A Multi-Lumen Glaucoma Stent With Titratable Pressure-Lowering Effect: A Proof of Concept Study.

Purpose: To explore the feasibility of a glaucoma stent with a titratable pressure-lowering effect.

Methods: This was an in vitro study. We created a resin stent with a micro-precision three-dimensional printer.

IL-17 suppresses the therapeutic activity of cancer vaccines through the inhibition of CD8 T-cell responses.

Antitumor immunity is mediated by Th1 CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, which induce tumor-specific cytolysis, whereas Th17 CD4 T cells have been described to promote tumor growth. Here, we explored the influence of IL-17 on the ability of therapeutic vaccines to induce the rejection of tumors in mice using several adjuvants known to elicit either Th1 or Th17-type immunity. Immunization of mice with Th1-adjuvanted vaccine induced high levels of IFN-γ-producing T cells, whereas injection with Th17-promoting adjuvants triggered the stimulation of both IL-17 and IFN-γ-producing T cells.

Impact of pictograms on medication adherence: A systematic literature review.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the potential effect of pictograms on patient adherence to medication therapies.

Method: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and CENTRAL were searched for relevant articles. Experimental studies testing the use of pictograms in patient counselling regarding medication therapy, which quantitatively measured adherence, were included.

The RIAD peptidomimetic inhibits HIV-1 replication in humanized NSG mice.

Background: Increased intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP (cAMP) in T cells is associated with various immunodeficiency conditions including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Several reports indicate a critical role of activated protein kinase A (PKA) in the susceptibility of cells to HIV infection. We have used a cell permeable, stable peptidomimetic version (P3) of the RI-anchoring disruptor (RIAD), which prevents PKA interaction with A-kinase-anchoring proteins (AKAPs).

An exploratory trial of cyclooxygenase type 2 inhibitor in HIV-1 infection: downregulated immune activation and improved T cell-dependent vaccine responses.

Chronic HIV infection is characterized by chronic immune activation and dysfunctional T cells with elevated intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), which inhibits the T cell activation capability. cAMP may be induced by prostaglandin E(2) following lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced upregulation of cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2) in monocytes due to the elevated LPS levels in patients with chronic HIV infection. This hypothesis was tested using celecoxib, a COX-2 inhibitor, for 12 weeks in HIV-infected patients without antiretroviral treatment in a prospective, open, randomized exploratory trial.

A novel human CD4+ T-cell inducer subset with potent immunostimulatory properties.

The complexity of immunoregulation has focused attention on the CD4+ T "suppressor" regulatory cell (Treg), which helps maintain balance between immunity and tolerance. An immunoregulatory T-cell population that upon activation amplifies cellular immune responses was described in murine models more than 30 years ago; however, no study has yet identified a naturally occurring T "inducer" cell type. Here, we report that the ectoenzyme CD39/NTPDase1 (ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1) helps to delineate a novel population of human "inducer" CD4+ T cells (Tind) that significantly increases the proliferation and cytokine production of responder T cells in a dose-dependent manner.

Design of proteolytically stable RI-anchoring disruptor peptidomimetics for in vivo studies of anchored type I protein kinase A-mediated signalling.

We have reported previously the design of a RIAD (RI-anchoring disruptor) peptide that specifically displaces PKA (protein kinase A) type I from the AKAP (A-kinase-anchoring protein) ezrin, which is present in the immunological synapse of T-cells. This increases immune reactivity by reducing the threshold for activation and may prove a feasible approach for improving immune function in patients with cAMP-mediated T-cell dysfunction. However, the use of RIAD in biological systems is restricted by its susceptibility to enzymatic cleavage and, consequently, its short half-life in presence of the ubiquitous serum peptidases.

Interleukin-10-secreting T cells define a suppressive subset within the HIV-1-specific T-cell population.

Recent studies have indicated that Treg contribute to the HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-related immune pathogenesis. However, it is not clear whether T cells with suppressive properties reside within the HIV-1-specific T-cell population. Here, PBMC from HIV-1-infected individuals were stimulated with a 15-mer Gag peptide pool, and HIV-1-specific T cells were enriched by virtue of their secretion of IL-10 or IFN-gamma using immunomagnetic cell-sorting.