Immunomodulation of Atherosclerosis

Antigen-Induced Immunomodulation in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterised by the accumulation of monocytes/macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and lymphocytes within the arterial wall in response to the release of proinflammatory molecules. Such accumulation results in the formation of the atherosclerotic plaque, which would eventually evolve to complications such as total artery occlusion, rupture, calci...

Testosterone as a protective factor against atherosclerosis--immunomodulation and influence upon plaque development and stability.

Inflammation plays a central pathogenic role in the initiation and progression of coronary atheroma and its clinical consequences. Cytokines are the mediators of cellular inflammation and promote local inflammation in the arterial wall, which may lead to vascular smooth muscle apoptosis, degradation of the fibrin cap and plaque rupture. Platelet adhesion and thrombus formation then occur, resul...

Genuine Immunomodulation With dSLIM

Toll-like receptors are sensing modulators of the innate immune system. One member of this protein family, Toll-like receptor (TLR)-9, is increasingly being investigated as therapeutic target for infectious diseases and cancer. Double-Stem Loop ImmunoModulator (dSLIM) is a new TLR-9 agonist in clinical development for patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Compared with other TLR-9 liga...

Tregitope: Immunomodulation powerhouse.

IVIG is frequently used in the 'pre-conditioning' regimens for higher risk transplants; its effects are attributed in part to induction of Tregs. We have identified regulatory T cell (Treg) epitopes, now known as Tregitopes, in IgG, the main component of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIg). Tregitopes provide one explanation for the expansion and activation of Treg cells following IVIg tr...

Immunomodulation of Nasal Epithelial Cells