The mechanisms underlying antigenic variation and maintenance of genomic integrity in Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium are important causative agents of infections in humans. Like all other mycoplasmas, these species possess genomes that are significantly smaller than that of other prokaryotes. Moreover, both organisms possess an exceptionally compact set of DNA recombination and repair-associated genes.

Interleukin 15 upregulates the expression of PD-1 and TIM-3 on CD4 and CD8 T cells.

Virus-specific T cell-mediated immunity is severely impaired in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients. HBV-specific T cells in chronic HBV patients show a low ability to produce cytokines and to exert their cytotoxic activity. A prominent characteristic of these exhausted T cells is overexpression of inhibitory receptor molecules which negatively regulate T cell function.

Expressions of inhibitory checkpoint molecules in acute and chronic HBV and HCV infections: Implications for therapeutic monitoring and personalized therapy.

The function of T cells is tightly controlled by positive and negative regulations to ensure both successful pathogen elimination and limitation of immune-mediated pathology. One of the mechanisms to negatively regulate the magnitude and duration of effector T cells is the expression of inhibitory checkpoint molecules (ICs) on the surface membrane of T cells. During acute viral infections, expression of these molecules is upregulated to limit the effector functions following T-cell activation.

Interaction of phages, bacteria, and the human immune system: Evolutionary changes in phage therapy.

Phages and bacteria are known to undergo dynamic and co-evolutionary arms race interactions in order to survive. Recent advances from in vitro and in vivo studies have improved our understanding of the complex interactions between phages, bacteria, and the human immune system. This insight is essential for the development of phage therapy to battle the growing problems of antibiotic resistance.