The androgen receptor (AR) is the master regulator of prostate cancer (PCa) development, and inhibition of AR signalling is the most effective PCa treatment. AR is expressed in PCa cells and also in the PCa-associated stroma, including infiltrating macrophages. Macrophages have a decisive function in PCa initiation and progression, but the role of AR in macrophages remains largely unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. One of the key factors associated with SLE pathogenesis is excessive production of type I interferons (IFNs). This could result from increased activation of type I IFN-stimulating pathways, but also from decreased activation of type I IFN-inhibitory pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective And Design: To determine whether ER stress affects the inhibitory pathways of the human immune system, particularly the immunosuppressive effect of IL-10 on macrophages.
Material Or Subjects: In vitro stimulation of human monocyte-derived macrophages.
Treatment: Cells were stimulated with TLR ligands and IL-10, while ER stress was induced using thapsigargin or tunicamycin.
Type I and type III interferons (IFNs) are fundamental for antiviral immunity, but prolonged expression is also detrimental to the host. Therefore, upon viral infection high levels of type I and III IFNs are followed by a strong and rapid decline. However, the mechanisms responsible for this suppression are still largely unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFibroblasts are abundantly present in the prostate tumor microenvironment (TME), including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) which play a key role in cancer development. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is the main driver of prostate cancer (PCa) progression, and stromal cells in the TME also express AR. High-grade tumor and poor clinical outcome are associated with low AR expression in the TME, which suggests a protective role of AR signaling in the stroma against PCa development.
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