From the bench to the clinic: basophils and type 2 epithelial cytokines of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and IL-33.

Type 2 epithelial cytokines, including thymic stromal lymphopoietin and IL-33, play central roles in modulation of type 2 immune cells, such as basophils. Basophils are a small subset of granulocytes within the leukocyte population that predominantly exist in the blood. They have non-redundant roles in allergic inflammation in peripheral tissues such as the lung, skin and gut, where they increase and accumulate at inflammatory lesions and exclusively produce large amounts of IL-4, a type 2 cytokine.

Liver dysfunction in adults with COVID-19 infection: A longitudinal study with transient elastography evaluation.

Background And Aim: Abnormal liver biochemistry (ALB) is common among patients with COVID-19 infection due to various factors. It is uncertain if it persists after the acute infection. We aimed to investigate this.

Rectal administration of tacrolimus protects against post-ERCP pancreatitis in mice.

Objective: There is an unmet clinical need for effective, targeted interventions to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). We previously demonstrated that the serine-threonine phosphatase, calcineurin (Cn) is a critical mediator of PEP and that the FDA-approved calcineurin inhibitors, tacrolimus (Tac) or cyclosporine A, prevented PEP. Our recent observations in preclinical PEP models demonstrating that Cn deletion in both pancreatic and hematopoietic compartments is required for maximal pancreas protection, highlighted the need to target both systemic and pancreas-specific Cn signaling.

Preclinical safety evaluation of calcineurin inhibitors delivered through an intraductal route to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis demonstrates endocrine and systemic safety.

Objective: There is an urgent need for safe and targeted interventions to mitigate post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). Calcineurin inhibitors (CnIs) offer therapeutic promise as calcineurin signaling within acinar cells is a key initiating event in PEP. In previous proof-of-concept studies using experimental models, we showed that concurrent intra-pancreatic ductal administration of the CnIs, tacrolimus (Tac) or cyclosporine A (CsA) with the ERCP radiocontrast agent (RC) prevented PEP.