Selective, broad-spectrum antiviral photodynamic disinfection with dicationic imidazolyl chlorin photosensitizers.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposes our vulnerability to viruses that acquire the ability to infect our cells. Classical disinfection methods are limited by toxicity. Existing medicines performed poorly against SARS-CoV-2 because of their specificity to targets in different organisms. We address the challenge of mitigating known and prospective viral infections with a new photosensitizer for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). Photodynamic inactivation is based on local oxidative stress, which is particularly damaging to enveloped viruses. We synthesized a cationic imidazolyl chlorin that reduced by > 99.999% of the percentage inhibition of amplification of SARS-CoV-2 collected from patients at 0.2 µM concentration and 4 J cm-2. Similar results were obtained in the prevention of infection of human ACE2-expressing HEK293T cells by a pseudotyped lentiviral vector exhibiting the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 at its surface. No toxicity to human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells was found under similar conditions. aPDT with this chlorin offers fast and safe broad-spectrum photodisinfection and can be repeated with low risk of resistance.

Natural Killer T-like Cells: Immunobiology and Role in Disease.

CD56+ T cells are generally recognized as a distinct population of T cells and are categorized as NKT-like cells. Although our understanding of NKT-like cells is far from satisfactory, it has been shown that aging and a number of disease situations have impacted these cells. To construct an overview of what is currently known, we reviewed the literature on human NKT-like cells. NKT-like cells are highly differentiated T cells with "CD1d-independent" antigen recognition and MHC-unrestricted cell killing. The genesis of NKT-like cells is unclear; however, it is proposed that the acquisition of innate characteristics by T cells could represent a remodeling process leading to successful aging. Additionally, it has been shown that NKT-like cells may play a significant role in several pathological conditions, making it necessary to comprehend whether these cells might function as prognostic markers. The quantification and characterization of these cells might serve as a cutting-edge indicator of individual immune health. Additionally, exploring the mechanisms that can control their killing activity in different contexts may therefore result in innovative therapeutic alternatives in a wide range of disease settings.

Photodynamic disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 clinical samples using a methylene blue formulation.

The amplitude of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic motivated global efforts to find therapeutics that avert severe forms of this illness. The urgency of the medical needs privileged repositioning of approved medicines. Methylene blue (MB) has been in clinical use for a century and proved especially useful as a photosensitizer for photodynamic disinfection (PDI). We describe the use of MB to photo-inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in samples collected from COVID-19 patients. One minute of treatment can reduce the percentage inhibition of amplification by 99.99% under conditions of low cytotoxicity. We employed a pseudotyped lentiviral vector (LVs) encoding the luciferase reporter gene and exhibiting the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 at its surface, to infect human ACE2-expressing HEK293T cells. Pre-treatment of LVs with MB-PDI prevented infection at low micromolar MB concentrations and 1 min of illumination. These results reveal the potential of MB-PDI to reduce viral loads in the nasal cavity and oropharynx in the early stages of COVID-19, which may be employed to curb the transmission and severity of the disease.

Type 2 and type 3 innate lymphoid cells at the maternal-fetal interface: implications in preterm birth.

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is commonly accepted that the act of giving birth is the final step in a proinflammatory signaling cascade, orchestrated by an intrauterine milieu coupled to hormonal cues. Consequently, the inflammatory process plays a pivotal role during the pathogenesis of human labor, both in term and preterm deliveries. The ability of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) to act as pro-inflammatory mediators arose the interest to study their role in normal and pathological pregnancies. The aim of this work was to analyze the relative frequencies of ILCs subsets in pregnancy and the levels of IL-4, IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-γ as inflammatory mediators. Accordingly, we hypothesized that changes in the proportions of ILCs subpopulations could be related to preterm birth. METHODS: We analyzed 15 full-term delivery samples and six preterm delivery samples. In the full-term group (FTB) peripheral blood was taken during routine blood analysis, on 3 occasions: 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester. After delivery, peripheral blood, cord blood and placenta were collected. In PTB group, peripheral blood samples were obtained on two occasions: before and 24 h after treatment with progesterone. We used flow cytometry to analyze ILCs in maternal peripheral blood, placenta, and cord blood samples. Maternal peripheral blood and cord blood samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IL-4, IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-γ plasma levels at the time of labor. RESULTS: We observed significantly increased relative frequencies of ILC2 and ILC3 in the decidua, as well as an increase of ILC2 in cord blood samples in PTB group, compared to FTB samples. We also found a decrease in IFN-γ in peripheral blood samples of the PTB group, suggesting a functional withdrawal. Additionally, IL-4, IL-17, IL-22 levels were similar in PTB and FTB groups, denoting a relevant role in mediating labor. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that ILC2 and ILC3 play a role in PTB by mediating an inflammatory response. Further work is necessary to evaluate the importance of ILCs in the regulation of labor.

