Tolerance or immunity — DCs decide

Treg: tolerance vs immunity

Regulatory T cells (Treg) are requisite for the prevention of autoimmunity, transplant rejection, and tolerance to therapeutic protein delivery. Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial for FoxP3+ Treg homeostasis, and their expansion can increase Treg numbers. By contrast, Treg are a hindrance to anti-cancer therapy as they suppress immune responses to tumors. Interestingly, some of the same drugs an...

Fibrosis or hypertrophy: let TIMPs decide.

Heart failurewith preservedejection fraction (HFPEF) is amajorcauseof morbidity and mortality and constitutes a significant portion of medical care costs. Being as deadly as systolic HF, it completely lacks effective therapy beside the management of its metabolic risk factors including diabetes, obesity and hyperlipidaemia, and hypertension. Typical medication that helps systolic HF (HF with re...

Impaired Humoral Immunity and Tolerance

The Balance between Conventional DCs and Plasmacytoid DCs Is Pivotal for Immunological Tolerance during Pregnancy in the Mouse

Dendritic cells (DCs), which can shape their functions depending on the microenvironment, are crucial for the delicate balance of immunity and tolerance during pregnancy. However, the mechanism underlying the microenvironment-educated plasticity of DC differentiation during pregnancy remains largely unclear. Here, we found that the differentiation of conventional DCs (cDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs...

Angioplasty, bypass surgery or medical treatment: how should we decide?

Coronary revascularisation continues to be underused despite evidence that this results in poorer outcomes