Modulation of the Type I Interferon Response Defines the Sensitivity of Human Melanoma Cells to Oncolytic Measles Virus.

Background: Oncolytic viruses such as live-attenuated, vaccine strains of measles virus (MV) have recently emerged as promising cancer treatments, having shown significant antitumor activity against a large variety of human tumors.

Objective: Our study aims at determining which parameters define the sensitivity of human melanoma cells to oncolytic MV infection.

Methods: We analyzed both in vitro and in vivo the oncolytic activity of MV against a panel of human melanoma cell established in our laboratory.

Do kidney histology lesions predict long-term kidney function after liver transplantation?

Histological renal lesions observed after liver transplantation are complex, multifactorial, and interrelated. The aims of this study were to determine whether kidney lesions observed at five yr after liver transplantation can predict long-term kidney function. Ninety-nine liver transplant patients receiving calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based immunosuppression, who had undergone a kidney biopsy at 60±48 months post-transplant, were included in this follow-up study.

Purification of circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells using counterflow centrifugal elutriation and immunomagnetic beads.

Background Aims: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) are a dendritic cell (DC) subset specialized in the production of high amounts of interferon (IFN) type I (IFN-α, -β) in response to viruses. They can be purified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), usually using magnetic bead sorting.

Methods: In this study, we set up a counterflow centrifugal elutriation (CCE) procedure to enrich pDC from PBMC.

Downregulation of MUC1 expression and its recognition by CD8⁺ T cells on the surface of malignant pleural mesothelioma cells treated with HDACi.

Research into new treatments against malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is of great interest, as this aggressive cancer is often resistant to conventional therapies. One potential strategy is the use of epigenetic drugs, such as 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azaCdR), a DNA-hypomethylating drug, and valproate (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi). Indeed, these drugs not only trigger MPM cell death, but also induce the expression of cancer testis antigens recognized by CD8(+) T cells, such as New York-esophageal cancer-1 (NY-ESO-1).

New computerized color image analysis for the quantification of interstitial fibrosis in renal transplantation.

Background: Chronic allograft injury, the primary cause of late allograft failure in renal transplantation, can be diagnosed early at a preclinical stage by histopathological changes such as interstitial fibrosis (IF). Currently, assessed by semiquantitative analysis in the Banff classification, IF quantification is limited by pathologist's subjective interpretation.

Methods: We have designed algorithms dedicated to quantify IF by computerized color image analysis.

FOXP3-enriched infiltrates associated with better outcome in renal allografts with inflamed fibrosis.

Background: FOXP3-expressing regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in maintaining allogeneic transplant tolerance in experimental models. In clinical transplantation, there are few data about their role in chronic inflammation. We hypothesized that Tregs might accumulate within the graft since enrichment of Tregs has been frequently described in chronically inflamed tissues.