L-Threoascorbic acid treatment promotes S. aureus-infected primary human endothelial cells survival and function, as well as intracellular bacterial killing, and immunomodulates the release of IL-1β and soluble ICAM-1.

Background: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AscH2) has been shown to enhance immunity. Here, we studied its immunomodulatory effect on human endothelial cells (ECs) during S. aureus infection.

Metformin partially reverses the inhibitory effect of co-culture with ER-/PR-/HER2+ breast cancer cells on biomarkers of monocyte antitumor activity.

Background: Immune activities of monocytes (MOs) can be altered within the microenvironment of solid malignancies, including breast cancer. Metformin (1,1-dimethylbiguanide hydrochloride, MET), has been shown to decrease tumor cell proliferation, but its effects have yet to be explored with respect to MOs (monocytes) activity during their crosstalk with breast cancer cells. Here, we investigated the effects of MET on overall phenotypic functional activities, including cellular immunometabolism and protective redox signaling based-biomarkers, intracellular free calcium ions (ifCa2+), phagocytosis and co-operative cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-10) of autologous MOs before and during their interplay with primary ER-/PR-/HER2+ breast cancer cells.