Nef, the shuttling molecular adaptor of HIV, influences the cytokine network
Complex retroviruses belonging to the Lentivirus genus produce a number of viral proteins in addition to the classical structural and enzymatic factors codified by all retroviruses through the gag (group-specific antigen), pol (polymerase) and env (envelope) genes. In particular Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) encodes two regulatory proteins essential for viral replication (i.e., the transcriptional transactivator Tat and the regulator of virion gene expression Rev) and four so-called “accessory proteins”, i.e. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 29, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Zulema Antonia Percario, Muhammad Ali, Giorgio Mangino, Elisabetta Affabris Tags: Survey Source Type: research
IFN-β and Multiple Sclerosis: cross-talking of immune cells and integration of immunoregulatory networks
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic disabling disease of the central nervous system (CNS) thought to develop as a result of inflammation associated with autoimmune attacks on neuronal tissues. The disease affects young adults between 15 to 45 years of age and, as for other immune-mediated disorders, females outnumber the males. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 22, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Martina Severa, Fabiana Rizzo, Elena Giacomini, Marco Salvetti, Eliana M. Coccia Tags: Mini review Source Type: research
On intuition and the discovery of interferon
Intuition is often an essential component of any discovery. Although the solution to a problem seems to appear suddenly, it is often preceeded by a very long period of thought, work and gestation. This is illustrated by the following example, which though outside of the field of interferon, still bears some striking similarities. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 21, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Ion Gresser Source Type: research
The use of interferon in melanoma patients: A systematic review
The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has been steadily climbing in Western countries, mainly because of increased skin exposure to ultraviolet radiation as a result of changes in travel, leisure activities and fashion. Although prevention campaigns have increased awareness of the risk of melanoma and have contributed to a trend towards thinner melanomas, incidence of melanoma in the US rose from 22.8 to 28.9 cases per 100 000 among white persons between 2000 and 2009. Interestingly, data show increasing melanoma rates of 3.6% per year among women aged 15 to 39 years compared with 2% per year among men in the same age group ...
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 21, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Rossella Di Trolio, Ester Simeone, Giuseppe Di Lorenzo, Carlo Buonerba, Paolo Antonio Ascierto Source Type: research
CXCR3 ligands in disease and therapy
Originally discovered to be chemotactic cytokines leading the way for leukocytes in health and inflammation, the chemokines have now made a name for themselves as pleiotropic molecules involved in a range of physiological as well as pathological processes [1,2]. Most of their effects are established by signaling through a set of chemokine receptors, typically G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Notably, chemokine ligand/receptor binding is both a promiscuous and a redundant interaction, meaning that a particular chemokine will show affinity for several chemokine receptors and a particular chemokine receptor can be activate...
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 21, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Katrien Van Raemdonck, Philippe E. Van den Steen, Sandra Liekens, Jo Van Damme, Sofie Struyf Tags: Survey Source Type: research
Introduction to Innate Sensing and Response to Pathogens (Part 2)
The Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews Special Issue entitled: Innate Sensing and Response to Pathogens continues with a series of articles encompassing the sensing and response to DNA pathogens, control of inflammasome activation, the interplay between innate immunity and central metabolism, and the autoimmune consequences of deregulated innate immune signaling. As with the previous volume, we have assembled an outstanding group of international leaders in their respective fields of innate immunity to provide their perspective on various topics related to innate immune responses. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 20, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: John Hiscott Source Type: research
Editorial Board and Publication information
(Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 20, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research
Angiogenic Growth Factors Interactome and Drug Discovery: The Contribution of Surface Plasmon Resonance
Angiogenesis is the process of new blood vessel formation from existing ones that takes place in embryonic development, inflammation and angiogenesis-dependent diseases, including cancer [1,2]. It is a multi-step process that begins with the degradation of the basement membrane by activated endothelial cells (ECs) that will migrate and proliferate, leading to the formation of solid EC sprouts into the stromal space. Then, vascular loops are formed and capillary tubes develop with formation of tight junctions and deposition of new basement membrane. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 20, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Marco Rusnati, Marco Presta Tags: Survey Source Type: research
