Background: Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is an alarmin that is released following cellular damage, mechanical injury, or necrosis. It is a member of the IL-1 family and binds to a heterodimer receptor consisting of ST2 and IL-1RAP to induce the production of a wide range of cellular mediators, including the type 2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. This relationship has led to the hypothesis that the IL-33/ST2 pathway is a driver of allergic disease and inhibition of the IL-33 and ST2 association could have therapeutic benefit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe pathogenicity of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is mediated by the release of two toxins, A and B. Both toxins contain large clusters of repeats known as cell wall binding (CWB) domains responsible for binding epithelial cell surfaces.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe recombinant expression of immunoglobulin domains, Fabs and scFvs in particular, in Escherichia coli can vary significantly from antibody to antibody. We hypothesized that poor Fab expression is often linked to poor intrinsic stability. To investigate this further, we applied a novel approach for stabilizing a poorly expressing anti-tetanus toxoid human Fab with a predisposition for being misfolded and non-functional.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClostridium difficile (C.difficile) is a nosocomially acquired intestinal bacillus which can cause chronic diarrhea and life-threatening colitis. The pathogenic effects of the bacillus are mediated by the release of two toxins, A and B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA panel of novel recombinant single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody against human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) was isolated and characterized. We generated human scFvs using RNA harvested from cervical B lymphocytes of Kenyan prostitutes who are highly exposed to HIV-1, but remain persistently seronegative. The variable regions of the heavy (VH) and light (VL) chain antibody genes were selected as hybrids using guided-selection with the VL and VH, respectively, of a derivative of IgGb(12) using the phagemid vector pComb3X.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHybrid Hybridomics
February 2003
Dendritic cells (DC) are the professional antigen-presenting cells of the immune system. Previous studies have demonstrated that targeting foreign antigens to DC leads to enhanced antigen (Ag)-specific responses in vivo. However, the utility of this strategy for the generation of MAbs has not been investigated.
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