Functional characterization of human Cd33+ and Cd11b+ myeloid-derived suppressor cell subsets induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells co-cultured with a diverse set of human tumor cell lines.

Background: Tumor immune tolerance can derive from the recruitment of suppressor cell populations, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). In cancer patients, MDSC accumulation correlates with increased tumor burden, but the mechanisms of MDSC induction remain poorly understood.

Methods: This study examined the ability of human tumor cell lines to induce MDSC from healthy donor PBMC using in vitro co-culture methods.

ABIN-1 is a ubiquitin sensor that restricts cell death and sustains embryonic development.

Proteins that directly regulate tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) signalling have critical roles in regulating cellular activation and survival. ABIN-1 (A20 binding and inhibitor of NF-kappaB) is a novel protein that is thought to inhibit NF-kappaB signalling. Here we show that mice deficient for ABIN-1 die during embryogenesis with fetal liver apoptosis, anaemia and hypoplasia.

IL-15Ralpha chaperones IL-15 to stable dendritic cell membrane complexes that activate NK cells via trans presentation.

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune effectors that mediate rapid responses to viral antigens. Interleukin (IL)-15 and its high affinity IL-15 receptor, IL-15Ralpha, support NK cell homeostasis in resting animals via a novel trans presentation mechanism. To better understand how IL-15 and IL-15Ralpha support NK cell activation during immune responses, we have used sensitive assays for detecting native IL-15 and IL-15Ralpha proteins and developed an assay for detecting complexes of these proteins.

DNA binding and nucleotide flipping by the human DNA repair protein AGT.

O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), or O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), prevents mutations and apoptosis resulting from alkylation damage to guanines. AGT irreversibly transfers the alkyl lesion to an active site cysteine in a stoichiometric, direct damage reversal pathway. AGT expression therefore elicits tumor resistance to alkylating chemotherapies, and AGT inhibitors are in clinical trials.