Activated double-negative T cells (CD3+CD4-CD8-HLA-DR+) define response to renal denervation for resistant hypertension.

PURPOSE: To explore the cellular immune response of patients with resistant hypertension treated with renal denervation (RDN). METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were included and blood samples were obtained in six timings, pre and post procedure. Response was evaluated at six-months and one year and was observed in 69.6% and 82.6% of patients, respectively. Absolute values of HLA-DR+ double negative (DN) T cells were significantly lower in the group of 'responders' at one year, and interaction between the timings were found in three T cell subsets (T CD4, T CD8 and naïve T CD8 cells), with the 'responders' tending to present with lower absolute values and little inter-timing variation. CONCLUSIONS: 'Responders' significantly present with lower absolute values of activated DN T cells and have lower and more stable values of total T CD8+, CD4+, and naïve T CD8+ cells. These cell types may be able to predict response to RDN.

Repeated Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Treatment Sustainably Alleviates Machado-Joseph Disease.

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, the most common dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) worldwide, is caused by over-repetition of a CAG repeat in the ATXN3/MJD1 gene, which translates into a polyglutamine tract within the ataxin-3 protein. There is no treatment for this fatal disorder. Despite evidence of the safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in delaying SCA disease progression in exploratory clinical trials, unanticipated regression of patients to the status prior to treatment makes the investigation of causes and solutions urgent and imperative. In the present study, we compared the efficacy of a single intracranial injection with repeated systemic MSC administration in alleviating the MJD phenotype of two strongly severe genetic rodent models. We found that a single MSC transplantation only produces transient effects, whereas periodic administration promotes sustained motor behavior and neuropathology alleviation, suggesting that MSC therapies should be re-designed to get sustained beneficial results in clinical practice. Furthermore, MSC promoted neuroprotection, increased the levels of GABA and glutamate, and decreased the levels of Myo-inositol, which correlated with motor improvements, indicating that these metabolites may serve as valid neurospectroscopic biomarkers of disease and treatment. This study makes important contributions to the design of new clinical approaches for MJD and other SCAs/polyglutamine disorders.

The role of immune system exhaustion on cancer cell escape and anti-tumor immune induction after irradiation.

Immune surveillance seems to represent an effective tumor suppressor mechanism. However, some cancer cells survive and become variants, being poorly immunogenic and able to enter a steady-state phase. These cells become functionally dormant or remain hidden clinically throughout. Neoplastic cells seem to be able to instruct immune cells to undergo changes promoting malignancy. Radiotherapy may act as a trigger of the immune response. After radiotherapy a sequence of reactions occurs, starting in the damage of oncogenic cells by multiple mechanisms, leading to the immune system positive feedback against the tumor. The link between radiotherapy and the immune system is evident. T cells, macrophages, Natural Killer cells and other immune cells seem to have a key role in controlling the tumor. T cells may be dysfunctional and remain in a state of T cell exhaustion, nonetheless, they often retain a high potential for successful defense against cancer, being able to be mobilized to become highly functional. The lack of clinical trials on a large scale makes data a little robust, in spite of promising information, there are still many variables in the studies relating to radiation and immune system. The clarification of the mechanisms underlying immune response to radiation exposure may contribute to treatment improvement, gain of life quality and span of patients.

