A Comparative Analysis of Innate Immune Responses and the Structural Characterization of Spike from SARS-CoV-2 Gamma Variants and Subvariants.

The SARS-CoV-2 P.1 variant, responsible for an outbreak in Manaus, Brazil, is distinguished by 12 amino acid differences in the S protein, potentially increasing its ACE-2 affinity and immune evasion capability. We investigated the innate immune response of this variant compared to the original B.

Bittersweet Sugars: How Unusual Glycan Structures May Connect Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Multidrug Resistance in Cancer.

Cancer cells are characterized by metabolic reprogramming, which enables their survival in of-ten inhospitable conditions. A very well-documented example that has gained attraction in re-cent years and is already considered a hallmark of transformed cells is the reprogramming of carbohydrate metabolism. Such a feature, in association with the differential expression of en-zymes involved in the biosynthesis of glycoconjugates, generically known as glycosyltransfer-ases, contributes to the expression of structurally atypical glycans when compared to those ex-pressed in healthy tissues.

Increased Growth during Infection of Macrophages Cultured on Collagen I Matrix.

The interactions between cell and cellular matrix confers plasticity to each body tissue, influencing the cellular migratory capacity. Macrophages rely on motility to promote their physiological function. These phagocytes are determinant for the control of invasive infections, and their immunological role largely depends on their ability to migrate and adhere to tissue.

ABCB1 and ABCC1 Function during TGF-β-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: Relationship between Multidrug Resistance and Tumor Progression.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) and induction of metastasis are some of the puzzles encountered during cancer chemotherapy. The MDR phenotype is associated with overexpression of ABC transporters, involved in drug efflux. Metastasis originates from the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which cells acquire a migratory phenotype, invading new tissues.

Non-self glycan structures as possible modulators of cancer progression: would polysaccharides from Cryptococcus spp. impact this phenomenon?

Invasive fungal infections (IFI) are responsible for a large number of annual deaths. Most cases are closely related to patients in a state of immunosuppression, as is the case of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Cancer patients are severely affected by the worrisome proportions that an IFI can take during cancer progression, especially in an already immunologically and metabolically impaired patient.

The Blessed Union of Glycobiology and Immunology: A Marriage That Worked.

In this article, we discuss the main aspects regarding the recognition of cell surface glycoconjugates and the immunomodulation of responses against the progression of certain pathologies, such as cancer and infectious diseases. In the first part, we talk about different aspects of glycoconjugates and delve deeper into the importance of N-glycans in cancer immunotherapy. Then, we describe two important lectin families that have been very well studied in the last 20 years.

A Novel Protocol for the Synthesis of 1,2,4-Oxadiazoles Active against Trypanosomatids and Drug-Resistant Leukemia Cell Lines.

Cancer and parasitic diseases, such as leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, share similarities that allow the co-development of new antiproliferative agents as a strategy to quickly track the discovery of new drugs. This strategy is especially interesting regarding tropical neglected diseases, for which chemotherapeutic alternatives are extremely outdated. We designed a series of ()-3-aryl-5-(2-aryl-vinyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazoles based on the reported antiparasitic and anticancer activities of structurally related compounds.

Expression of O-glycosylated oncofetal fibronectin in alternatively activated human macrophages.

Macrophage (Mϕ) polarization is an essential phenomenon for the maintenance of homeostasis and tissue repair, and represents the event by which Mϕ reach divergent functional phenotypes as a result to specific stimuli and/or microenvironmental signals. Mϕ can be polarized into two main phenotypes, M1 or classically activated and M2 or alternatively activated. These two categories diverge in many aspects, such as secreted cytokines, markers of cell surface, and biological functions.

The History of the ABC Proteins in Human Trypanosomiasis Pathogens.

Human trypanosomiasis affects nearly eight million people worldwide, causing great economic and social impact, mainly in endemic areas. and are protozoan parasites that present efficient mechanisms of immune system evasion, leading to disease chronification. Currently, there is no vaccine, and chemotherapy is effective only in the absence of severe clinical manifestations.

Pulmonary Fibrosis and Hypereosinophilia in TLR9 Mice Infected by .

is a worldwide-distributed basidiomycetous yeast that can infect immunocompetent hosts. However, little is known about the mechanisms involved in the disease. The innate immune response is essential to the control of infections by microorganisms.

The Sweet Side of Fungal Infections: Structural Glycan Diversity and Its Importance for Pathogenic Adaptation.

