Sortilin in Biliary Epithelial Cells Promotes Ductular Reaction and Fibrosis during Cholestatic Injury.

Cholestatic injuries are accompanied by ductular reaction, initiated by proliferation and activation of biliary epithelial cells (BECs), leading to fibrosis. Sortilin (encoded by Sort1) facilitates IL-6 secretion and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) signaling. This study investigated the interplay between sortilin and IL-6 and LIF in cholestatic injury-induced ductular reaction, morphogenesis of new ducts, and fibrosis.

LOXL2 Inhibition Paves the Way for Macrophage-Mediated Collagen Degradation in Liver Fibrosis.

Liver fibrosis is characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and enzymes, especially fibrillary collagens, and represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lysyl oxidases (LOXs) drive covalent crosslinking of collagen fibers, thereby promoting stabilization and accumulation of liver fibrosis while limiting its resolution. Here we show in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-induced liver fibrosis murine model that treatment with a novel anti-lysyl oxidase like 2 (LOXL2) neutralizing antibody, which targets extracellular LOXL2, significantly improves fibrosis resolution.

A new immunization and treatment strategy for mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) associated cancers.

Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) causes mammary carcinoma or lymphoma in mice. An increasing body of evidence in recent years supports its involvement also in human sporadic breast cancer. It is thus of importance to develop new strategies to impair the development, growth and metastasis of MMTV-associated cancers.

mRNA-transfected Dendritic Cells Expressing Polypeptides That Link MHC-I Presentation to Constitutive TLR4 Activation Confer Tumor Immunity.

Recently, we have developed a novel genetic platform for improving dendritic cell (DC) induction of peptide-specific CD8 T cells, based on membrane-anchored β2-microglobulin (β2m) linked to a selected antigenic peptide at its N-terminus and to the cytosolic domain of toll-like receptor (TLR)4 C-terminally. In vitro transcribed mRNA transfection of antigen presenting cells resulted in polypeptides that efficiently coupled peptide presentation to cellular activation. In the present study, we evaluated the immunogenicity of such constructs in mRNA-transfected immature murine bone marrow-derived DCs.

Subliminal exposure to national flags affects political thought and behavior.

Political thought and behavior play an important role in our lives, from ethnic tensions in Europe, to the war in Iraq and the Middle Eastern conflict, to parliamentary and presidential elections. However, little is known about how the individual's political attitudes and decisions are shaped by subtle national cues that are so prevalent in our environment. We report a series of experiments that show that subliminal exposure to one's national flag influences political attitudes, intentions, and decisions, both in laboratory settings and in "real-life" behavior.