Regulation of striatal astrocytic receptor for advanced glycation end-products variants in an early stage of experimental Parkinson's disease.

Convincing evidence indicates that advanced glycation end-products and danger-associated protein S100B play a role in Parkinson's disease (PD). These agents operate through the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE), which displays distinct isoforms playing protective/deleterious effects. However, the nature of RAGE variants has been overlooked in PD studies. Hence, we attempted to characterize RAGE regulation in early stages of PD striatal pathology. A neurotoxin-based rodent model of PD was used in this study, through administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to C57BL/6 mice. Animals were killed 6 h post-MPTP to assess S100B/RAGE contents (RT-qPCR, ELISA) and RAGE isoform density (WB) and cellular distribution (immunohistochemistry). Dopaminergic and gliotic status were also mapped (HPLC-ED, WB, immunohistochemistry). At this preliminary stage of MPTP-induced PD in mice, RAGE inhibitory isoforms were increased whereas full-length RAGE was not affected. This putative cytoprotective RAGE phenotype paired an inflammatory and pro-oxidant setting fueling DAergic denervation. Increased RAGE inhibitory variants occur in astrocytes showing higher S100B density but no overt signs of hypertrophy or NF-κB activation, a canonical effector of RAGE. These findings expand our understanding of the toxic effect of MPTP on striatum and offer first in vivo evidence of RAGE being a responder in early stages of astrogliosis dynamics, supporting a protective rather tissue-destructive phenotype of RAGE in the initial phase of PD degeneration. These data lay the groundwork for future studies on the relevance of astrocytic RAGE in DAergic neuroprotection strategies. We report increased antagonistic RAGE variants paralleling S100B up-regulation in early stages of MPTP-induced astrogliosis dynamics . We propose that selective RAGE regulation reflects a self-protective mechanism to maintain low levels of RAGE ligands , preventing long-term inflammation and oxidative stress arising from sustained ligands/flRAGE activation . Understanding loss of RAGE protective response to stress may provide new therapeutic options to halt or slow down dopaminergic axonopathy and, ultimately, neuronal death .

Natural killer cell-based adoptive immunotherapy eradicates and drives differentiation of chemoresistant bladder cancer stem-like cells.

BACKGROUND: High-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has a high risk of recurrence and progression to muscle-invasive forms, which seems to be largely related to the presence of tumorigenic stem-like cell populations that are refractory to conventional therapies. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of Natural Killer (NK) cell-based adoptive immunotherapy against chemoresistant bladder cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) in a pre-clinical relevant model, using NK cells from healthy donors and NMIBC patients. METHODS: Cytokine-activated NK cells from healthy donors and from high-grade NMIBC patients were phenotypically characterized and assayed in vitro against stem-like and bulk differentiated bladder cancer cells. Stem-like cells were isolated from two bladder cancer cell lines using the sphere-forming assay. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in mice bearing a CSC-induced orthotopic bladder cancer. Animals were treated by intravesical instillation of interleukin-activated NK cells. Tumor response was evaluated longitudinally by non-invasive bioluminescence imaging. RESULTS: NK cells from healthy donors upon activation with IL-2 and IL-15 kills indiscriminately both stem-like and differentiated tumor cells via stress ligand recognition. In addition to cell killing, NK cells shifted CSCs towards a more differentiated phenotype, rendering them more susceptible to cisplatin, highlighting the benefits of a possible combined therapy. On the contrary, NK cells from NMIBC patients displayed a low density on NK cytotoxicity receptors, adhesion molecules and a more immature phenotype, losing their ability to kill and drive differentiation of CSCs. The local administration, via the transurethral route, of activated NK cells from healthy donors provides an efficient tumor infiltration and a subsequent robust tumoricidal activity against bladder cancer with high selective cytolytic activity against CSCs, leading to a dramatic reduction in tumor burden from 80 % to complete remission. CONCLUSION: Although pre-clinical, our results strongly suggest that an immunotherapeutic strategy using allogeneic activated NK cells from healthy donors is effective and should be exploited as a complementary therapeutic strategy in high-risk NMIBC patients to prevent tumor recurrence and progression.

