TNF-α-Producing Exerts Protective Effects on Host Defenses in Murine Pulmonary Cryptococcosis.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plays a critical role in the control of cryptococcal infection, and its insufficiency promotes cryptococcal persistence. To explore the therapeutic potential of TNF-α supplementation as a booster of host anti-cryptococcal responses, we engineered a strain expressing murine TNF-α. Using a murine model of pulmonary cryptococcosis, we demonstrated that TNF-α-producing strain enhances protective elements of host response including preferential T-cell accumulation and improved Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, diminished pulmonary eosinophilia and alternative activation of lung macrophages at the adaptive phase of infection compared to wild type strain-infected mice.

Victors: a web-based knowledge base of virulence factors in human and animal pathogens.

Virulence factors (VFs) are molecules that allow microbial pathogens to overcome host defense mechanisms and cause disease in a host. It is critical to study VFs for better understanding microbial pathogenesis and host defense mechanisms. Victors (http://www.

Exploitation of Scavenger Receptor, Macrophage Receptor with Collagenous Structure, by Promotes Alternative Activation of Pulmonary Lymph Node CD11b Conventional Dendritic Cells and Non-Protective Th2 Bias.

Macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) contributes to fungal containment during the early/innate phase of cryptococcal infection; however, its role in adaptive antifungal immunity remains unknown. Using a murine model of cryptococcosis, we compared host adaptive immune responses in wild-type and MARCO mice throughout an extended time course post-infection. Unlike in early infection, MARCO deficiency resulted in improved pulmonary fungal clearance and diminished cryptococcal dissemination during the efferent phase.

RIPK3/Fas-Associated Death Domain Axis Regulates Pulmonary Immunopathology to Cryptococcal Infection Independent of Necroptosis.

Fas-associated death domain (FADD) and receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) are multifunctional regulators of cell death and immune response. Using a mouse model of cryptococcal infection, the roles of FADD and RIPK3 in anti-cryptococcal defense were investigated. Deletion of RIPK3 alone led to increased inflammatory cytokine production in the -infected lungs, but in combination with FADD deletion, it led to a robust Th1-biased response with M1-biased macrophage activation.

Methane-rich saline alleviates cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis by inhibiting inflammatory response, oxidative stress and pancreatic apoptosis in mice.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal disease involving intracellular activation of digestive enzymes and pancreatic acinar cell injury. The present study was performed to investigate whether methane-rich saline (MS) was involved in the regulation of AP.

Methods: MS (16ml/kg) was administered at different dosing frequencies on mice with cerulein-induced AP.

Scavenger Receptor MARCO Orchestrates Early Defenses and Contributes to Fungal Containment during Cryptococcal Infection.

The scavenger receptor macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) promotes protective innate immunity against bacterial and parasitic infections; however, its role in host immunity against fungal pathogens, including the major human opportunistic fungal pathogen , remains unknown. Using a mouse model of infection, we demonstrated that MARCO deficiency leads to impaired fungal control during the afferent phase of cryptococcal infection. Diminished fungal containment in MARCO mice was accompanied by impaired recruitment of Ly6C monocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC) and lower moDC costimulatory maturation.

Complex Roles of Annexin A2 in Host Blood-Brain Barrier Invasion by Cryptococcus neoformans.

Introduction: Fungal transversal across the brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) is the essential step for the development of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Annexin A2 (AnxA2) is an important signaling protein involved in several intracellular processes such as membrane trafficking, endocytosis, and exocytosis.

Aim: To investigate the roles and mechanism of AnxA2 during cryptococcal transversal of BMECs.

microRNA-625 inhibits tumorigenicity by suppressing proliferation, migration and invasion in malignant melanoma.

Dysregulated microRNA (miR)-625 expression has been observed in several kinds of cancer. MicroRNAs are important factors in the development and progression of malignant melanoma, though the clinical significance and function of miR-625 in human malignant melanoma remain unclear. Levels of miR-625 expression were therefore determined in 36 pairs of malignant melanoma and adjacent non-tumor tissue using qPCR.

Pd@Ag Nanosheets in Combination with Amphotericin B Exert a Potent Anti-Cryptococcal Fungicidal Effect.

Silver nanoparticles have received considerable interest as new "nanoantibiotics" with the potential to kill drug-resistant microorganisms. Recently, a class of new core-shell nanostructures, Pd@Ag nanosheets (Pd@Ag NSs), were created using deposition techniques and demonstrated excellent inhibitory effects on various bacteria in vitro. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity of Pd@Ag NSs against common invasive fungal pathogens.

Deubiquitinase Ubp5 Is Required for the Growth and Pathogenicity of Cryptococcus gattii.

Cryptococcus gattii is a resurgent fungal pathogen that primarily infects immunocompetent hosts. Thus, it poses an increasingly significant impact on global public health; however, the mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis remain largely unknown. We conducted a detailed characterization of the deubiquitinase Ubp5 in the biology and virulence of C.

Epidemiology of Cryptococcus and cryptococcosis in China.

Cryptococcosis is a significant invasive fungal infection with noteworthy morbidity and mortality, primarily caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. In China, C. neoformans var.

Acapsular Cryptococcus neoformans activates the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that mainly infects immunocompromised individuals such as AIDS patients. Although cell surface receptors for recognition of C.