Ecological Therapeutic Opportunities for Oral Diseases

Oral Tolerance: Therapeutic Implications for Autoimmune Diseases

Oral tolerance is classically defined as the suppression of immune responses to antigens (Ag) that have been administered previously by the oral route. Multiple mechanisms of tolerance are induced by oral Ag. Low doses favor active suppression, whereas higher doses favor clonal anergy/deletion. Oral Ag induces Th2 (IL-4/IL-10) and Th3 (TGF-beta) regulatory T cells (Tregs) plus CD4+CD25+ regulat...

Potassium channels: molecular defects, diseases, and therapeutic opportunities.

Potassium channels play important roles in vital cellular signaling processes in both excitable and nonexcitable cells. Over 50 human genes encoding various K(+) channels have been cloned during the past decade, and precise biophysical properties, subunit stoichiometry, channel assembly, and modulation by second messenger and ligands have been elucidated to a large extent. Recent advances in ge...

Oral diseases

Presidential Address: Opportunities for Ecological Restoration

Ecological restoration is defined as active intervention and management to restore biotic communities that were formerly present at a particular place and time. Examples are given from both New Zealand and overseas of a variety of different restoration projects. The possibility is raised of replacing some animal species extinct in New Zealand with related living forms from other countries. The ...

Four opportunities for studies of ecological succession.

Lessons learned from the study of ecological succession have much to offer contemporary environmental problem solving but these lessons are being underutilized. As anthropogenic disturbances increase, succession is more relevant than ever. In this review, we suggest that succession is particularly suitable to address concerns about biodiversity loss, climate change, invasive species, and ecolog...