Does progesterone administration in preterm labor influence Treg cells?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if the actions of progesterone on preterm labor are accomplished through modulation of the percentage of regulatory T-cells (Treg). METHODS: The study was a cohort pilot study made in a single center tertiary obstetrical unit with women in preterm labor arrested with tocolytic treatment. Variation of the number and percentage of Treg cells obtained from peripheral blood samples of women with preterm labor were calculated by flow cytometry, before and after progesterone administration. RESULTS: In the paired samples for each patient, there was a significant difference in the Treg cell pool after progesterone treatment, with an increase in both their percentage (48.9 vs. 53; P=0.07) and absolute number (14.8 vs. 56.5 cells/µL; P=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrated a considerable increase in the Treg cell pool after progesterone treatment. This indicates a possible mechanism for progesterone treatment benefits in preterm labor, potentially increasing its more rational use.

Sitagliptin prevents inflammation and apoptotic cell death in the kidney of type 2 diabetic animals.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitor, in preventing the deleterious effects of diabetes on the kidney in an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus; the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat: 20-week-old rats were treated with sitagliptin (10 mg/kg bw/day) during 6 weeks. Glycaemia and blood HbA1c levels were monitored, as well as kidney function and lesions. Kidney mRNA and/or protein content/distribution of DPP-IV, GLP-1, GLP-1R, TNF-α, IL-1ß, BAX, Bcl-2, and Bid were evaluated by RT-PCR and/or western blotting/immunohistochemistry. Sitagliptin treatment improved glycaemic control, as reflected by the significantly reduced levels of glycaemia and HbA1c (by about 22.5% and 1.2%, resp.) and ameliorated tubulointerstitial and glomerular lesions. Sitagliptin prevented the diabetes-induced increase in DPP-IV levels and the decrease in GLP-1 levels in kidney. Sitagliptin increased colocalization of GLP-1 and GLP-1R in the diabetic kidney. Sitagliptin also decreased IL-1ß and TNF-α levels, as well as, prevented the increase of BAX/Bcl-2 ratio, Bid protein levels, and TUNEL-positive cells which indicates protective effects against inflammation and proapoptotic state in the kidney of diabetic rats, respectively. In conclusion, sitagliptin might have a major role in preventing diabetic nephropathy evolution due to anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties.

Transition from cyclosporine-induced renal dysfunction to nephrotoxicity in an in vivo rat model.

Cyclosporin A (CsA), a calcineurin inhibitor, remain the cornerstone of immunosuppressive regimens, regardless of nephrotoxicity, which depends on the duration of drug exposure. The mechanisms and biomarkers underlying the transition from CsA-induced renal dysfunction to nephrotoxicity deserve better elucidation, and would help clinical decisions. This study aimed to clarify these issues, using a rat model of short- and long-term CsA (5 mg/kg bw/day) treatments (3 and 9 weeks, respectively). Renal function was assessed on serum and urine; kidney tissue was used for histopathological characterization and gene and/or protein expression of markers of proliferation, fibrosis and inflammation. In the short-term, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels increased and clearances decreased, accompanied by glomerular filtration rate (GFR) reduction, but without kidney lesions; at that stage, CsA exposure induced proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1), factor nuclear kappa B (NF-κß) and Tumor Protein P53 (TP53) kidney mRNA up-regulation. In the long-term treatment, renal dysfunction data was accompanied by glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions, with remarkable kidney mRNA up-regulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and the antigen identified by monoclonal antibody Ki-67 (Mki67), accompanied by mTOR protein overexpression. Transition from CsA-induced renal dysfunction to nephrotoxicity is accompanied by modification of molecular mechanisms and biomarkers, being mTOR one of the key players for kidney lesion evolution, thus suggesting, by mean of molecular evidences, that early CsA replacement by mTOR inhibitors is indeed the better therapeutic choice to prevent chronic allograft nephropathy.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) - Can dendritic cells and monocytes expressing this moonlight enzyme change the phase of Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease where central and peripheral immune dysfunctions have been pointed out as a critical component of susceptibility and progression of this disease. Dendritic cells (DCs) and monocytes are key players in promoting immune response regulation and can induce the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) under pro-inflammatory environments. This enzyme with catalytic and signaling activity supports the axis IDO1-KYN-aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), promoting disease-specific immunomodulatory effects. IDO1 is a rate-limiting enzyme of the kynurenine pathway (KP) that begins tryptophan (Trp) catabolism across this pathway. The immune functions of the pathway, which are extensively described in cancer, have been forgotten so far in neurodegenerative diseases, where a chronic inflammatory environment underlines the progression of the disease. Despite dysfunctions of KP have been described in PD, these are mainly associated with neurotoxic functions. With this review, we aim to focus on the immune properties of IDO1+DCs and IDO1+monocytes as a possible strategy to balance the pro-inflammatory profile described in PD. We also highlight the importance of exploring the role of dopaminergic therapeutics in IDO1 modulation to possibly optimize current PD therapeutic strategies.

