Interleukin-21 (IL-21) has been described as a potent stimulator of antitumor T-cell immunity, but also of autoimmune reactions and oncogenesis. Antigen presenting cells genetically modified to release IL-21 allow for the expansion of tumor-specific T cells exhibiting favorable effector and growth characteristics and a minimal risk of detrimental side effects.

A patient with severe late onset primary hypogammaglobulinaemia developed coeliac disease. The case illustrates that coeliac disease can occur in the virtual absence of local antibody production by plasma cells in the mucosa of the small bowel. Furthermore, our inability to demonstrate specific cellular immunity to a subfraction of gluten raises doubts about the relevance of immunological react...

Introduction Monocytes are circulating cells with high plasticity. They respond to various stimuli with distinct activation and differentiation patterns, are able to secrete several humoral factors and they contribute to inflammation in the immune system, either by governing host defense response to invading pathogens or driving reactions to selfmolecules in conditions of tissue-damage. Control...

1. Metchnikoff and Besredka's living sensitized vaccine produces a typhoid cholecystitis when injected directly into the gall bladder of rabbits. It is therefore infectious. 2. Rabbits cannot be successfully immunized with this vaccine against direct gall bladder infections. Accordingly, rabbits cannot be used to test immunity in this way. 3. The strain used in the Army vaccine is pathogenic, r...

Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by dry eyes and dry mouth due to dacryoadenitis and sialoadenitis with SS-A/Ro and/or SS-B/La autoantibodies in genetically predisposed individuals. Destruction of lacrimal and salivary glands by autoimmune reactions may lead to clinical manifestation. However, the mechanisms behind the decreased volume of secretions in tea...

The knowledge that homografts of many tissues have a limited period of survival, and the revival of the theory of tissue immunity (Gibson and Medawar 1943, Medawar 1944, 1945) makes it of interest to know how bone homografts compare with other tissues in this respect. Since 1878 homografts ofbone have been known to be clinically effective (Macewen 1912), and the introduction of the bone bank (I...

Smallpox has been eradicated but stockpiles of the causative infectious agent, variola virus, have been maintained over decades. Today, the threat of accidental or intentional poxvirus release is accompanied by the fact that the existing licensed smallpox vaccines cause rare but severe adverse reactions yet are the only products with approved efficacy against smallpox. New safer vaccines and ne...

Stimulation of innate immunity is increasingly recognized to play an important role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), while the contribution of adaptive immunity has received less attention. Clinical and experimental data show the involvement of Th-1 and Th-17 T-lymphocytes in alcoholic hepatitis. Nonetheless, the mechanisms by which alcohol triggers adaptive immunity are st...