Heterogeneous cell populations form an interconnected network that determine their collective output. One example of such a heterogeneous immune population is tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), whose output can be measured in terms of its reactivity against tumors. While the degree of reactivity varies considerably between different TILs, ranging from null to a potent response, the underlyi...

The response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is just 20%. To improve this figure, several early phase clinical trials combining novel immunotherapeutics with immune checkpoint blockade have been initiated. Unfortunately, these trials have been designed without a strong foundational knowledge of the immune landscape present in NSCLC. Here, we us...

Anticancer immune responses can be considered a desirable form of autoimmunity that may be profoundly shaped by the microbiome. Here, we discuss evidence for the microbiome's influence on anti-tumor immunosurveillance, including those that are indirect and can act at a distance, and we put forward hypotheses regarding mechanisms of how these effects are implemented. These may involve cross-reac...

The immune system must discriminate between agents of disease and an organism's healthy cells. While the identification of an antigen as self/non-self is critically important, the dynamic features of antigen presentation may also determine the immune system's response. Here, we use a simple mathematical model of immune activation to explore the idea of antigen discrimination through dynamics. W...

The paradoxical ability to launch effective immunity against pathogens while avoiding the horror autotoxicus of autoimmunity is one of the most remarkable features of the mammalian immune system. This assumes a particular evolutionary significance at the maternal/fetal interface, where avoidance of immune reactivity to the fetus is vital to the propagation of the species itself. Several mechani...

Particles possess huge specific surface area and therefore nanomaterials exhibit unique characteristics, such as special physical properties and chemical hyper-reactivity, which make them particularly attractive but also raise numerous questions concerning their safety. Interactions of nanomaterials with the immune system can potentially lead to immunosuppression, hypersensitivity (allergy), im...

This article gives an overview of recently published literature on the factors that govern SN2 reactivity. By comparing reactivity in solution with that in the isolated gas phase, it has become possible to dissect the contribution of the solvent from that of the intrinsic molecular properties. This has proven to be an extremely important and fruitful step forward in obtaining key knowledge not ...

introduction hydrops fetalis is a serious condition in fetal period, characterized by the presence of serous fluid accumulation in at least two potential spaces in fetus including pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, and ascites. the incidence of hydrops fetalis is one per 2500-3000 pregnancies. this condition is followed by different diseases. fetal hemolytic anemia and its hypoxemia due to...

Transformation of normal cells into malignant cancer involves a number of changes in the genome. These changes include chromosomal translocations, exon deletions and gene mutations, to name a few, that result in deregulation of the regulatory circuits of the cell and consequently in profound changes in their antigenic composition, including expression of mutated proteins, overexpression of prot...