A peripheral blood mononuclear cell-based in vitro model: A tool to explore indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1).

BACKGROUND: Proinflammatory cytokines powerfully induce the rate-limiting enzyme indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) in dendritic cells (DCs) and monocytes, it converts tryptophan (Trp) into L-kynurenine (KYN), along the kynurenine pathway (KP). This mechanism represents a crucial innate immunity regulator that can modulate T cells. This work explores the role of IDO1 in lymphocyte proliferation within a specific pro-inflammatory milieu. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclera cells (PBMCs) were isolated from buffy coats taken from healthy blood donors and exposed to a pro-inflammatory milieu triggered by a double-hit stimulus: lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus anti-CD3/CD28. The IDO1 mRNA levels in the PBMCs were measured by RT-PCR; the IDO1 activity was analyzed using the KYN/Trp ratio, measured by HPLC-EC; and lymphocyte proliferation was measured by flow cytometry. Trp and epacadostat (EP) were used as an IDO1 substrate and inhibitor, respectively. KYN, which is known to modulate Teffs, was tested as a positive control in lymphocyte proliferation. RESULTS: IDO1 expression and activity in PBMCs increased in an in vitro pro-inflammatory milieu. The lymphoid stimulus increased IDO1 expression and activity, which supports the interaction between the activated lymphocytes and the circulating myeloid IDO1-expressing cells. The addition of Trp decreased lymphocyte proliferation but EP, which abrogated the IDO1 function, had no impact on proliferation. Additionally, incubation with KYN seemed to decrease the lymphocyte proliferation. CONCLUSION: IDO1 inhibition did not change T lymphocyte proliferation. We present herein an in vitro experimental model suitable to measure IDO1 expression and activity in circulating myeloid cells.

Dynamics of Soluble Factors and Double-Negative T Cells Associated with Response to Renal Denervation in Resistant Hypertension Patients.

The role of the immune system, and hence inflammation, in the pathophysiology of hypertensive patients is not clear. Until now, most clinical and biochemical parameters have failed to predict a positive response to renal denervation (RDN). Our aim was to evaluate the immune response in a cohort of patients treated by RDN, through the analysis of cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor behavior. A population of 21 resistant hypertension patients, treated by RDN, was evaluated at six months and one year. Response was defined as a drop of ≥5 mmHg in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Sixty-seven percent and 81% of patients clinically responded after six months and one year, respectively. There were no complications or safety issues. Plasmatic levels of 45 cytokine, chemokine, and growth factors were quantified at four different times, pre- and post-procedure. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, except that active smoking was more frequent in non-responders at one year. Regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed, and secreted (RANTES/CCL5) levels were significantly lower in responders, both at baseline and at 30 days (p = 0.037), and a level ≤15,496 pg/mL was the optimal cutoff, for prediction of a response. IL-15, IL-17A, IL-27, and leukemia inhibitory factor varied significantly in time, with an acute rise being observed 24 h after RDN. Our group has previously showed that HLA-DR+ double-negative (DN) T cells were significantly lower in responders. There was a positive correlation between IL-13, -27, and -4, and DN T cells, and a negative correlation between the latter and SDF-1α and TNF-α, at baseline. Low plasmatic levels of the chemokine RANTES/CCL5 was the most significant result associated with RDN response and may help to identify the best candidates among patients with true resistant hypertension. Pro-inflammatory cytokines correlated negatively with DN T cells in responders, a finding compatible with an enhanced inflammatory milieu present in this extremely high cardiovascular risk cohort.

