Partitioning behavior of short DNA fragments in polymer/salt aqueous two-phase systems.

The development of liquid biopsy as a minimally invasive technique for tumor profiling has created a need for efficient biomarker extraction systems from body fluids. The analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is especially promising, but the low amounts and high fragmentation of cfDNA found in plasma pose challenges to its isolation. While the potential of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) for the extraction and purification of various biomolecules has already been successfully established, there is limited literature on the applicability of these findings to short cfDNA-like fragments.

Pathogen-specific innate immune response patterns are distinctly affected by genetic diversity.

Innate immune responses vary by pathogen and host genetics. We analyze quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and transcriptomes of monocytes from 215 individuals stimulated by fungal, Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. We identify conserved monocyte responses to bacterial pathogens and a distinct antifungal response.

A genome-wide association study with tissue transcriptomics identifies genetic drivers for classic bladder exstrophy.

Classic bladder exstrophy represents the most severe end of all human congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract and is associated with bladder cancer susceptibility. Previous genetic studies identified one locus to be involved in classic bladder exstrophy, but were limited to a restrict number of cohort. Here we show the largest classic bladder exstrophy genome-wide association analysis to date where we identify eight genome-wide significant loci, seven of which are novel.

Microfilariae Trigger Eosinophil Extracellular DNA Traps in a Dectin-1-Dependent Manner.

Eosinophils mediate protection against filarial nematodes. Our results demonstrate that eosinophil extracellular traps (EETosis) are induced by microfilariae and infective L3 larvae of Litomosoides sigmodontis. These extracellular DNA traps inhibit microfilariae motility in a DNA- and contact-dependent manner in vitro.

TGFβ depletion does neither modulate acute E. coli-induced inflammatory immune responses nor impair the protective effect by chronic filarial infection.

TGFβ is an anti-inflammatory molecule that suppresses pro-inflammatory immune responses. Previously, we demonstrated that chronic filarial infection has a beneficial impact on -induced sepsis. In the present study, we investigated whether this protective effect is dependent on TGFβ signaling and whether depletion of TGFβ before challenge alters the early course of sepsis .

Genome-wide association study of panic disorder reveals genetic overlap with neuroticism and depression.

Panic disorder (PD) has a lifetime prevalence of 2-4% and heritability estimates of 40%. The contributory genetic variants remain largely unknown, with few and inconsistent loci having been reported. The present report describes the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of PD to date comprising genome-wide genotype data of 2248 clinically well-characterized PD patients and 7992 ethnically matched controls.

Susceptibility to L. sigmodontis infection is highest in animals lacking IL-4R/IL-5 compared to single knockouts of IL-4R, IL-5 or eosinophils.

Background: Mice are susceptible to infections with the rodent filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis and develop immune responses that resemble those of human filarial infections. Thus, the L. sigmodontis model is used to study filarial immunomodulation, protective immune responses against filariae and to screen drug candidates for human filarial diseases.

Genome-wide transcriptome induced by nickel in human monocytes.

Unlabelled: Nickel-containing alloys are frequently used in the biomedical field, although, owing to corrosive processes metal ion leaching is inevitable. Due to nickel ion (Ni(2+)) leaching several adverse effects are described in the literature. However, only a few studies evaluated the genetic profile of Ni(2+) in human cells which is of great importance since nickel-induced effects differ between humans and mice as a result of species-specific receptor variability.

Genome-wide transcriptome induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS supports the notion of host-derived periodontal destruction and its association with systemic diseases.

Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a prevalent pathogen-associated inflammatory disorder characterized by the destruction of tooth-supporting tissues, and linked to several systemic diseases. Both the periodontopathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), and the genetically determined host immune response, are hypothesized to play a crucial role in this association. To identify new target genes for CP and its associated systemic diseases, we investigated the transcriptome induced by Pg in human monocytes using a genome-wide approach.

Escherichia coli-induced immune paralysis is not exacerbated during chronic filarial infection.

Sepsis initially starts with a systemic inflammatory response (SIRS phase) and is followed by a compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome (CARS) that causes impaired adaptive T-cell immunity, immune paralysis and an increased susceptibility to secondary infections. In contrast, parasitic filariae release thousands of microfilariae into the peripheral blood without triggering inflammation, as they induce regulatory, anti-inflammatory host responses. Hence, we investigated the impact of chronic filarial infection on adaptive T-cell responses during the SIRS and CARS phases of a systemic bacterial infection and analysed the development of T-cell paralysis following a subsequent adenovirus challenge in BALB/c mice.