Novel PVA-Hyaluronan-Siloxane Hybrid Nanofiber Mats for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Hyaluronan (HA) is a natural biodegradable biopolymer; its biological functions include cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and differentiation as well as decreasing inflammation, angiogenesis, and regeneration of damaged tissue. This makes it a suitable candidate for fabricating nanomaterials with potential use in tissue engineering. However, HA nanofiber production is restricted due to the high viscosity, low evaporation rate, and high surface tension of HA solutions.

Autophagy as a Target for Non-Immune Intrinsic Functions of Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 in Cancer.

Autophagy is a catabolic process that is essential to the maintenance of homeostasis through the cellular recycling of damaged organelles or misfolded proteins, which sustains energy balance. Additionally, autophagy plays a dual role in modulating the development and progression of cancer and inducing a survival strategy in tumoral cells. Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) modulates the immune response and is responsible for maintaining self-tolerance.

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine induces the production of cross-reactive antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi proteins: A preliminary study.

Objective: To evaluate the presence of cross-reactivity by anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies induced by the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Trypanosoma cruzi proteins in a screening test.

Methods: Forty-three serum samples were obtained from personnel at the Hospital General Naval de Alta Especialidad in Mexico City who received one or two doses of the vaccine and were tested for T. cruzi infection using four tests: two 'in house' enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), a commercial ELISA diagnostic kit and an immunoblot test.

CD38 a biomarker and therapeutic target in non-hematopoietic tumors.

The type II transmembrane glycoprotein CD38 has recently been implicated in regulating metabolism and the pathogenesis of multiple conditions, including aging, inflammation and cancer. CD38 is overexpressed in several tumor cells and microenvironment tumoral cells, associated to migration, angiogenesis, cell invasion and progression of the disease. Thus, CD38 has been used as a progression marker for different cancer types as well as in immunotherapy.

Colostrum IgA1 antibodies recognize antigens from Helicobacter pylori and prevent cytoskeletal changesin human epithelial cells.

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium found on the luminal surface of the gastric mucosa in at least 50% of the world's human population. The protective effect of breastfeeding against H. pylori infection has been extensively reported; however, the mechanisms behind this protection remain poorly understood.

Ursolic and Oleanolic Acids Induce Mitophagy in A549 Human Lung Cancer Cells.

Ursolic and oleanolic acids are natural isomeric triterpenes known for their anticancer activity. Here, we investigated the effect of triterpenes on the viability of A549 human lung cancer cells and the role of autophagy in their activity. The induction of autophagy, the mitochondrial changes and signaling pathway stimulated by triterpenes were systematically explored by confocal microscopy and western blotting.

Immune Response to Mucosal Infection.

Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent bacterial zoonosis of worldwide distribution. The disease is caused by spp., facultative intracellular pathogens.

Detection of Brucella abortus by a platform functionalized with protein A and specific antibodies IgG.

Oriented immobilization of antibodies on a sensor surface is critical for enhancing both the antigen-binding capacity and the sensitivity of immunosensors. In this study, we describe a strategy to adsorb immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-Brucella antibodies onto a silicon surface, oriented by protein A obtained from Staphylococcus aureus (SpA). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize topographically, morphologically, and chemical changes of the sensor functionalization.

Candida glabrata survives and replicates in human osteoblasts.

Candida glabrata is an opportunistic pathogen that is considered the second most common cause of candidiasis after Candida albicans Many characteristics of its mechanisms of pathogenicity remain unknown. Recent studies have focused on determining the events that underlie interactions between C. glabrata and immune cells, but the relationship between this yeast and osteoblasts has not been studied in detail.

Mycobacteria entry and trafficking into endothelial cells.

Endothelial cells are susceptible to infection by mycobacteria, but the endocytic mechanisms that mycobacteria exploit to enter host cells and their mechanisms of intracellular transport are completely unknown. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we determined that the internalization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), Mycobacterium smegmatis (MSM), and Mycobacterium abscessus (MAB) is dependent on the cytoskeleton and is differentially inhibited by cytochalasin D, nocodazole, cycloheximide, wortmannin, and amiloride. Using confocal microscopy, we investigated their endosomal trafficking by analyzing Rab5, Rab7, LAMP-1, and cathepsin D.

Defensin production by human limbo-corneal fibroblasts infected with mycobacteria.

Epithelial cells of the cornea and the conjunctiva constitutively produce antimicrobial peptides; however, the production of defensins by other cell types located around the eye has not been investigated. We analyzed the production of beta-defensins (hBD) and cathelicidin LL-37 during the infection of primary limbo-corneal fibroblasts with M. tuberculosis (MTB), M.