Putative Biomarkers in Tears for Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis.

Purpose: Tear fluid biomarkers may offer a non-invasive strategy for detecting diabetic patients with increased risk of developing diabetic retinopathy (DR) or increased disease progression, thus helping both improving diagnostic accuracy and understanding the pathophysiology of the disease. Here, we assessed the tear fluid of nondiabetic individuals, diabetic patients with no DR, and diabetic patients with nonproliferative DR (NPDR) or with proliferative DR (PDR) to find putative biomarkers for the diagnosis and staging of DR. Methods: Tear fluid samples were collected using Schirmer test strips from a cohort with 12 controls and 54 Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) patients, and then analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS)-based shotgun proteomics and bead-based multiplex assay. Tear fluid-derived small extracellular vesicles (EVs) were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, Western Blotting, and nano tracking. Results: Proteomics analysis revealed that among the 682 reliably quantified proteins in tear fluid, 42 and 26 were differentially expressed in NPDR and PDR, respectively, comparing to the control group. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD033101. By multicomparison analyses, we also found significant changes in 32 proteins. Gene ontology (GO) annotations showed that most of these proteins are associated with oxidative stress and small EVs. Indeed, we also found that tear fluid is particularly enriched in small EVs. T2D patients with NPDR have higher IL-2/-5/-18, TNF, MMP-2/-3/-9 concentrations than the controls. In the PDR group, IL-5/-18 and MMP-3/-9 concentrations were significantly higher, whereas IL-13 was lower, compared to the controls. Conclusions: Overall, the results show alterations in tear fluid proteins profile in diabetic patients with retinopathy. Promising candidate biomarkers identified need to be validated in a large sample cohort.

Genetic polymorphisms of toll-like receptors in leprosy patients from southern Brazil.

Leprosy is a chronic disease and also a global health issue, with a high number of new cases per year. Toll-like receptors can respond to mycobacterial molecules in the early stage of infection. As important components of the innate immune response, alterations in genes coding for these receptors may contribute to susceptibility/protection against diseases. In this context, we used a case-control study model (183 leprosy cases vs. 185 controls) to investigate whether leprosy patients and the control group, in southern Brazil, have different frequencies in TLR1 (TLR1 G>T; rs5743618), TLR2 (TLR2 T>C, rs1816702 and rs4696483), and TLR4 (TLR4 A>G, rs1927911) polymorphisms. Analysis of the TLR1 1805G>T polymorphism presented the G/G genotype more frequently in the control group. TLR2 T>C rs1816702 and TLR2 T>C rs4696483, the T/T and C/T genotype, respectively, were more frequent in the control group than in leprosy patients, suggesting protection from leprosy when the T allele is present (rs4696483). Haplotype analyses between TLR1 (rs5743618) and TLR2 (rs1816702 and rs4696483) polymorphisms suggest risk for the presence of the TCC haplotype and protection in the presence of the TCT haplotype. This study suggests that polymorphisms in TLR1 and TLR2 are factors that may contribute to development/resistance of leprosy.

