Background Stem cell transplantation has become as a novel treatment  for end-stage kidney, lung, heart , liver diseases and several hematologic disorders. Improved survival of transplant recipients has raised awareness of post-transplant complications. One of these complications is transplant-related osteoporosis. Methods  In this manuscript we review prevention methods for transplant-relat...

This report describes a murine amniotic fluid (MAF) immunosuppressive factor that has properties similar to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). The MAF factor exhibits TGF-beta-like activity in stimulating soft agar colony formation by AKR-2B cells and inhibiting thymidine uptake by Mv1Lu cells. We demonstrate that both the immunosuppressive and TGF-beta-like activities of the MAF facto...

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal cancer that exerts potent immune suppression. Hypoxia is a predominant feature of GBM, but it is unclear to the degree in which tumor hypoxia contributes to this tumor-mediated immunosuppression. Utilizing GBM associated cancer stem cells (gCSCs) as a treatment resistant population that has been shown to inhibit both innate and adaptive immune responses...

We have shown previously that glycosylation-inhibiting factor (GIF) in culture supernatants of suppressor T cell (Ts) hybridomas had bioactivity, while the same cells contained a substantial quantity of inactive GIF in cytosol. Mass-spectrometric analysis of GIF in the culture supernatant and cytosol of a Ts hybridoma provided direct evidence that GIF protein was posttranslationally modified in...

Background: The pathogenesis of many diseases is correlated to irregularity in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Results from several association studies show that variation in the level of VEGF expression is related to polymorphic sequences within the VEGF gene. Additionally, there are many studies showing that some gene polymorphisms significantly influence the pharmacokin...

Macrophages (MΦs)/microglia that constitute the dominant tumor-infiltrating immune cells in glioblastoma are recruited by tumor-secreted factors and are induced to become immunosuppressive and tumor supportive (M2). Glioma cancer stem cells (gCSCs) have been shown to suppress adaptive immunity, but their role in innate immunity with respect to the recruitment and polarization of MΦs/microglia i...

The current treatment approach for severe aplastic anemia in children is based on studies performed in the 1980s, and updated evidence is required. We retrospectively compared the outcomes of children with acquired severe aplastic anemia who received immunosuppressive therapy within prospective trials conducted by the Japanese Childhood Aplastic Anemia Study Group or who underwent bone marrow t...

Immunosuppressive effect of pregnant serum obtained in the second and third trimesters was demonstrated in the PHA-induced homologous lymphocyte stimulation system, where 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA was measured. Such an inhibitory factor was not present in the first trimester serum. The immunosuppressive principle detected in the second trimester serum was characterized by a potent inh...

This is a report of a 62-year-old male patient who had a bleeding disorder due to the presence of a factor VII (proconvertin) inhibitor. After treatment with a high-dose intravenous (IV) immunoglobulin failed and a life-threatening intracranial hemorrhage occurred, plasma exchanges were performed and immunosuppressive therapy was given. The factor VII inhibitor promptly disappeared, and the pat...

PURPOSE To detect the presence of somatostatin (SOM) in normal aqueous humor and to characterize its immunosuppressive activity. METHODS Fresh rabbit aqueous humor was assayed for SOM by competitive ELISA. Primed T cells stimulated through their T-cell receptor (TCR) were treated with SOM at concentrations that ranged the level of SOM found in normal aqueous humor. The T cells were assayed fo...