VIPER regulates naive T cell activation and effector responses: Implication in TLR4 associated acute stage T cell responses.

Naive T cells are known to express the modest level of TLR4 while it is known to go down during TCR activation. However, information towards the requirement of TLR4 signaling during TCR or mitogenic activation of naive wild-type T cells remains scanty. Here we have investigated the endogenous functional expression of TLR4 in naive mice T cells during TCR and mitogenic stimulation in presence of VIPER peptide (VP), an established inhibitor of TLR4 signaling.

High rates of co-infection of Dengue and Chikungunya virus in Odisha and Maharashtra, India during 2013.

Dengue viral (DENV) infection is endemic in different parts of India and because of similar primary signs and symptoms, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is mostly undiagnosed. Hence, we investigated 204 suspected Dengue cases in a hospital based cross-sectional study in Odisha, India in 2013. It was observed that 50 samples were positive for DENV only, 28 were positive for CHIKV only and interestingly, 28 patients were co-infected with both DENV and CHIKV.

In silico analysis of MHC-I restricted epitopes of Chikungunya virus proteins: Implication in understanding anti-CHIKV CD8(+) T cell response and advancement of epitope based immunotherapy for CHIKV infection.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne Alphavirus, responsible for acute febrile infection. The high morbidity and socio-economic loss associated with the recent CHIKV epidemics worldwide have raised a great public health concern and emphasize the need to study the immunological basis of CHIKV infection to control the disease. MHC-I restricted CD8(+) T cell response represent one of the major anti-viral immune responses.

Regulation of Noxa-mediated apoptosis in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells.

Helicobacter pylori induces the antiapoptotic protein myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl1) in human gastric epithelial cells (GECs). Apoptosis of oncogenic protein Mcl1-expressing cells is mainly regulated by Noxa-mediated degradation of Mcl1. We wanted to elucidate the status of Noxa in H.