Neutrophil-derived extracellular vesicles induce endothelial inflammation and damage through the transfer of miRNAs.

The critical role of neutrophils in pathological inflammation, notably in various autoimmune disorders, is currently the focus of renewed interest. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that activation of neutrophils with various inflammatory stimuli induces the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are internalized by endothelial cells (ECs), thus leading to the transfer of miR-223, miR-142-3p and miR-451 and subsequent endothelial damage. Indeed, while miR-223 has little effect on EC responses, we show that the induced expression of miR-142-3p and miR-451 in ECs results in profound cell damage, especially in inflammatory conditions, characterized by a dramatic increase in cell apoptosis, impaired angiogenic repair responses, and the induction of IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10 and CXCL11 expression.

Prevention of lupus nephritis development in NZB/NZW mice by selective blockade of CD28.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease. Autoantibodies (autoAbs) against double-stranded DNA (ds DNA), the hallmark of lupus, are produced and maintained by the interaction between auto-reactive B cells and CD4 T cells. This interplay is controlled by the CD28/CD80-86/CTLA-4 axis.

Inhibition of proteasome activity blocks Trypanosoma cruzi growth and metacyclogenesis.

Proteasomes are intracellular complexes that control protein degradation in organisms ranging from Archaebacteria to mammals. In some parasitic protozoa, the proteasome is involved in cell differentiation and replication. In this study, we have used proteasome inhibitors to determine the biological role of proteasomes during the replication and in vitro metacyclogenesis of Trypanosoma cruzi.