Publications by authors named "Maia L Elizagaray"

Article Synopsis
  • The incomplete understanding of epididymal mucosal immunity complicates the diagnosis of many male infertility cases, often leaving them labeled as idiopathic.
  • Disruptions like vasectomy or infections can trigger immune responses against sperm, leading to autoimmune reactions and chronic subfertility issues.
  • The research highlights the role of regulatory T cells and the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures in the epididymis, indicating potential avenues for targeted infertility treatments and male contraceptive developments.
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Regulatory T cells (Tregs) modulate tissue homeostatic processes and immune responses. Understanding tissue-Treg biology will contribute to developing precision-targeting treatment strategies. Here, we show that Tregs maintain the tolerogenic state of the testis and epididymis, where sperm are produced and mature.

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Introduction: One of the most intriguing aspects of male reproductive physiology is the ability of the epididymis to prevent the mounting of immune responses against the onslaught of foreign antigens carried by spermatozoa while initiating very efficient immune responses versus stressors. Epithelial clear cells are strategically positioned to work in a concerted manner with region-specific heterogeneous subsets of mononuclear phagocytes to survey the epididymal barrier and regulate the balance between inflammation and immune tolerance in the post-testicular environment.

Objective: This review aims to describe how clear cells communicate with mononuclear phagocytes to contribute to the unique immune environment in which sperm mature and are stored in the epididymis.

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Background: Severe cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that require admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and mechanical ventilation assistance show a high mortality rate with currently few therapeutic options available. Severe COVID-19 is characterized by a systemic inflammatory condition, also called "cytokine storm", which can lead to various multi-organ complications and ultimately death. Lidocaine, a safe local anesthetic that given intravenously is used to treat arrhythmias, has long been reported to have an anti-inflammatory and pro-homeostatic activity.

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Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) derived from different Gram-negative bacteria have been proposed as an attractive vaccine platform because of their own immunogenic adjuvant properties. Pertussis or whooping cough is a highly contagious vaccine-preventable respiratory disease that resurged during the last decades in many countries. In response to the epidemiological situation, new boosters have been incorporated into vaccination schedules worldwide and new vaccine candidates have started to be designed.

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