MicroRNAs in Virus-induced Tumorigenesis and IFN system
MiRNAs are small, non-coding, regulatory RNAs that are 19-25 nucleotides in length. Over 2500 miRNA molecules have been identified within the human genome so far (june 2014: http://www.mirbase.org/). MiRNAs can target multiple complementary mRNAs to control the expression of the majority of mammalian genes [1–3]. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 13, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Gianna Fiorucci, Maria Vincenza Chiantore, Giorgio Mangino, Giovanna Romeo Source Type: research
Nk cells and interferons
Natural Killer (NK) cells are large granular lymphocytes that belong to the innate arm of the immune system and play an important role in the immune responses against certain microbial pathogens and tumor cells. They have been recently described as members of the group 1 of Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs), as they do not undergo RAG-dependent receptor rearrangement, and are strong producers of IFN-γ [1]. NK cells develop from a common lymphoid precursor resident in the bone marrow (BM) that is considered the main site of their maturation. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 13, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Rossella Paolini, Giovanni Bernardini, Rosa Molfetta, Angela Santoni Source Type: research
The roles and potential therapeutic implications of CXCL4 and its variant CXCL4L1 in the pathogenesis of chronic liver allograft dysfunction
This review is part of a thematic series on chronic liver allograft dysfunction, which includes the following articles: (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 13, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Jing Li, Bin Liu, Lu-nan Yan, Wan-yee Lau Tags: Mini review Source Type: research
The Angiopoietin/TIE receptor system: focusing its role for ischemia-reperfusion injury
Ischemia is referred to as the loss of blood supply to tissues and organs. The critical lack of nutritive components and oxygen results in destruction of tissue and may lead to complete loss of organ function. Thus, the therapeutic goal has to be the rapid recovery of blood supply. A crucial problem is that damage and functional failure originate not only from ischemia itself, but also due to effects associated with the restoration of blood supply. This phenomenon is termed ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) syndrome or injury. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - November 7, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tobias Hilbert, Sven Klaschik Tags: Survey Source Type: research
High efficiency targeting of IFN-α activity: Possible applications in fighting tumours and infections
In this short review, we summarize how insights into the structure and dynamics of interferon-receptor complex assembly and activation guided the design of a novel class of engineered type I interferons that combine a largely lost potency on non-targeted cells with high activity on targeted cells. These novel interferons are expected to exhibit lower systemic toxicities compared to other interferon therapy modalities and could open avenues to revive these cytokines for the treatment of patients suffering of cancer and viral infections. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - October 31, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Gilles Uzé, Jan Tavernier Tags: Mini review Source Type: research
High efficiency targeting of IFN-α activity: possible applications in fighting tumors and infections
In this short review, we summarize how insights into the structure and dynamics of interferon-receptor complex assembly and activation guided the design of a novel class of engineered type I interferons that combine a largely lost potency on non-targeted cells with a retained high activity on targeted cells. These novel interferons are expected to exhibit lower systemic toxicities compared to other interferon therapy modalities and could open avenues to revive these cytokines for the treatment of patients suffering of cancer and viral infections. (Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews)
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - October 31, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Gilles Uzé, Jan Tavernier Tags: Mini review Source Type: research
MSP: An emerging player in metabolic syndrome
Macrophage stimulating protein (MSP) was firstly discovered in 1976 as a serum protein which could stimulate the chemotactic response, migration and spreading of mouse peritoneal resident macrophages [1]. MSP was later shown to be involved in inflammatory responses and following studies demonstrated MSP to be a crucial regulator of inflammation in multiple animal disease models of the liver, kidney, lung, gut and other organs [2–5]. Studies showed that homozygous MSP knockout mice (MSP-/- mice) were viable without any obvious abnormalities, however they developed hepatic steatosis even fed on normal chow diet [6]. (Sourc...
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - October 31, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Jieyi Li, Dipanjan Chanda, Ronit Shiri-Sverdlov, Dietbert Neumann Tags: Mini review Source Type: research
