The Biotin-Avidin Interaction in Biotinylated Gold Nanoparticles and the Modulation of Their Aggregation.

The biotin-avidin interaction is used as a binding tool for the conjugation of biomolecules for more diverse applications; these include nanoparticle conjugation. Despite this, a thorough investigation on the different aggregates that may result from the interaction of biotinylated nanoparticles (gold nanoparticles, AuNPs, in this work) with avidin has not been carried out so far. In this paper, we address this problem and show the type of aggregates formed under thermodynamic and kinetic control by varying the biotinylated AuNP/avidin ratio and the order of addition of the two partners.

Bone metastases and immunotherapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Bone metastases (BoM) are a negative prognostic factor in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Beyond its supportive role, bone is a hematopoietic organ actively regulating immune system. We hypothesized that BoM may influence sensitivity to immunotherapy.

Crizotinib in -Deregulated or -Rearranged Pretreated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (METROS): A Phase II, Prospective, Multicenter, Two-Arms Trial.

Purpose: -deregulated NSCLC represents an urgent clinical need because of unfavorable prognosis and lack of specific therapies. Although recent studies have suggested a potential role for crizotinib in patients harboring amplification or exon 14 mutations, no conclusive data are currently available. This study aimed at investigating activity of crizotinib in patients harboring or alterations.

Circulating programmed death ligand-1 (cPD-L1) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Background: This study aimed at investigating feasibility of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) testing in plasma samples of advanced NSCLC patients receiving first-line treatment, assessing whether circulating (c)PD-L1 levels were modified by the therapy and whether baseline cPD-L1 levels were associated with patients' clinical responses and survival outcome.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 16 healthy volunteers and 56 newly diagnosed NSCLC patients before and at 12th week during the course of first-line therapy. The level of PD-L1 was measured in plasma samples using the human (PD-L1/CD274) ELISA kit (CUSABIO, MD, USA).

Mast cells control the expansion and differentiation of IL-10-competent B cells.

The discovery of B cell subsets with regulatory properties, dependent on IL-10 production, has expanded our view on the mechanisms that control inflammation. Regulatory B cells acquire the ability to produce IL-10 in a stepwise process: first, they become IL-10 competent, a poised state in which B cells are sensitive to trigger signals but do not actually express the Il-10 gene; then, when exposed to appropriate stimuli, they start producing IL-10. Even if the existence of IL-10-competent B cells is now well established, it is not yet known how different immune cell types cross talk with B cells and affect IL-10-competent B cell differentiation and expansion.

Mast cell: an emerging partner in immune interaction.

Mast cells (MCs) are currently recognized as effector cells in many settings of the immune response, including host defense, immune regulation, allergy, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. MC pleiotropic functions reflect their ability to secrete a wide spectrum of preformed or newly synthesized biologically active products with pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and/or immunosuppressive properties, in response to multiple signals. Moreover, the modulation of MC effector phenotypes relies on the interaction of a wide variety of membrane molecules involved in cell-cell or cell-extracellular-matrix interaction.

Modulation of FcεRI-dependent mast cell response by OX40L via Fyn, PI3K, and RhoA.

Background: The interaction of mast cells (MCs) with regulatory T cells through the OX40 ligand (OX40L):OX40 axis downregulates FcεRI-dependent immediate hypersensitivity responses both in vitro and in vivo. Little is known on OX40L-mediated intracellular signaling or on the mechanism by which OX40L engagement suppresses MC degranulation.

Objective: We explored the role of OX40L engagement on IgE/antigen-triggered MCs both in vitro and in vivo.

Single-cell dynamics of mast cell-CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cell interactions.

The biological behavior of immune cells is determined by their intrinsic properties and interactions with other cell populations within their microenvironment. Several studies have confirmed the existence of tight spatial interactions between mast cells (MCs) and Tregs in different settings. For instance, we have recently identified the functional cross-talk between MCs and Tregs, through the OX40L-OX40 axis, as a new mechanism of reciprocal influence.