Human Milk Oligosaccharide 2'-Fucosyllactose Modulates Local Viral Immune Defense by Supporting the Regulatory Functions of Intestinal Epithelial and Immune Cells.

Human milk contains bioactive components that provide protection against viral infections in early life. In particular, intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) have key regulatory roles in the prevention of enteric viral infections. Here we established an in vitro model to study the modulation of host responses against enteric viruses mimicked by poly I:C (pIC).

Human milk oligosaccharides promote immune tolerance via direct interactions with human dendritic cells.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS) are a complex mixture of bioactive components supporting the immune development of breastfed-infants. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in the regulation of immune responses, being specialized in antigen presentation and driving T-cell priming as well as differentiation. However, little is known about the direct effects of HMOS on human DC phenotypes and functions.

Human Milk Oligosaccharide 2'-Fucosyllactose Improves Innate and Adaptive Immunity in an Influenza-Specific Murine Vaccination Model.

Background: Human milk is uniquely suited to provide optimal nutrition and immune protection to infants. Human milk oligosaccharides are structural complex and diverse consisting of short chain and long chain oligosaccharides typically present in a 9:1 ratio. 2'-Fucosyllactose (2'FL) is one of the most prominent short chain oligosaccharides and is associated with anti-infective capacity of human milk.

Extracellular vesicles modulate host-microbe responses by altering TLR2 activity and phagocytosis.

Oral delivery of Gram positive bacteria, often derived from the genera Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, can modulate immune function. Although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, immunomodulatory effects may be elicited through the direct interaction of these bacteria with the intestinal epithelium or resident dendritic cell (DC) populations. We analyzed the immune activation properties of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium species and made the surprising observation that cellular responses in vitro were differentially influenced by the presence of serum, specifically the extracellular vesicle (EV) fraction.

Mediator expression profiling epistasis reveals a signal transduction pathway with antagonistic submodules and highly specific downstream targets.

Mediator is an evolutionarily conserved coregulator of RNA polymerase II transcription. Microarray structure-function analysis of S. cerevisiae Mediator reveals functional antagonism between the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) submodule and components from the Tail (Med15, Med2, Med3), Head (Med20, Med18), and Middle (Med31).

An expression profile for diagnosis of lymph node metastases from primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Metastasis is the process by which cancers spread to distinct sites in the body. It is the principal cause of death in individuals suffering from cancer. For some types of cancer, early detection of metastasis at lymph nodes close to the site of the primary tumor is pivotal for appropriate treatment.