The Role of the CX3CR1-CX3CL1 Axis in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and the Triggered Immune Response.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory pathogen that causes respiratory illnesses, ranging from mild symptoms to severe lower respiratory tract infections in infants and older adults. This virus is responsible for one-third of pneumonia deaths in the pediatric population; however, there are currently only a few effective vaccines. A better understanding of the RSV-host relationship at the molecular level may lead to a more effective management of RSV-related symptoms.

A putative role for lactate in the crosstalk between chemokines and glycolysis in solid cancer.

Chemokines are very important for carcinogenesis and the development of a malignant phenotype. Lactate is a small molecule produced during glycolysis; recently it has emerged as an immunomodulator that could impact tumor cell behavior. In this paper we explore the interplay between chemokines, glycolysis, and lactate in cancer progression, and propose the existence of a pro-tumoral lactate-chemokine-glycolysis loop driven by high glucose levels.

Development and Testing of a Low-Cost Inactivation Buffer That Allows for Direct SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Saliva.

Massive testing is a cornerstone in efforts to effectively track infections and stop COVID-19 transmission, including places with good vaccination coverage. However, SARS-CoV-2 testing by RT-qPCR requires specialized personnel, protection equipment, commercial kits, and dedicated facilities, which represent significant challenges for massive testing in resource-limited settings. It is therefore important to develop testing protocols that are inexpensive, fast, and sufficiently sensitive.

Class I Myosins, molecular motors involved in cell migration and cancer.

Class I Myosins are a subfamily of motor proteins with ATPase activity and a characteristic structure conserved in all myosins: A N-Terminal Motor Domain, a central Neck and a C terminal Tail domain. Humans have eight genes for these myosins. Class I Myosins have different functions: regulate membrane tension, participate in endocytosis, exocytosis, intracellular trafficking and cell migration.

Role of HMGB1 in Cisplatin-Persistent Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines.

Significant advances have been made recently in the development of targeted therapy for lung adenocarcinoma. However, platinum-based chemotherapy remains as the cornerstone in the treatment of this neoplasm. This is the treatment option for adenocarcinomas without gain-of-function mutations or tumors that have developed resistance to targeted therapy.

High expression of Myosin 1g in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent cancer in pediatric population. Although the treatment has improved and almost 85% of the children are cured about 20% suffer relapse, therefore finding molecules that participate in the pathogenesis of the disease for the identification of relapse and patients at risk is an urgent unmet need. Class I myosins are molecular motors involved in membrane tension, endocytosis, phagocytosis and cell migration and recently they have been shown important for development and aggressiveness of diverse cancer types, however Myo1g an hematopoietic specific myosin has not been studied in cancer so far.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Alterations in Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore (mPTP) Contribute to Apoptosis Resistance in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Fibroblasts.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating disease characterized by increased activation of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts. Previous reports have shown that IPF fibroblasts are resistant to apoptosis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Since inhibition of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) has been implicated in the resistance to apoptosis, in this study, we analyzed the role of mitochondrial function and the mPTP on the apoptosis resistance of IPF fibroblasts under basal conditions and after mitomycin C-induced apoptosis.

Could SARS-CoV-2 blocking of ACE2 in endothelial cells result in upregulation of CX3CL1, promoting thrombosis in COVID-19 patients?

SARS-CoV-2 is the causal agent of COVID-19 disease. Currently, infection with SARS-CoV-2 has been the cause of death of over 2.5 million people globally, and there is still no effective curative treatment.

Regulation and biological functions of the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 axis and its relevance in solid cancer: A mini-review.

CX3CL1 is a transmembrane protein from which a soluble form can be generated by proteolytic shedding. Membranal and soluble forms of CX3CL1 exhibit different functions, although both bind to the CX3CR1 chemokine receptor. The CX3CL1-CX3CR1 axis mediates the adhesion of leukocytes and is also involved in cell survival and recruitment of immune cell subpopulations.

Antitumor Therapy under Hypoxic Microenvironment by the Combination of 2-Methoxyestradiol and Sodium Dichloroacetate on Human Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

A hypoxic microenvironment is a hallmark in different types of tumors; this phenomenon participates in a metabolic alteration that confers resistance to treatments. Because of this, it was proposed that a combination of 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) and sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) could reduce this alteration, preventing proliferation through the reactivation of aerobic metabolism in lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549). A549 cells were cultured in a hypoxic chamber at 1% O for 72 hours to determine the effect of this combination on growth, migration, and expression of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) by immunofluorescence.

CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 could be a relevant molecular axis in the pathophysiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and progressive disease of unknown cause. It is characterized by the aberrant activation of the bronchioalveolar epithelium, the formation of fibroblast foci and the excessive production extracellular matrix. The cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the pathobiology of the disease are unclear.

Upregulation and Nuclear Location of MMP28 in Alveolar Epithelium of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive aging-associated disease of unknown etiology. A growing body of evidence indicates that aberrant activated alveolar epithelial cells induce the expansion and activation of the fibroblast population, leading to the destruction of the lung architecture. Some matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are upregulated in IPF, indicating that they may be important in the pathogenesis and/or progression of IPF.

PDZ proteins are expressed and regulated in antigen-presenting cells and are targets of influenza A virus.

In this work, we identified the expression, regulation, and viral targeting of Scribble and Dlg1 in antigen-presenting cells. Scribble and Dlg1 belong to the family of PDZ (postsynaptic density (PSD95), disc large (Dlg), and zonula occludens (ZO-1)) proteins involved in cell polarity. The relevance of PDZ proteins in cellular functions is reinforced by the fact that many viruses interfere with host PDZ-dependent interactions affecting cellular mechanisms thus favoring viral replication.

Role of Chemokines in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Angiogenesis and Inflammation.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common types of aggressive cancer. The tumor tissue, which shows an active angiogenesis, is composed of neoplastic and stromal cells, and an abundant inflammatory infiltrate. Angiogenesis is important to support tumor growth, while infiltrating cells contribute to the tumor microenvironment through the secretion of growth factors, cytokines and chemokines, important molecules in the progression of the disease.