Interleukin-13 interferes with CFTR and AQP5 expression and localization during human airway epithelial cell differentiation.

Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is a central regulator of Th2-dominated respiratory disorders such as asthma. Lesions of the airway epithelial barrier frequently observed in chronic respiratory inflammatory diseases are repaired through proliferation, migration and differentiation of epithelial cells. Our work is focused on the effects of IL-13 in human cellular models of airway epithelial cell regeneration.

Identification of BCAP, a new protein associated with basal bodies and centrioles.

Cilia exert critical functions in numerous organisms, including that of cell motility, fluid transport and protozoan locomotion. Defects in this organelle can lead to lethal pathologies in humans, including primary ciliary dyskinesia. An understanding of the cilia formation process would lead to better characterization of defects involved in such pathologies.

Expression of Toll-like receptors in cultured nasal epithelial cells.

Conclusions: Nasal epithelial cells are constitutively equipped with all Toll-like receptors (TLRs) which are essential for innate immunity. Both mRNA and protein levels of TLR3 expression increased in more differentiated nasal epithelial cells. Considering that the ligand for TLR3 is viral dsRNA, this result is in good accordance with previous reports demonstrating that more differentiated airway epithelial cells have increased resistance to rhinovirus infection.

Identification of ICIS-1, a new protein involved in cilia stability.

Cilia are specialized organelles that exert critical functions in numerous organisms, including that of cell motility, fluid transport and protozoan locomotion. Ciliary architecture and function strictly depend on basal body formation, migration and axoneme elongation. Numerous ultrastructural studies have been undertaken in different species to elucidate the process of ciliogenesis.

Differential regulation of p73 variants in response to cisplatin treatment in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

The present study aims to investigate the role of p73 in response to cisplatin treatment in p53 wild-type neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Results showed that cisplatin induced a dose-dependent up-regulation of p53, p73, and a number of p53-responsive genes. Interestingly, endogenous Deltaexon2p73-expression was down-regulated by cisplatin treatment.

Aspergillus fumigatus conidia inhibit tumour necrosis factor- or staurosporine-induced apoptosis in epithelial cells.

A major innate immune response to inhaled conidia of the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) is the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which include tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, a known inducer of apoptosis. Modulation of host cell apoptosis has been reported to be one of the mechanisms whereby pathogens overcome host cell defences. Our study was designed to investigate whether or not Af conidia could modulate apoptosis induced by TNF-alpha or staurosporine (STS).