Interleukin-35 induces regulatory B cells that suppress autoimmune disease.

Interleukin-10 (IL-10)-producing regulatory B (Breg) cells suppress autoimmune disease, and increased numbers of Breg cells prevent host defense to infection and promote tumor growth and metastasis by converting resting CD4(+) T cells to regulatory T (Treg) cells. The mechanisms mediating the induction and development of Breg cells remain unclear. Here we show that IL-35 induces Breg cells and promotes their conversion to a Breg subset that produces IL-35 as well as IL-10.

Novel IL27p28/IL12p40 cytokine suppressed experimental autoimmune uveitis by inhibiting autoreactive Th1/Th17 cells and promoting expansion of regulatory T cells.

IL-12 family cytokines are important in host immunity. Whereas some members (IL-12, IL-23) play crucial roles in pathogenesis of organ-specific autoimmune diseases by inducing the differentiation of Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes, others (IL-27 and IL-35) suppress inflammatory responses and limit tissue injury induced by these T cell subsets. In this study, we have genetically engineered a novel IL27p28/IL12p40 heterodimeric cytokine (p28/p40) that antagonizes signaling downstream of the gp130 receptor.

Enhanced apoptosis in retinal pigment epithelium under inflammatory stimuli and oxidative stress.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes irreversible central vision loss in the elderly. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) has been found to be a key component in AMD pathogenesis. The Ccl2(-/-)/Cx3cr1(-/-) (DKO) mouse on Crb1(rd8) background is created as an AMD model, developing AMD-like retinal lesions.

Coping as a mechanism linking stressful life events and mental health problems in adolescents.

Objective: Although stressful life events represent an etiologic factor of mental health problems in adolescents, few studies have been conducted to address mechanisms linking the stress-psychopathology relation. The present study was designed to examine coping as a mediate factor on the relationship between stressful life events and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Methods: The participants were 13 512 students from eight cities of China, who participated in a school-based survey.

[Establishment and evaluation of experimental sepsis mouse model].

After treating with chemotherapy or immunosuppressant, malignant diseases of hematopoietic system such as leukemia, malignant lymphoma and aplastic anemia usually induced severe infection such as sepsis. Sepsis which is hard to be diagnosed causes high death rate. This study was purposed to establish an experimental sepsis mouse model so as to provide a basis for pathogenesis and intervention study.

The effect of CD3-specific monoclonal antibody on treating experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

CD3-specific monoclonal antibody was the first one used for clinical practice in field of transplantation. Recently, renewed interests have elicited in its capacity to prevent autoimmune diabetes by inducing immune tolerance. In this study, we tested whether this antibody can also be used to treat another kind of autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis (MG) and explored the possible mechanisms.

[Development of rAAV2-GAD-Ig for IDDM gene therapy].

Aim: To develop rAAV2 containing cDNA of GAD-Ig fusion gene [GAD-Ig fusion gene is constructed by inserting glutamic acid decarboxylase(GAD) into N-terminal of murine IgG3 heavy chain(Ig)], and to study whether rAAV2 mediated GAD-Ig fusion gene expression could induce specific tolerance in IDDM animal model-nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice.

Methods: GAD-Ig cDNA was amplified by PCR from the plasmid BSSK-GAD-Ig and inserted into an eukaryotic expression plasmid pSNAV to construct a recombinant expression plasmid pSNAV/GAD-Ig. Plasmid pSNAV-GAD-Ig was then transfected into the rAAV2 packaging cell-BHK-21 cells using LipofectAMINE TM 2000 to produce rAAV-GAD-Ig.