The mosquito effect: regulatory and effector T cells acquire cytoplasmic material from tumor cells through intercellular transfer.

The phenomenon of intercellular transfer of cellular material, including membranes, cytoplasm, and even organelles, has been observed for decades. The functional impact and molecular mechanisms of such transfer in the immune system remain largely elusive due to the absence of a robust model. Here, we introduce a new tumor mouse model, where tumor cells express the soluble ultra-bright fluorescent protein ZsGreen, which allows detection and measurement of intercellular transfer of cytoplasm from tumor cells to infiltrating immune cells.

Let-7 enhances murine anti-tumor CD8 T cell responses by promoting memory and antagonizing terminal differentiation.

The success of the CD8 T cell-mediated immune response against infections and tumors depends on the formation of a long-lived memory pool, and the protection of effector cells from exhaustion. The advent of checkpoint blockade therapy has significantly improved anti-tumor therapeutic outcomes by reversing CD8 T cell exhaustion, but fails to generate effector cells with memory potential. Here, using in vivo mouse models, we show that let-7 miRNAs determine CD8 T cell fate, where maintenance of let-7 expression during early cell activation results in memory CD8 T cell formation and tumor clearance.

Common aquatic pollutants modify hemocyte immune responses in .

Disruptions to reproductive health in wildlife species inhabiting polluted environments is often found to occur alongside compromised immunity. However, research on impacts of aquatic pollution on freshwater mollusc immune responses is limited despite their importance as vectors of disease (Schistosomiasis) in humans, cattle and wild mammals. We developed an 'tool-kit' of well-characterized quantitative immune tests using hemocytes.

Cardiomyocyte Differentiation from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

In vitro generated human cardiomyocytes hold the ultimate promise for heart patients for repair of injured or diseased myocardium, but they also provide experimental models for studying normal cardiomyocyte development, for disease modeling and for drug development. Here we provide reliable protocols for differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into functional cardiomyocytes, together with Notes about troubleshooting and optimizing such protocols for specific cell lines. This chapter also briefly discusses other published protocols and those further adapted for differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes.

Cardiomyocyte Differentiation from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

In vitro generated mammalian cardiomyocytes provide experimental models for studying normal mammalian cardiomyocyte development, for disease modeling and for drug development. They also promise to inform future therapeutic strategies for repair of injured or diseased myocardium. Here we provide reliable protocols for differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into functional cardiomyocytes, together with Notes about trouble shooting and optimizing such protocols for specific cell lines.

Genome-wide transcriptomics analysis of genes regulated by GATA4, 5 and 6 during cardiomyogenesis in .

The transcription factors GATA4, GATA5 and GATA6 play important roles in heart muscle differentiation. The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Genome-wide transcriptomics analysis identifies sox7 and sox18 as specifically regulated by gata4 in cardiomyogenesis" (Afouda et al., 2017) [1].

Genome-wide transcriptomics analysis identifies sox7 and sox18 as specifically regulated by gata4 in cardiomyogenesis.

The transcription factors GATA4, GATA5 and GATA6 are important regulators of heart muscle differentiation (cardiomyogenesis), which function in a partially redundant manner. We identified genes specifically regulated by individual cardiogenic GATA factors in a genome-wide transcriptomics analysis. The genes regulated by gata4 are particularly interesting because GATA4 is able to induce differentiation of beating cardiomyocytes in Xenopus and in mammalian systems.

Adoptive transfer of murine T cells expressing a chimeric-PD1-Dap10 receptor as an immunotherapy for lymphoma.

Adoptive transfer of T cells is a promising cancer therapy and expression of chimeric antigen receptors can enhance tumour recognition and T-cell effector functions. The programmed death protein 1 (PD1) receptor is a prospective target for a chimeric antigen receptor because PD1 ligands are expressed on many cancer types, including lymphoma. Therefore, we developed a murine chimeric PD1 receptor (chPD1) consisting of the PD1 extracellular domain fused to the cytoplasmic domain of CD3ζ.

Low-cost motility tracking system (LOCOMOTIS) for time-lapse microscopy applications and cell visualisation.

Direct visualisation of cells for the purpose of studying their motility has typically required expensive microscopy equipment. However, recent advances in digital sensors mean that it is now possible to image cells for a fraction of the price of a standard microscope. Along with low-cost imaging there has also been a large increase in the availability of high quality, open-source analysis programs.

An insight into the hepatocellular death induced by amphetamines, individually and in combination: the involvement of necrosis and apoptosis.

The liver is a vulnerable target for amphetamine toxicity, but the mechanisms involved in the drug's hepatotoxicity remain poorly understood. The purpose of the current research was to characterize the mode of death elicited by four amphetamines and to evaluate whether their combination triggered similar mechanisms in immortalized human HepG2 cells. The obtained data revealed a time- and temperature-dependent mortality of HepG2 cells exposed to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy; 1.

Assessment of a prevention program for work-related stress among urban police officers.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of a primary prevention program designed to improve psychobiological responses to stress among urban police officers.

Methods: A random sample of 37 police cadets received complementary training in psychological and technical techniques to reduce anxiety and enhance performance when facing a series of police critical incidents. Training was done by Special Forces officers, trained by the authors in imaging.

A multidisciplinary investigation of a polycythemia vera cancer cluster of unknown origin.

Cancer cluster investigations rarely receive significant public health resource allocations due to numerous inherent challenges and the limited success of past efforts. In 2008, a cluster of polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer with unknown etiology, was identified in northeast Pennsylvania. A multidisciplinary group of federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and local healthcare providers subsequently developed a multifaceted research portfolio designed to better understand the cause of the cluster.

Spatially discordant alternans in cardiomyocyte monolayers.

Repolarization alternans is a harbinger of sudden cardiac death, particularly when it becomes spatially discordant. Alternans, a beat-to-beat alternation in the action potential duration (APD) and intracellular Ca (Cai), can arise from either tissue heterogeneities or dynamic factors. Distinguishing between these mechanisms in normal cardiac tissue is difficult because of inherent complex three-dimensional tissue heterogeneities.