Image-guided, tumor stroma-targeted 131I therapy of hepatocellular cancer after systemic mesenchymal stem cell-mediated NIS gene delivery.

Due to its dual role as reporter and therapy gene, the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) allows noninvasive imaging of functional NIS expression by (123)I-scintigraphy or (124)I-PET imaging before the application of a therapeutic dose of (131)I. NIS expression provides a novel mechanism for the evaluation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as gene delivery vehicles for tumor therapy. In the current study, we stably transfected bone marrow-derived CD34(-) MSCs with NIS cDNA (NIS-MSC), which revealed high levels of functional NIS protein expression.

Expression of the chemokine receptor CCR6 in human renal inflammation.

Background: Nodular inflammatory cell infiltrates with defined microarchitecture, i.e. tertiary lymphoid organs, develop in the tubulointerstitium during chronic renal inflammation.

Interstitial inflammation in Alport syndrome.

The Alport syndrome is a hereditary glomerular disease linked to structural abnormalities of collagen IV. In a mouse model of Alport syndrome, the interstitial lymphocyte influx was important for disease progression. CXCR3 is a chemokine receptor involved in lymphocyte recruitment to the kidney.

The role of chemokine receptors in acute lung allograft rejection.

Recruitment of inflammatory cells to vascularised allografts is a hallmark of rejection, and paves the way for chronic allograft injury. Chemokines play pivotal roles in the directed movement of leukocytes. Herein, we define the distribution of chemokine receptors for the most common cell types during human lung allograft rejection as a prerequisite for therapeutic interventions.

Efficient renal recruitment of macrophages and T cells in mice lacking the duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines.

The Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines (DARC) is a chemokine-binding protein that is expressed on erythrocytes and renal endothelial cells. DARC-mediated endothelial transcytosis of chemokines may facilitate the renal recruitment of macrophages and T cells, as has been suggested for neutrophils. We studied the role of Darc in two mouse models of prolonged renal inflammation, one that primarily involves the tubulointerstitium (unilateral ureteral obstruction), and one that requires an adaptive immune response that leads to glomerulonephritis (accelerated nephrotoxic nephritis).

Compartment specific expression of dendritic cell markers in human glomerulonephritis.

Macrophages and dendritic cells are heterogenous and highly plastic bone marrow-derived cells that play major roles in renal diseases. We characterized these cells using immunohistochemistry in 55 renal biopsies from control patients or patients with glomerulonephritis as an initial step towards postulating specific roles for these cells in kidney disease. In proliferative glomerulonephritis numerous CD68 positive (pan monocyte, macrophage and dendritic marker) cells were found in both glomeruli and the tubulointerstitial space, however, a myeloid dendritic cell marker (DC-SIGN) was identified only in the tubulointerstitium.

The contribution of B cells to renal interstitial inflammation.

Local B-cell infiltrates play a role in tissue fibrosis, neolymphangiogenesis, and renal allograft survival. We sought to characterize the B-cell infiltrates, factors involved in B-cell recruitment, and lymphangiogenesis in renal interstitial injury (ie, acute and chronic interstitial nephritis and chronic IgA nephropathy). CD20-positive B cells formed a prominent part of the interstitial infiltrating cells.

Expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR1 in human glomerular diseases.

Leukocyte infiltration, a hallmark of renal diseases, is orchestrated in part by the actions of chemokines. The chemokine CXCL8/interleukin (IL)-8 is expressed during renal diseases and allograft rejection, whereas the corresponding receptor CXCR1 has not been described previously. Expression of CXCR1 was characterized in peripheral blood using multicolor fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis (FACS).