Toll-like receptors are key participants in innate immune responses

During an infection, one of the principal challenges for the host is to detect the pathogen and activate a rapid defensive response. The Toll-like family of receptors (TLRs), among other pattern recognition receptors (PRR), performs this detection process in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. These type I transmembrane receptors identify microbial conserved structures or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Recognition of microbial components by TLRs initiates signaling transduction pathways that induce gene expression. These gene products regulate innate immune responses and further develop an antigen-specific acquired immunity. TLR signaling pathways are regulated by intracellular adaptor molecules, such as MyD88, TIRAP/Mal, between others that provide specificity of individual TLR- mediated signaling pathways. TLR-mediated activation of innate immunity is involved not only in host defense against pathogens but also in immune disorders. The involvement of TLR-mediated pathways in auto-immune and inflammatory diseases is described in this review article.     

Endogenous bone marrow MSCs are dynamic, fate-restricted participants in bone maintenance and regeneration

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) commonly defined by in vitro functions have entered clinical application despite little definition of their function in residence. Here, we report genetic pulse-chase experiments that define osteoblastic cells as short-lived and nonreplicative, requiring replenishment from bone-marrow-derived, Mx1(+) stromal cells with "MSC" features. These cells respond to tissue stress and migrate to sites of injury, supplying new osteoblasts during fracture healing. Single cell transplantation yielded progeny that both preserve progenitor function and differentiate into osteoblasts, producing new bone. They are capable of local and systemic translocation and serial transplantation. While these cells meet current definitions of MSCs in vitro, they are osteolineage restricted in vivo in growing and adult animals. Therefore, bone-marrow-derived MSCs may be a heterogeneous population with the Mx1(+) population, representing a highly dynamic and stress responsive stem/progenitor cell population of fate-restricted potential that feeds the high cell replacement demands of the adult skeleton.     

Follicle selection in primates: "many are called but few are chosen"

During the follicular phase of humans and most nonhuman primates, a single preovulatory follicle usually matures each menstrual cycle. The observation that numerous preovulatory follicles may be stimulated to mature when exogenous gonadotropins are administered indicates that there must be a precise and highly reproducible mechanism by which only one of the many follicles capable of ovulating actually does so. The goal of this review is to summarize past and current research which indicates that follicle selection in primates is the result of an exquisitely sensitive interplay between gonadotropin secretion by the pituitary gland, steroid production by the ovary, and maturation-dependent alterations of the ovary's responsiveness to gonadotropins.     

What research participants want to know about genetic research results: the impact of "genetic exceptionalism"

The disclosure of individual genetic results has generated an ongoing debate about which rules should be followed. We aimed to identify factors related to research participants' preferences about learning the results of genomic studies using their donated tissue samples. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 279 patients from the United States and Spain who had volunteered to donate a sample for genomic research. Our results show that 48% of research participants would like to be informed about all individual results from future genomic studies using their donated tissue, especially those from the U.S. (71.4%) and those believing that genetic information poses special risks (69.7%). In addition, 16% of research participants considered genetic information to be riskier than other types of personal medical data. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that a high proportion of participants prefer to be informed about their individual results and that there is a higher preference among those research subjects who perceive their genetic information as riskier than other types of personal medical data.     

List of participants

List of participants     

List of participants

List of participants