PURPOSE Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays an important role not only in the immune system but also in tumorigenesis. In this study, we investigated the potential role of MIF in association with tumor invasion and metastasis. METHODS To assess the function of MIF, we knocked down the MIF mRNA using small interfering RNA (siRNA). Twenty-one base siRNA specific for the mRNA sequ...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a multipotent cytokine that is associated with clinical worsening and relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The mechanism through which MIF promotes MS progression remains undefined. In this study, we identify a critical role for MIF in regulating CNS effector mechanisms necessary for the development of inflammatory pathology in a mouse mo...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a multi-potent cytokine that contributes to the inflammatory response to injury. MIF is expressed by multiple cell types; however, the cellular source and actions of MIF in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are not well known. Here we tested the hypothesis that non-myeloid cells, specifically hepatocytes, are an important cellular so...

BACKGROUND We have previously reported that macrophage migration-inhibitory factor (MIF) is associated with an unfavorable prognosis in hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Here, we quantified MIF expression in oral cavity carcinomas and looked for possible correlations with clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS MIF expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 154 oral cavity carcino...

MIF has been described as a protein that plays an essential role in both innate and acquired immunity. Previous studies have demonstrated that MIF activates lymphocytes, granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages. Furthermore, MIF can counteract the physiological function of steroids, thus playing a role in immune system regulation. Further evidence for a role of MIF in immunity was obtained in mou...

INTRODUCTION Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is constitutively expressed in urothelial cells that also express protease-activated receptors (PAR). Urothelial PAR1 receptors were shown to mediate bladder inflammation. We showed that PAR1 and PAR4 activator, thrombin, also mediates urothelial MIF release. We hypothesized that stimulation of urothelial PA...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been found to be involved in host resistance to several parasitic infections. To determine the mechanisms of the MIF-dependent responses to Trypanosoma cruzi, we investigated host resistance in MIF⁻/⁻ mice (on the BALB/c background) during an intraperitoneal infection. We focused on the potential involvement of MIF in dendritic cell (DC) maturati...

The initial interaction between migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and the guinea pig alveolar and peritoneal macrophage was studied. MIF-containing supernatants were generated from sensitized lymph node lymphocytes obtained from guinea pigs immunized with bovine gamma globulin in complete Freund's adjuvant. MIF-containing supernatants were markedly inhibitory for the migration of the peritoneal...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is closely associated with tumorigenesis. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of MIF on the proliferation, migration and colony formation of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and to quantify the protein expression levels of MIF in OSCC tissue samples. Firstly, small interfering (si) RNA was used to knock down the gene expression of ...

The biological activities of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) might be mediated through a classical receptormediated or non-classical endocytic pathway. JAB1 (C-Jun activation domain-binding protein-1) promotes the degradation of the tumor suppressor, p53, and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p27. When MIF and JAB1 are bound to each other in various intracellular sites, MIF in...