Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an immunogenic tumor, but uses several immune-suppressive mechanisms to shift the balance from tumor immune response toward tumor growth. Although RCC has traditionally been considered to be radiation resistant, recent evidence suggests that hypofractionated radiotherapy contributes to systemic antitumor immunity. Because the efficacy of antitumor immune responses ...

The consequences of regulatory T cell (Treg) inhibition of interleukine 2 secretion is examined by mathematical modelling. We demonstrate that cytokine dependent growth exhibits a quorum T cell population threshold that determines if immune responses develop on activation. Secretion inhibition manipulates the growth dynamics and effectively increases the quorum threshold, i.e. to develop immune...

NOD2 (nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain 2) was initially reported as a susceptibility gene for Crohn's disease, with several studies focused on elucidating its molecular mechanism in the progression of Crohn's disease. We now know that NOD2 is an intracellular bacterial sensing receptor, and that MDP-mediated NOD2 activation drives inflammatory signaling. Various mutations in NOD2 h...

Sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-type lectins (Siglecs) are a group of cell surface transmembrane receptors expressed on immune cells, and regulate immune balance in inflammatory diseases. Sepsis is a life-threatened inflammatory syndrome induced by infection, and the pathogenesis of sepsis includes immune dysregulation, inflammation, and coagulation disorder. Here, we reviewed the various ro...

Background: In the last decades a special attention has been focused on the role of disturbed immune balance in the behavioral co-morbidities of tumor patients. The prognostic significance of malignant tumor-induced imbalance in the innate immune system is well known. The innate system uses a limited number of Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRR) to recognize conserved Pathogenic Associated Mole...

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...

Regulatory components of the immune system are critical for preventing unintended activation of immune cells. Failure to prevent this unintended activation raises the risk of developing exaggerated inflammation and autoimmunity. In this issue of the JCI, Binger et al. and Hernandez et al. report that salt can play an important role in undermining regulatory mechanisms of the innate and adaptive...

The history of life is fi lled with examples of one species diverging into several, even thousands, each with unique traits geared to the demands of its ecological niche. In the textbook case of adaptive radiation, an ancestral fi nch species landed on the Galapagos Islands just a few million years ago, and evolved into 13 new species with specialized beaks adapted to exploiting the various see...