PI3kα and STAT1 Interplay Regulates Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Immune Polarization.

The immunomodulatory capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is critical for their use in therapeutic applications. MSC response to specific inflammatory cues allows them to switch between a proinflammatory (MSC1) or anti-inflammatory (MSC2) phenotype. Regulatory mechanisms controlling this switch remain to be defined.

Modulation of protein aggregation by polyethylene glycol conjugation: GCSF as a case study.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugation to proteins has emerged as an important technology to produce drug molecules with sustained duration in the body. However, the implications of PEG conjugation to protein aggregation have not been well understood. In this study, conducted under physiological pH and temperature, N-terminal attachment of a 20 kDa PEG moiety to GCSF had the ability to (1) prevent protein precipitation by rendering the aggregates soluble, and (2) slow the rate of aggregation relative to GCSF.

Epratuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD22: characterization of in vitro properties.

Purpose: Epratuzumab is a novel humanized antihuman CD22 IgG1 antibody that has recently shown promising clinical activity, both as a single agent and in combination with rituximab, in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). In an attempt to better understand the mode of action of epratuzumab, the antibody was tested in vitro in a variety of cell-based assays similar to those used to evaluate the biological activity of other therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, including rituximab. In this report, we present epratuzumab activities as they relate to binding, signaling, and internalization of the receptor CD22.