Fungal infections are the most common secondary infections in debilitated individuals in a state of chronic disease or immunosuppression. Despite this, most fungal infections are neglected, mainly due to the lower frequency of their more severe clinical forms in immunocompetent individuals with a healthy background. However, over the past few years, several cases of severe fungal infections in healthy individuals have provoked a change in the epidemiological dynamics of fungal infections around the world, both due to recurrent outbreaks in previously infrequent regions and the greater emergence of more pathogenic fungal variants affecting healthy individuals, such as in the genus.

Glycobiology of Cancer: Sugar Drives the Show.

Cancer development and progression is associated with aberrant changes in cellular glycosylation. Cells expressing altered glycan-structures are recognized by cells of the immune system, favoring the induction of inhibitory immune processes which subsequently promote tumor growth and spreading. Here, we discuss about the importance of glycobiology in modern medicine, taking into account the impact of altered glycan structures expressed in cancer cells as potential glycobiomarkers of disease, as well as on cancer development and progression.

Resistance to cisplatin in human lung adenocarcinoma cells: effects on the glycophenotype and epithelial to mesenchymal transition markers.

The characteristics that grant the most malignancy to cancer cells are the ability to evade apoptotic mechanisms and the capacity to migrate beyond the boundaries of the original tissue. Studies by our own group and others show that changes in glycosylation are now considered hallmarks of cancer cells and are also able to impact tumor malignancy. This study aims to evaluate changes in the glycosylation profile of the A549 lung cancer cells brought about by the induction of a MDR phenotype as well as investigate the relationship between drug resistance, the cell glycophenotype and EMT.

Resistance to paclitaxel induces glycophenotype changes and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition activation in the human prostate cancer cell line PC-3.

The development of the multidrug resistance phenotype is one of the major challenges faced in the treatment of cancer. The multidrug resistance phenotype is characterized by cross-resistance to drugs with different chemical structures and mechanisms of action. In this work, we hypothesized that the acquisition of resistance in cancer is accompanied by activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process, where the tumor cell acquires a more mobile and invasive phenotype; a fundamental step in tumor progression and in promoting the invasion of other organs and tissues.

Theft and Reception of Host Cell's Sialic Acid: Dynamics of -sialidases and Mucin-Like Molecules on Chagas' Disease Immunomodulation.

The last decades have produced a plethora of evidence on the role of glycans, from cell adhesion to signaling pathways. Much of that information pertains to their role on the immune system and their importance on the surface of many human pathogens. A clear example of this is the flagellated protozoan , which displays on its surface a great variety of glycoconjugates, including -glycosylated mucin-like glycoproteins, as well as multiple glycan-binding proteins belonging to the -sialidase (TS) family.

Characterization of the 6-O-acetylated lipoglucuronomannogalactan a novel Cryptococcus neoformans cell wall polysaccharide.

Glucuronoxylomannogalactans (GXMGals) are characteristic capsular polysaccharides produced by the opportunistic fungus C. neoformans, which are implicated in cryptococcal virulence, via impairment of the host immune response. We determined for the first time the structure of a lipoglucuronomannogalactan (LGMGal), isolated from the surface of a mutant C.

Factors preventing restoration of bowel continuity in patients with rectal cancer submitted to anterior rectal resection and protective ileostomy.

Objective: to evaluate the factors associated with non-closure of protective ileostomy after anterior resection of the rectum with total mesorectum excision for rectal cancer, the morbidity associated with the closure of ileostomies and the rate of permanent ileostomy in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma.

Methods: we conducted a retrospective study with 174 consecutive patients diagnosed with rectal tumors, of whom 92 underwent anterior resection of the rectum with coloanal or colorectal anastomosis and protective ileostomy, with curative intent. We carried out a multivariate analysis to determine the factors associated with definite permanence of the stoma, as well as studied the morbidity of patients who underwent bowel continuity restoration.

Metabolic Symbiosis and Immunomodulation: How Tumor Cell-Derived Lactate May Disturb Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is composed by cellular and non-cellular components. Examples include the following: (i) bone marrow-derived inflammatory cells, (ii) fibroblasts, (iii) blood vessels, (iv) immune cells, and (v) extracellular matrix components. In most cases, this combination of components may result in an inhospitable environment, in which a significant retrenchment in nutrients and oxygen considerably disturbs cell metabolism.

Role of Inactive and Active -sialidases on T Cell Homing and Secretion of Inflammatory Cytokines.

-sialidase from (Tc-TS) belongs to a superfamily of proteins that may have enzymatic activity. While enzymatically active members (Tc-aTS) are able to transfer sialic acid from the host cell sialyl-glycoconjugates onto the parasite or to other molecules on the host cell surface, the inactive members (Tc-iTS) are characterized by their lectinic properties. Over the last 10 years, several papers demonstrated that, individually, Tc-aTS or Tc-iTS is able to modulate several biological events.