IL-22 as a target for therapeutic intervention: Current knowledge on its role in various diseases.

IL-22 has emerged as a crucial cytokine mediating protective response against pathogens and tissue regeneration. Dysregulated production of IL-22 has been shown to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of various diseases like malignant tumours, viral, cardiovascular, allergic and autoimmune disorders. Interleukin 22 belongs to IFN-IL-10 cytokine family.

Metabolic reprograming of tumor-associated macrophages.

A large body of scientific evidence corroborated by clinical and animal model experiments indicates that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a crucial role in tumor development and progression. TAMs are a key immune cell type present in tumor microenvironment (TME) and associated with poor prognosis, drug resistance, enhanced angiogenesis and metastasis in cancer. TAMs are a phenotypically diverse population of myeloid cells which display tremendous plasticity and dynamic metabolic nature.

Augmentation of IL-6 production contributes to development of gestational diabetes mellitus: An Indian study.

Aim: Inflammatory mediators like interleukin-6 (IL-6) and acute phase protein like C-reactive protein (CRP) are supposed to contribute to development of GDM, however clinical data supporting this hypothesis is limited. This study was designed to analyze the association of IL-6 and CRP with development of GDM in Indian females.

Methods: This case control study included pregnant women diagnosed as GDM (n = 53) and those having normal glucose tolerance (n = 50).

Combination immunotherapy with Survivin and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone fusion protein in murine breast cancer model.

Aim: To investigate the therapeutic potential of two recombinant proteins, Survivin and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) fusion protein [LHRH(6leu)-LTB] for immunotherapy of breast cancer.

Methods: Murine 4T-1 breast cancer model was used to evaluate the efficacy of recombinant proteins . Twenty four Balb/c mice were divided into 4 groups of 6 mice each.

Gene Screening and Association of Variants With Gestational Diabetes in North Indian Population.

Background: gene variants have been reported to be associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the Caucasian population. There are no reports exploring this association in the Indian population.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included subjects from Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi, India, over a span of 6 months.

Role of immunological markers in gestational diabetes mellitus-a brief review.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a condition which develops due to insulin resistance. There are a number of immunological markers (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, etc), which play significant role during normal pregnancy and their irregular levels could likely cause some level of insulin resistance. There are studies which have compared the levels of different immunological mediators in GDM affected females and their healthy controls, but their findings are little controversial.

Immunotherapy approach with recombinant survivin adjuvanted with alum and MIP suppresses tumor growth in murine model of breast cancer.

Survivin has received attention as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy because of its crucial role in oncogenesis. We undertook this study to evaluate the immunotherapeutic potential of combination of recombinant survivin along with adjuvant alum and immune modulator Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP). In vivo efficacy of the combination was studied in an invasive murine breast cancer model.

Role of the Functional Polymorphism of Survivin Gene (-31G/C) and Risk of Breast Cancer in a North Indian Population.

Introduction: Survivin is an apoptosis inhibitor and plays a primary role in cancer development and progression. One of the most common polymorphism of the survivin promoter -31G/C (rs9904341) influences its expression and is associated with the risk of cancer development. This study was conducted to explore survivin promoter gene -31G/C (rs9904341) polymorphism and the risk of breast cancer.

Survivin: a unique target for tumor therapy.

Survivin is the smallest member of the Inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins, involved in inhibition of apoptosis and regulation of cell cycle. These functional attributes make Survivin a unique protein exhibiting divergent functions i.e.

Dicer insufficiency and microRNA-155 overexpression in lupus regulatory T cells: an apparent paradox in the setting of an inflammatory milieu.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by loss of tolerance to self-Ags and activation of autoreactive T cells. Regulatory T (Treg) cells play a critical role in controlling the activation of autoreactive T cells. In this study, we investigated mechanisms of potential Treg cell defects in systemic lupus erythematosus using MRL-Fas(lpr/lpr) (MRL/lpr) and MRL-Fas(+/+) mouse models.

Downregulation of CCR5 on activated CD4 T cells in HIV-infected Indians.

Background: HIV infection in India is unique as it occurs predominantly by CCR5-utilizing isolates that exhibit no co-receptor switch.

Objectives: To study HIV-1 co-receptor dynamics on T cells and monocytes following viral infection.

Study Design: HIV co-receptor expression was evaluated by flow cytometry on various cell subsets in HIV-infected Indians and in vitro in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with CCR5- or CXCR4-utilizing HIV-1.

Expression of interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in bone marrow T cells and their levels in bone marrow plasma in patients with aplastic anemia.

Immune-mediated stem cell damage has been postulated to be responsible for disease initiation and progression in aplastic anemia (AA). It is hypothesized that T lymphocytes play a major role in destroying the bone marrow (BM) stem cells of AA patients by infiltrating the BM and secreting excessive levels of anti-hematopoietic cytokines, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). We undertook this study to assess the pathogenic significance of anti-hematopoietic cytokines such as IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in BM T cells and plasma of AA patients.