to-human) and inter-species (flying bat-to-human, pig-to-human, horse-to-human).
  • 1.4K
  • 11 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Hydroa Vacciniforme, EBV, and Lymphoma
Hydroa vacciniforme (HV) is a rare form of photosensitivity disorder in children or adolescence and is frequently associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection, whereas HV-like lymphoproliferative disorders (HVLPD) describe a spectrum of EBV-associated T-cell or natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoproliferations with HV-like cutaneous manifestations, including EBV-positive HV, atypical HV, and HV-like lymphoma. 
  • 1.4K
  • 23 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Macrophages in Cancer
Macrophages in cancer represent a major part of the immune cells within the TME and they are more frequently associated with a bad prognosis.
  • 1.4K
  • 21 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Multispecific Antibodies against Cancer
The principles and current clinical landscape of multispecific antibodies against cancer.
  • 1.4K
  • 07 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Human Coronavirus (HCoV)
Coronaviruses (CoVs) were identified in the 1930s as zoonotic spherical pathogens causing mostly respiratory or enteric diseases. Coronaviruses vary in size and are enveloped with club-shaped spikes on their surface. A helically symmetrical nucleocapsid comprising positive-sense single-stranded RNA is one of the largest virus genomes, ranging from 26 to 32 kilobases in length. Although CoVs are distributed mainly among mammals and birds, since 1960 seven species of human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have been described and some HCoVs infections (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) have resulted in lethal epidemics. The global range and high fatality rate of the newest HCoV pandemic has made SARS-CoV-2 the focus of the scientific world.
  • 1.4K
  • 17 Dec 2020
Topic Review
EBOV and SARS-CoV-2
Ebola virus (EBOV), which belongs to the filoviridae family, and the recently emerged coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are two highly pathogenic viruses that exploit very similar endocytic routes to productively infect target cells. This convergence has sped up the experimental assessment of clinical therapies against SARS-CoV-2 previously found to be effective for EBOV, and facilitated their expedited clinical testing.
  • 1.4K
  • 07 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Mutant p53
The p53 tumor suppressor plays a pivotal role in cancer and infectious disease. Many oncology treatments are now calling on immunotherapy approaches, and scores of studies have investigated the role of p53 antibodies in cancer diagnosis and therapy. This review summarizes the current knowledge from the preliminary evidence that suggests a potential role of p53 as an antigen in the adaptive immune response and a monitoring key role of the innate immune system, thereby speculating on the idea that mutant p53 antigens serve as a druggable target in immunotherapy. Except in a few cases, the vast majority of published work on p53 antibodies in cancer patients use wild-type p53 as the antigen to detect these antibodies and it is unclear that they can recognize p53 mutants carried by cancer patients at all. We envision that an antibody targeting a specific mutant p53 will be effective therapeutically against the cancer carrying the exact mutant p53. Thus, novel antibodies targeting mutant p53, but not the wild-type isoform, should be pursued in preclincial and clinical studies.
  • 1.4K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Alveolar Macrophages
At the early stages of life development, alveoli are colonized by embryonic macrophages, which become resident alveolar macrophages (ResAM) and self-sustain by local division. Genetic and epigenetic signatures and, to some extent, the functions of ResAM are dictated by the lung microenvironment, which uses cytokines, ligand-receptor interactions, and stroma cells to orchestrate lung homeostasis. 
  • 1.4K
  • 05 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Cyclic Dinucleotide Vaccine Adjuvants
Cyclic dinucleotides(CDNs) are a class of bacterial and mammalian second messengers with potent immunomodulatory and immunostimulatory properties. CDNs mediate a potent systemic as well as a mucosal vaccine response and induces a balanced memory Th1/Th2/Th17 and CD8+ T cell response. CDNs do not cause acute toxicity in mice and have been reported safe in humans from the recent clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02675439, NCT03010176, NCT03172936, NCT03937141, and NCT0414414). As therapeutic cancer vaccine adjuvants, CDNs induce potent anti-tumor immunity,including cytotoxic T cells and NK cell activation that achieve durable regression in multiple mice models of tumor. In this entry, we review the status of CDN vaccine adjuvant research, including their superior adjuvant activities, in vivo mode of action, and confounding factors that affect their efficacy in humans.
  • 1.4K
  • 02 Nov 2020
Topic Review
T regulatory cell (Treg)
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subset of CD4+ T lymphocytes that possesses the capacity to suppress immune responses to ensure that the immune system’s response to foreign antigens and its response to self-antigens remains adequately balanced. This homeostatic balance ensures the immune system is inflammatory enough to respond sufficiently to foreign antigens, as well as neoantigens from cancer, and sufficiently counter-balanced or anti-inflammatory that inflammation does not get out of hand, leading to tissue damage or death. The immune-suppressive effects of Tregs regulate tumor immunity, antimicrobial resistance, allergy and transplantation. Tregs also play a central role in maintaining self-tolerance. Treg involvement in this mechanism is pivotal for protection from autoimmune diseases.
  • 1.4K
  • 26 Oct 2020
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