SOCS1 downregulation in dendritic cells promotes memory T-cell responses.

SOCS1-1 is crucial for control of immune cell cytokine expression, including those cytokines known to enable memory T-cell formation and homeostasis. In this study, we found that immunization with SOCS1-downregulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells generated increased antigen-specific CD8(+) T memory cells and antigen-specific responses, as measured by ELISPOT, CTL assays, serum ELISAs, and T-cell proliferation assays. Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells in which SOCS1 was downregulated expressed increased levels of surface IL-15Ra and thymic leukemia (TL) antigen, both of which support memory cell development.

HIPAA compliance: the law, reality, and recommendations.

The physicians of today and tomorrow face the most daunting set of regulations ever imposed on the practice of medicine. Through the passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the federal government has thrust its regulatory authority into three of the most controversial and cutting-edge issues in medical practice management: privacy, electronic transactions, and security. Through practical insights, the authors' goal is to introduce physicians to HIPAA's basic tenets, the evolutionary nature of the regulations, and the concept that they can manage HIPAA without bankrupting their practices or sealing themselves away from their patients.

CXCR4 knockdown by small interfering RNA abrogates breast tumor growth in vivo.

Breast cancer cells express the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and frequently metastasize to organs with an abundant source of the CXCR4 ligand, stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1). The chemokine receptor CXCR4 plays an active role in the metastasis of breast cancer. Here, we show that a small interfering RNA (siRNA) against CXCR4 effectively downregulates CXCR4 expression in human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, leading to significant decrease in breast cancer cell invasion and adhesion.