Publications by authors named "Lode de Cauwer"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the interaction between the transcription factor PPARα and the orphan nuclear receptor ERRα, highlighting its dependence on specific ligands and potential physiological significance.
  • Various assays confirmed that ERRα functions as a transcriptional repressor of PPARα target genes, implying a complex relationship between these two receptors.
  • The research utilized mutagenesis and transactivation studies to characterize the interaction and suggested that ERRα influences PPARα activity through coregulators, especially under conditions like serum deprivation.
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Glucocorticoids (GCs) act via the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1, GRα) to combat overshooting responses to infectious stimuli, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS). As such, GCs inhibit the activity of downstream effector cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF). PPARα (NR1C1) is a nuclear receptor described to function on the crossroad between lipid metabolism and control of inflammation.

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Glucocorticoids are widely used to treat inflammatory disorders; however, prolonged use of glucocorticoids results in side effects including osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity. Compound A (CpdA), identified as a selective NR3C1/glucocorticoid receptor (nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1) modulator, exhibits an inflammation-suppressive effect, largely in the absence of detrimental side effects. To understand the mechanistic differences between the classic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) and CpdA, we looked for proteins oppositely regulated in bone marrow-derived macrophages using an unbiased proteomics approach.

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Article Synopsis
  • AcTakines (Activity-on-Target cytokines) are engineered to provide targeted antitumor effects while minimizing systemic toxicity, showcasing a promising alternative to traditional cytokines like type I interferon (IFN).
  • Treatment with a specific version of AcTakine, AcTaferon, significantly reduced tumor growth in models of CD20 lymphoma and melanoma without harmful side effects typically associated with wild type IFN.
  • The effectiveness of AcTaferon relies on signaling from conventional dendritic cells and the presence of CD8 T lymphocytes, and when paired with immunogenic therapies or immune checkpoint inhibitors, it can lead to complete tumor regressions and lasting immunity.
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Children with atopic dermatitis show an increased risk to develop asthma later in life, a phenomenon referred to as "atopic march," which emphasizes the need for secondary prevention therapies. This study aimed to investigate whether relief of skin inflammation by glucocorticoids and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists might influence the subsequent development of asthma in a murine model for the atopic march in which mice were repeatedly exposed to house dust mite via the skin, followed by exposure to house dust mite in lungs. To abrogate atopic dermatitis, mice received topical treatment with glucocorticoid receptor/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonists.

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Purpose: Disorders or differences of sex development (DSDs) are rare congenital conditions characterized by atypical sex development. Despite advances in genomic technologies, the molecular cause remains unknown in 50% of cases.

Methods: Homozygosity mapping and whole-exome sequencing revealed an ESR2 variant in an individual with syndromic 46,XY DSD.

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STAT3 is a pleiotropic transcription factor involved in homeostatic and host defense processes in the human body. It is activated by numerous cytokines and growth factors and generates a series of cellular effects. Of the STAT-mediated signal transduction pathways, STAT3 transcriptional control is best understood.

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Malaria-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (MA-ARDS) is an often lethal complication of malaria. Currently, no adequate therapy for this syndrome exists. Although glucocorticoids (GCs) have been used to improve clinical outcome of ARDS, their therapeutic benefits remain unclear.

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The transcriptional activity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is co-determined by its ability to recruit a vast and varying number of cofactors. We here identify Striatin-3 (STRN3) as a novel interaction partner of GR that interferes with GR's ligand-dependent transactivation capacity. Remarkably, STRN3 selectively affects only GR-dependent transactivation and leaves GR-dependent transrepression mechanisms unhampered.

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Glucocorticoid resistance (GCR), i.e. unresponsiveness to the beneficial anti-inflammatory activities of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), poses a serious problem in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

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Adaptation to fasting involves both Glucocorticoid Receptor (GRα) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α (PPARα) activation. Given both receptors can physically interact we investigated the possibility of a genome-wide cross-talk between activated GR and PPARα, using ChIP- and RNA-seq in primary hepatocytes. Our data reveal extensive chromatin co-localization of both factors with cooperative induction of genes controlling lipid/glucose metabolism.

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Oxidative stress, a central mediator of cardiovascular disease, results in loss of the prosthetic haem group of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), preventing its activation by nitric oxide (NO). Here we introduce Apo-sGC mice expressing haem-free sGC. Apo-sGC mice are viable and develop hypertension.

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Tyrosine phosphorylation is a hallmark for activation of STAT proteins, but their transcriptional activity also depends on other secondary modifications. Type I IFNs can activate both the ISGF3 (STAT1:STAT2:IRF9) complex and STAT3, but with cell-specific, selective triggering of only the ISGF3 transcriptional program. Following a genome-wide RNAi screen, we identified the SIN3 transcription regulator homolog A (Sin3a) as an important mediator of this STAT3-targeted transcriptional repression.

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The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a transcription factor able to support either target gene activation via direct binding to DNA or gene repression via interfering with the activity of various proinflammatory transcription factors. An improved therapeutic profile for combating chronic inflammatory diseases has been reported through selectively modulating the GR by only triggering its transrepression function. We have studied in this paper the activity of Compound A (CpdA), a dissociated GR modulator favoring GR monomer formation, in a predominantly Th2-driven asthma model.

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The antiviral and antiproliferative responses mediated by type I interferons (IFNs) depend on JAK/STAT signaling and ISGF3 (STAT1:STAT2:IRF9)-dependent transcription. In addition, type I IFNs stimulate STAT3 activation in many cell types, an event generally associated with cell cycle progression, survival, and proliferation. To gather more insight into this functionally contradictive phenomenon, we studied the regulation of STAT3 transcriptional activity upon type I IFN treatment.

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