The complexity of the human female reproductive tract (FRT) with its multiple levels of hormonally controlled immune protection has only begun to be understood. Dissecting the functions and roles of the immune system in the FRT is complicated by the differential hormonal regulation of its distinct anatomical structures that vary throughout the menstrual cycle. Although many fundamental mechanisms of steroid regulation of reproductive tract immune function have been determined, the effects of exogenous synthetic steroids or endocrine disruptors on immune function and disease susceptibility in the FRT have yet to be evaluated in detail. There is increasing evidence that environmental or synthetic molecules can alter normal immune function. This review provides an overview of the innate and adaptive immune systems, the current status of immune function in the FRT and the potential risks of environmental or pharmacological molecules that may perturb this system.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2012.01.002 | DOI Listing |
J Neuroinflammation
January 2025
Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
The thrombolytic protease tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is expressed in the CNS, where it regulates diverse functions including neuronal plasticity, neuroinflammation, and blood-brain-barrier integrity. However, its role in different brain regions such as the substantia nigra (SN) is largely unexplored. In this study, we characterize tPA expression, activity, and localization in the SN using a combination of retrograde tracing and β-galactosidase tPA reporter mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Med Genomics
January 2025
Department of Oncology, The First People's Hospital of Yibin, No.65, Wenxing Street, Cuiping District, Yibin, 644000, China.
Background: Advanced gastric cancer (GC) exhibits a high recurrence rate and a dismal prognosis. Myocyte enhancer factor 2c (MEF2C) was found to contribute to the development of various types of cancer. Therefore, our aim is to develop a prognostic model that predicts the prognosis of GC patients and initially explore the role of MEF2C in immunotherapy for GC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Pulm Med
January 2025
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jiaxing (Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University), 1882 South Zhonghuan Road, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, 314000, China.
Background: Lung health is intricately linked with inflammation. The pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) emerges as a promising biomarker, offering reflection into systemic inflammatory states and assisting in the prognosis of diverse diseases. This research aims to explore the associations between PIV and respiratory symptoms, respiratory diseases and lung function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Plant Biol
January 2025
Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
Background: Root rot is a major disease affecting alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), causing significant yield losses and economic damage. The primary pathogens include Fusarium spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNPJ Vaccines
January 2025
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Cyclic peptides are often used as scaffolds for the multivalent presentation of drug molecules due to their structural stability and constrained conformation. We identified a cyclic deca-peptide incorporating lipoamino acids for delivering T helper and B cell epitopes against group A Streptococcus (GAS), eliciting robust humoral immune responses. In this study, we assessed the function-immunogenicity relationship of the multi-component vaccine candidate (referred to as VC-13) to elucidate a mechanism of action.
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