Assessment of TCR signal strength of antigen-specific memory CD8 T cells in human blood.

Assessment of the quality and the breadth of antigen (Ag)-specific memory T cells in human samples is of paramount importance to elucidate the pathogenesis and to develop new treatments in various diseases. T-cell receptor (TCR) signal strength, primarily controlled by TCR affinity, affects many fundamental aspects of T-cell biology; however, no current assays for detection of Ag-specific CD8 T cells can assess their TCR signal strength in human samples. Here, we provide evidence that interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), a transcription factor rapidly upregulated in correlation with TCR signal strength, permits the assessment of the TCR signal strength of Ag-specific CD8 T cells in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Novel nanocomposite biomaterial to differentiate bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to the osteogenic lineage for bone restoration.

Background/objective: As the bone engineering field moves away from nonviable implants to more biocompatible and natural structures, nanomedicine has emerged as a superior tool for developing implantable materials.

Methods: Here, we describe the fabrication and testing of a nanocomposite structure composed of chitosan and a biocompatible thermoplastic (PMMA).

Results: Our nanocomposite material displayed morphologically similar characteristics to an extracted murine femur during microscopic and spectroscopic analysis as seen through SEM and FTIR.