Detection and Isolation of Apoptotic Bodies to High Purity.

Apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs), microvesicles and exosomes are the key members of the extracellular vesicle family, with ApoBDs being one of the largest type. It has been proposed that ApoBDs can aid cell clearance as well as intercellular communication through trafficking biomolecules. Conventional approaches used for the identification and isolation of ApoBDs are often limited by the lack of accurate quantification and low sample purity.

NK cell heparanase controls tumor invasion and immune surveillance.

NK cells are highly efficient at preventing cancer metastasis but are infrequently found in the core of primary tumors. Here, have we demonstrated that freshly isolated mouse and human NK cells express low levels of the endo-β-D-glucuronidase heparanase that increase upon NK cell activation. Heparanase deficiency did not affect development, differentiation, or tissue localization of NK cells under steady-state conditions.

The plant defensin NaD1 induces tumor cell death via a non-apoptotic, membranolytic process.

Cationic anti-microbial peptides (CAPs) have an important role in host innate defense against pathogens such as bacteria and fungi. Many CAPs including defensins also exhibit selective cytotoxic activity towards mammalian cells via both apoptotic and non-apoptotic processes, and are being investigated as potential anticancer agents. The anti-fungal plant defensin from ornamental tobacco, Defensin 1 (NaD1), was recently shown to induce necrotic-like cell death in a number of tumor cell types within 30 min of treatment, at a concentration of 10 M.

Phosphoinositide-mediated oligomerization of a defensin induces cell lysis.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAPs) such as defensins are ubiquitously found innate immune molecules that often exhibit broad activity against microbial pathogens and mammalian tumor cells. Many CAPs act at the plasma membrane of cells leading to membrane destabilization and permeabilization. In this study, we describe a novel cell lysis mechanism for fungal and tumor cells by the plant defensin NaD1 that acts via direct binding to the plasma membrane phospholipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2).