Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized through green synthesis routes are widely used as antimicrobial agents due to their advantages such as biocompatibility, stability, sustainability, speed and cost-effectiveness. Although AgNPs appear to be more potent than silver ions, the mechanisms related to their antibacterial activity are not yet fully understood. The most common proposed mechanism of AgNPs' toxicity so far is the release of silver ions and/or specific functions of the particles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammation is crucial in diseases, and proteins play a key role in the interplay between innate immunity and pathology. This review explores how proteomics helps understanding this relationship, focusing on diagnosis and treatment. We explore the dynamic innate response and the significance of proteomic techniques in deciphering the complex network of proteins involved in prevalent diseases, including infections, cancer, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeutrophils are known as one of the first lines of defense in the innate immune response and can perform many particular cellular functions, such as chemotaxis, reverse migration, phagocytosis, degranulation of cytotoxic enzymes and metabolites, and release of DNA as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Neutrophils not only have tightly regulated signaling themselves, but also participate in the regulation of other components of the immune system. As fresh neutrophils are terminally differentiated, short-lived, and highly variable among individuals, it is important to make the most of the collected samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world's attention has been focused on better understanding the relation between the human host and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as its action has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Objective: In this context, we decided to study certain consequences of the abundant cytokine release over the innate and adaptive immune systems, inflammation, and hemostasis, comparing mild and severe forms of COVID-19.
Methods: To accomplish these aims, we will analyze demographic characteristics, biochemical tests, immune biomarkers, leukocyte phenotyping, immunoglobulin profile, hormonal release (cortisol and prolactin), gene expression, thromboelastometry, neutralizing antibodies, metabolic profile, and neutrophil function (reactive oxygen species production, neutrophil extracellular trap production, phagocytosis, migration, gene expression, and proteomics).