Publications by authors named "David Feehan"
Article Synopsis
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a harmful bacteria that affects people with cystic fibrosis by causing lung problems, while natural killer (NK) cells are part of the immune system that can kill infected or cancerous cells.
- Research shows that NK cells can also kill extracellular P. aeruginosa by using specific effector molecules in a process that requires direct contact with the bacteria.
- The study found that while some proteins were not essential for killing, the combined action of certain granzymes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was crucial for damaging the bacteria's membrane and effectively eliminating it.
is a major cause of life-threatening mycosis in immunocompetent individuals and responsible for the ongoing epidemic outbreak of cryptococcosis in the Pacific Northwest of North America. This deadly fungus is known to evade important host immune responses, including dendritic cell (DC) maturation and concomitant T cell immunity, via immune evasion mechanisms that remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that primary human DCs phagocytose but the maturation of phagosomes to phagolysosomes was blocked as a result of sustained filamentous actin (F-actin) that entrapped and concealed the phagosomes from recognition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is now evident that NK cells kill bacteria, fungi, and parasites in addition to tumor and virus-infected cells. In addition to a number of recent publications that have identified the receptors and ligands, and mechanisms of cytotoxicity, new insights are reflected in the reports from researchers all over the world at the 17th Meeting of the Society for Natural Immunity held in San Antonio, TX, USA from May 28 through June 1, 2018. We will provide an overview of the field and discuss how the presentations at the meeting might shape our knowledge and future directions in the field.
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