CD82 controls CpG-dependent TLR9 signaling.

The tetraspanin CD82 is a potent suppressor of tumor metastasis and regulates several processes including signal transduction, cell adhesion, motility, and aggregation. However, the mechanisms by which CD82 participates in innate immunity are unknown. We report that CD82 is a key regulator of TLR9 trafficking and signaling.

Dectin-1 Controls TLR9 Trafficking to Phagosomes Containing β-1,3 Glucan.

Dectin-1 and TLR9 play distinct roles in the recognition and induction of innate immune responses to Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans. Dectin-1 is a receptor for the major fungal cell wall carbohydrate β-1,3 glucan that induces inflammatory cytokines and controls phagosomal maturation through spleen tyrosine kinase activation. TLR9 is an endosomal TLR that also modulates the inflammatory cytokine response to fungal pathogens.

Shielding of Lipid Nanoparticles for siRNA Delivery: Impact on Physicochemical Properties, Cytokine Induction, and Efficacy.

Formulation of short interfering RNA (siRNA) into multicomponent lipid nanoparticles (LNP) is an effective strategy for hepatic delivery and therapeutic gene silencing. This study systematically evaluated the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) density on LNP physicochemical properties, innate immune response stimulation, and in vivo efficacy. Increased PEG density not only shielded LNP surface charge but also reduced hemolytic activity, suggesting the formation of a steric barrier.

Fusarium pathogenesis investigated using Galleria mellonella as a heterologous host.

Members of the fungal genus Fusarium are capable of manifesting in a multitude of clinical infections, most commonly in immunocompromised patients. In order to better understand the interaction between the fungus and host, we have developed the larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, as a heterologous host for fusaria. When conidia are injected into the haemocoel of this Lepidopteran system, both clinical and environmental isolates of the fungus are able to kill the larvae at 37 °C, although killing occurs more rapidly when incubated at 30 °C.