Publications by authors named "Anna Czapka"

Article Synopsis
  • The fungus and Gram-positive bacterium coexist in human mucosal areas and can become harmful when there's an imbalance in microbial populations, leading to serious infections in vulnerable individuals.
  • The study reveals that the presence of the bacterium increases damage to host cells caused by the fungus, and this relationship worsens oropharyngeal candidiasis in mice.
  • This increased damage is driven by enterococcal cytolysin and is influenced by physical interactions between the bacteria and host cells, as well as changes in glucose availability due to the fungus's metabolic activity.
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Aging is characterized by alterations in the inflammatory microenvironment, which is tightly regulated by a complex network of inflammatory mediators. Excessive calorie consumption contributes to age- and lifestyle-associated diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer, while limited nutrient availability may lead to systemic health-promoting adaptations. Geroprotective effects of short-term caloric restriction (CR) can beneficially regulate innate immune receptors and interferon signaling in the liver of aged mice, but how CR impacts the hepatic release of immunomodulatory mediators like cytokines and lipid mediators (LM) is elusive.

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Article Synopsis
  • Macrophages are special cells in our body that can fight inflammation and help heal injuries, and they come in two types: M1 (pro-inflammatory) and M2 (pro-resolving).
  • * As people get older, these macrophages don’t work as well, which can lead to ongoing inflammation and make it easier to get sick.
  • * The study found that older mice have different types of macrophages that don’t fit neatly into the M1 or M2 categories, and they struggle to respond properly to inflammation.
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Background: Insufficient solubility and stability of bioactive small molecules as well as poor biocompatibility may cause low bioavailability and are common obstacles in drug development. One example of such problematic molecules is 6-bromoindirubin-3'-glycerol-oxime ether (6BIGOE), a hydrophobic indirubin derivative. 6BIGOE potently modulates the release of inflammatory cytokines and lipid mediators from isolated human monocytes through inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 in a favorable fashion.

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Aging is accompanied by chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation, termed inflammaging, a main driver of age-associated diseases. Such sterile inflammation is typically characterized by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines, chemokines and reactive oxygen species causing organ damage. Lipid mediators play important roles in the fine-tuning of both the promotion and the resolution of inflammation.

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In the present study, the anti-inflammatory lipophilic drug atorvastatin was encapsulated in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) using a sustainable method in comparison to the standard emulsion-diffusion-evaporation technique. For the sustainable method the organic solvent ethyl acetate was fully replaced by 400 g/mol poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG 400). Both techniques led to the formation of nanoparticles with comparable sizes of about 170 to 247 nm depending on the polymer type, with monomodal size distribution and negative zeta potential.

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Indirubin is a natural bis-indole alkaloid contained as active ingredient in the traditional Chinese remedy Danggui Longhui Wan. Indirubin and its 3'-oxime derivatives exhibit anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties and they inhibit glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 in cell-free assays where 6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime (6BIO) is among the most potent analogs. Here, we reveal 6-bromoindirubin-3'-glycerol-oxime ether (6BIGOE) as highly potent derivative able to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine, chemokine and prostaglandin (PG) release in human primary monocytes while increasing anti-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-10 levels.

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In tumors, cancer cells coexist and communicate with macrophages that can promote tumorigenesis via pro-inflammatory signals. Lipid mediators (LMs), produced mainly by cyclooxygenases (COXs) or lipoxygenases (LOs), display a variety of biological functions with advantageous or deleterious consequences for tumors. Here, we investigated how the communication between human monocyte-derived M2-like macrophages (MDM) and cancer cells affects LM biosynthesis using LM metabololipidomics.

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Article Synopsis
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work by inhibiting enzymes involved in the production of proinflammatory compounds like prostaglandins and leukotrienes, impacting two types of macrophages: proinflammatory M1 and proresolving M2.
  • The study utilized advanced mass spectrometry to analyze lipid mediator profiles, revealing that different inhibitors affect inflammatory responses differently in M1 and M2 macrophages.
  • Findings suggest that targeting specific enzymes in lipid biosynthesis can significantly influence the lipid profiles of macrophages, potentially improving treatment strategies for inflammatory diseases.
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