Novel Nanostructured Pd/Co-Alumina Materials for the Catalytic Oxidation of Atmospheric Pollutants.

Cobalt-doped alumina catalysts were prepared using different methods, either conventional wet impregnation (WI) and/or advanced spray impregnation (SI), and they were evaluated as novel oxidation catalysts for CO and MeOH oxidation. The spray impregnation technique was used with the aim of achieving the synthesis of core-shell catalytic nanostructures to secure the chemical/thermal stability of active sites on the catalyst carrier. The catalysts were further promoted with a low Pd content (0.

Defect Chemistry and Chemical Looping Performance of LaMMnO (M = Sr, Ca, (x = 0-0.5)) Perovskites.

LaMMnO (M = Sr, Ca, (x = 0-0.5)) materials of the perovskite structure are synthesized by a co-precipitation method. They are subsequently investigated for their performance in a chemical looping process (fuel CH) using thermogravimetric analysis with simultaneous reaction.

IGF2BP1 expression in human mesenchymal stem cells significantly affects their proliferation and is under the epigenetic control of TET1/2 demethylases.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a population of cells harboring in many tissues with the ability to differentiate toward many different lineages. Unraveling the molecular profile of MSCs is of great importance due to the fact that these cells are very often used in preclinical and clinical studies. We have previously reported the expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) an oncofetal mRNA-binding protein-in different stem cell types such as bone marrow (BM)-MSC and umbilical cord blood (UCB)-hematopoietic stem cells.

NK cell adoptive transfer combined with Ontak-mediated regulatory T cell elimination induces effective adaptive antitumor immune responses.

Previous work from our laboratory showed that hydrocortisone (HC) combined with IL-15 induces expansion of activated human NK cells. We set up an experimental tumor model to evaluate the use of adoptively transferred, HC plus IL-15 (HC/IL-15)-activated and -expanded murine NK cells in the treatment of syngeneic mice carrying established lung metastases of the CT26 transplantable tumor. We also examined the effect of denileukin diftitox (Ontak) on the depletion of regulatory T cells to enhance the in vivo antitumor immunity induced by the adoptively transferred NK cells.

Effects of donor age, gender, and in vitro cellular aging on the phenotypic, functional, and molecular characteristics of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a very important adult stem cell population with a multitude of potential applications in regenerative medicine. The thorough characterization of the bone marrow MSC (BM-MSC) population derived from the BALB/c species was essential, considering the significance of the murine model amongst animal models. In the present study, we examined the effect of gender, age, and in vitro culture on the basic properties (proliferation, differentiation, and immunosuppressive potential) of BM-MSCs.

Relating n-pentane isomerization activity to the tungsten surface density of WO(x)/ZrO2.

Zirconia-supported tungsten oxide (WO(x)/ZrO(2)) is considered an important supported metal oxide model acid catalyst, for which structure-property relationships have been studied for numerous acid-catalyzed reactions. The catalytic activity for xylene isomerization, alcohol dehydration, and aromatic acylation follows a volcano-shape dependence on tungsten surface density. However, WO(x)/ZrO(2) has not been studied for more acid-demanding reactions, like n-pentane isomerization, with regard to surface density dependence.

A phase I trial of adoptive transfer of allogeneic natural killer cells in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

HLA-mismatched natural killer (NK) cells have shown efficacy in acute myeloid leukemia, and their adoptive transfer in patients with other malignancies has been proven safe. This phase I clinical trial was designed to evaluate safety (primary endpoint) and possible clinical efficacy (secondary endpoint) of repetitive administrations of allogeneic, in vitro activated and expanded NK cells along with chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with unresectable, locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC receiving 1st/2nd line chemotherapy were eligible to receive 2-4 doses of activated NK cells from two relative donors.

The proteome profile of two cell lines and their xenografts isolated from a patient with clear cell sarcoma (soft tissue melanoma).

We report the establishment of two novel clear cell sarcoma (CCS) cell lines (soft tissue melanoma) from a patient and the production of the corresponding xenografts after xenotransplantation of those cells to NOD/SCID mice. As no comprehensive study on the relevant proteomes of this type of cancer has been reported to date, proteomics technologies were applied in a first attempt to analyze the proteins of the two cell lines and their corresponding primary xenografts. Total protein extracts were separated by two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and analysed by MALDI-MS and MALDI-MS-MS following in-gel digestion with trypsin.

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cell frequency in HER-2/neu (HER)-positive and HER-negative advanced-stage breast cancer patients.

Purpose: CD4(+)CD25(bright) regulatory T cells (Tregs) are increased in patients with several malignancies and correlate with disease stage and prognosis. Breast cancer patients represent a heterogeneous population with unpredictable disease progression even at advanced stages. Circulating Tregs in correlation with HER-2/neu (HER) status and treatment with chemotherapy, either alone or in combination with trastuzumab therapy, were monitored in advanced-stage breast cancer patients.

Increased frequency of CD4+ cells expressing CD161 in cancer patients.

Purpose: Although the function of natural killer receptors on T cells infiltrating tumors and their potential effect on antitumor immunity has been investigated, little is known about T cells expressing NKR-P1A (CD161) in cancer patients. In the present study, we examined T cells expressing CD161 in the peripheral blood, the tumor tissue and in malignant effusions of patients with several types of malignancies.

Experimental Design: Expression of CD161 in CD4(+) or CD8(+) (lacking CD56) T cells isolated from peripheral blood (n = 61), tumor specimens (n = 8), and malignant effusions (n = 37) of cancer patients was examined using four-color flow cytometry.

Effect of IL-21 on NK cells derived from different umbilical cord blood populations.

IL-21 plays a role in the proliferation and maturation of NK cells developed from hematopoietic stem cells. In this study, we found that IL-21, in the presence of physiological concentration of hydrocortisone (HC), has a significant impact on the functions of NK cells derived from umbilical cord blood (CB) populations. We demonstrate that IL-21, in combination with Flt3-ligand, IL-15 and HC, induces high proliferative responses and, apart from enhancing NK-mediated cytotoxicity, it also induces a significant increase in lymphokine-activated killer activity of CB/CD34+-derived CD56+ cells.

A potential role for hydrocortisone in the positive regulation of IL-15-activated NK-cell proliferation and survival.

Although glucocorticoids (GCs) have been described as acting mainly as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, they may also positively influence the immune system. In the present study, we demonstrate for the first time that hydrocortisone (HC), in synergy with interleukin-15 (IL-15), induces a dramatic increase in the expansion of peripheral blood-derived CD56+ cells, favoring the preferential outgrowth of classical natural killer (CD56+CD3- NK) over CD56+CD3+ natural killer T (NKT) cells. HC plus IL-15-driven CD56+ cells exhibited an increased potential for cytokine production with no impairment in their NK- and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activities.