Monoclonal anti-CD8 therapy induces disease amelioration in the K/BxN mouse model of spontaneous chronic polyarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: CD8+ T cells are part of the T cell pool infiltrating the synovium in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, their role in the pathogenesis of RA has not been fully delineated. Using the K/BxN mouse model of spontaneous chronic arthritis, which shares many similarities with RA, we studied the potential of CD8+ T cell depletion with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to stop and reverse the progression of experimental arthritis. METHODS: CD8+ T cells from the blood and articular infiltrate of K/BxN mice were characterized for cell surface phenotypic markers and for cytokine production. Additionally, mice were treated with specific anti-CD8 mAb (YTS105 and YTS169.4), with and without thymectomy. RESULTS: CD8+ T cells from the peripheral blood and joints of K/BxN mice were mainly CD69+ and CD62L-CD27+ T cells expressing proinflammatory cytokines (interferon-γ [IFNγ], tumor necrosis factor α [TNFα], interleukin-17a [IL-17A], and IL-4), and granzyme B. In mice receiving anti-CD8 mAb, the arthritis score improved 5 days after treatment. Recovery of the CD8+ T cells was associated with a new increase in the arthritis score after 20 days. In thymectomized and anti-CD8 mAb-treated mice, the arthritis score improved permanently. Histologic analysis showed an absence of inflammatory infiltrate in the anti-CD8 mAb-treated mice. In anti-CD8 mAb-treated mice, the serologic levels of TNFα, IFNγ, IL-6, and IL-5 normalized. The levels of the disease-related anti-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase antibodies did not change. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that synovial activated effector CD8+ T cells locally synthesize proinflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, TNFα, IL-17, IL-6) and granzyme B in the arthritic joint, thus playing a pivotal role in maintaining chronic synovitis in the K/BxN mouse model of arthritis.

The Role of Natural Killer Cells in Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Prospects for Immunotherapy.

Soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) represent about 80% of sarcomas, and are a heterogeneous group of rare and malignant tumors. STS arise from mesenchymal tissues and can grow into structures such as adipose tissue, muscles, nervous tissue and blood vessels. Morphological evaluation has been the standard model for the diagnosis of sarcomas, and even in samples with similar characteristics, they present a diversity in cytogenetic and genetic sequence alterations, which further increases the diversity of sarcomas. This variety is one of the main challenges for the classification and understanding of STS patterns, as well as for their respective treatments, which further decreases patient survival (<5 years). Despite some studies, little is known about the immunological profile of STS. As for the immunological profile of STS in relation to NK cells, there is also a shortage of studies. Observations made in solid tumors show that the infiltration of NK cells in tumors is associated with a good prognosis of the disease. Notwithstanding the scarcity of studies to characterize NK cells, their receptors, and ligands in STS, it is noteworthy that the progression of these malignancies is associated with altered NK phenotypes. Despite the scarcity of information on the function of NK cells, their phenotypes and their regulatory pathways in STS, the findings of this study support the additional need to explore NK cell-based immunotherapy in STS further. Some clinical trials, very tentatively, are already underway. STS clinical trials are still the basis for adoptive NK-cell and cytokine-based therapy.

Tumor and Peripheral Immune Status in Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Implications for Immunotherapy.

Soft Tissue Sarcomas (STS) are a heterogeneous and rare group of tumors. Immune cells, soluble factors, and immune checkpoints are key elements of the complex tumor microenvironment. Monitoring these elements could be used to predict the outcome of the disease, the response to therapy, and lead to the development of new immunotherapeutic approaches. Tumor-infiltrating B cells, Natural Killer (NK) cells, tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), and dendritic cells (DCs) were associated with a better outcome. On the contrary, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) were correlated with a poor outcome. The evaluation of peripheral blood immunological status in STS could also be important and is still underexplored. The increased lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), higher levels of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs), and Tim-3 positive CD8 T cells appear to be negative prognostic markers. Meanwhile, NKG2D-positive CD8 T cells were correlated with a better outcome. Some soluble factors, such as cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and immune checkpoints were associated with the prognosis. Similarly, the expression of immune-related genes in STS was also reviewed. Despite these efforts, only very little is known, and much research is still needed to clarify the role of the immune system in STS.