The systemic administration of oncolytic virus (OV) is often inefficient due to clearance of the virus by host defense mechanism and spurious targeting of non-cancer tissues through the bloodstream. Cell mediated OV delivery could hide the virus from host defenses and direct them toward tumors: Mesenchymal and neural stem cells have been described to possess tumor-homing ability as well as the ...

Resistance and tolerance are two types of host defense mechanisms that increase fitness in response to fungi. Several genetic polymorphisms in pattern recognition receptors, most remarkably Toll-like receptors (TLRs), have been described to influence resistance and tolerance to aspergillosis in distinct clinical settings. TLRs on dendritic cells pivotally contribute in determining the balance b...

Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from clinical material were very variable in their sensitivity to the bactericidal action of normal serum mediated by the complement system. Fifty per cent killing end points ranged from 0.015 ml to greater than 0.4 ml. Most of the strains with relatively greater sensitivity to serum were isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis. Immunization of rab...

Children frequently present with a history of repeated infections. When these infections are serious and respond poorly to normally successful treatment programs, suspicion of a basic defect in one or more host defense mechanisms may be raised. In such cases defects in humoral or cell-mediated immunity, phagocytic cell functions or the complement system must be sought. Much of our knowledge abo...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa navigates using two distinct forms of motility, swimming and twitching. A polar flagellum and Type 4 pili power these movements, respectively, allowing P. aeruginosa to attach to and colonize surfaces. Single cell imaging and particle tracking algorithms have revealed a wide range of bacterial surface behaviors which are regulated by second messengers cyclic-di-GMP and cA...

Phagocytosis is a critical host defense mechanism used by macrophages and neutrophils to clear invading pathogens. The complex sequence of events resulting in internalization and degradation of the pathogens is a coordinated process involving lipids, signaling proteins, and the cytoskeleton. Here, we examine the role of the microtubule cytoskeleton in supporting both the engulfment of pathogens...

The autophagy pathway represents an evolutionarily conserved cell recycling process that is activated in response to nutrient deprivation and other stress signals. Over the years, it has been linked to an array of cellular functions. Equally, a wide range of cell-intrinsic, as well as extracellular, factors have been implicated in the induction of the autophagy pathway. Microbial infections rep...

This study explored how religious fundamentalism related to irrational beliefs and primitive defense mechanisms. We also explored how the personality factors of openness to experience and neuroticism moderated these relations. Participants (N = 120) were recruited in an urban area from a Northeastern university, a psychotherapy center, and through Internet advertising. The results demonstrated ...

Gastrointestinal mucins produced by goblet cells comprise the main structural components of the mucus layer. Mucins play a critical role in the maintenance of mucosal homeostasis and are responsible for the differential effector and regulatory responses against a plethora of microorganisms, including commensals and pathogens. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview on mucin biology,...