Development, validation, and application of ELISA for detection of anti-HD105 antibodies in pre-clinical safety evaluation using monkeys.

Unwanted immunogenicity of protein therapeutics can result in severe side effects and should be assessed in animals before applying the treatment to humans. Monkeys are the most relevant choice for pre-clinical toxicity testing of antibody-based therapeutics. To assess the immunogenicity of HD105, a novel antibody therapeutic that targets both vascular endothelial growth factor and Delta-like-ligand 4, a bridging enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed as an anti-drug antibody (ADA) assay and validated for use in pre-clinical studies using non-human primates.

Mixing in colliding, ultrasonically levitated drops.

Lab-in-a-drop, using ultrasonic levitation, has been actively investigated for the last two decades. Benefits include lack of contact between solutions and an apparatus and a lack of sample cross-contamination. Understanding and controlling mixing in the levitated drop is necessary for using an acoustically levitated drop as a microreactor, particularly for studying kinetics.

Enhancement of B cell and monocyte populations in rats exposed to chlorpheniramine.

Chlorpheniramine is an anti-histamine agent on IgE-mediated inflammation. In order to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of chlorpheniramine, we assessed the changes of peripheral mononuclear cell populations and other general clinical parameters, including hematology and clinical chemistry, following chlorpheniramine administration in rats. Since prednisolone is commonly co-prescribed with anti-histamine in many hypersensitive reactions, we also examined the changes to compare the results after the prednisolone administration.

Modulation of macrophage functions by compounds isolated from Zingiber officinale.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of Zingiber Officinale (zingiberaceae) led us to isolate 14 compounds, -gingerol ( 1), -gingerol ( 2), -gingerol ( 3), -gingerol ( 4), -paradol ( 5), -shogaol ( 6), -shogaol ( 7), 1-dehydro- -gingerdione ( 8), -gingerdione ( 9), hexahydrocurcumin ( 10), tetrahydrocurcumin ( 11), gingerenone A ( 12), 1,7-bis-(4' hydroxyl-3' methoxyphenyl)-5-methoxyhepthan-3-one ( 13), and methoxy- -gingerol ( 14). Using the RAW 264.7 cell line, the inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production induced by lipopolysaccharide and the stimulatory effects on phagocytosis of these compounds were evaluated.

Immunosuppressive lignans isolated from Saururus chinensis.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of Saururus chinensis (Saururaceae) using a lymphoproliferation assay led us to isolate 5 lignans (compounds 1 - 5). Compounds 1 - 5 were identified as sauchinone, (-)-saucerneol, saucerneol C, manassantin A, and manassantin B, respectively, by spectroscopic analyses. The immunosuppressive activities of the active compounds were evaluated using lymphoproliferation, mixed leukocyte response, and Th1/Th2 cytokine assays.

Potential side effects of dendritic cells pulsed with allogenic melanoma cell lysate in mice.

An attempt has been made to investigate the toxicity of cancer immunotherapy based on the dendritic cells pulsed with lysate of allogenic melanoma cell, DM401. Dendritic cells pulsed with lysate of clone M3 were subcutaneously administered once a week eight times to C57BL/6 mice at 0, 2.5, 5, and 10 x 10(7) cells/kg.

Enhancement of plasmacytoma cell growth by ascorbic acid is mediated via glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Purpose: We investigated the mechanism by which some types of cancer cells grow faster in the presence of ascorbic acid supplementation.

Materials And Methods: Adj.PC-5, a mouse plasmacytoma cell, is known to show ascorbic acid-dependent growth and was chosen as a test system.

Anti-inflammatory roles of retinoic acid in rat brain astrocytes: Suppression of interferon-gamma-induced JAK/STAT phosphorylation.

The anti-inflammatory effect of retinoic acid (RA) has been investigated for several decades. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for this effect are largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that 9-cis-RA (cRA) and all-trans-RA (tRA) inhibit interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-induced inflammatory responses in astrocytes.

Rac1 contributes to maximal activation of STAT1 and STAT3 in IFN-gamma-stimulated rat astrocytes.

Rac1 GTPase is implicated as a signaling mediator in various cellular events. In this study, we show that Rac1 contributes to IFN-gamma-induced inflammatory responses in rat astrocytes. We revealed that IFN-gamma rapidly stimulated activation of Rac1 in C6 astroglioma cells by investigating GST-PAK-PBD-binding ability.