Enhancement of anti-tumor CD8 immunity by IgG1-mediated targeting of Fc receptors

Dendritic cells (DCs) function as professional antigen presenting cells and are critical for linking innate immune responses to the induction of adaptive immunity. Many current cancer DC vaccine strategies rely on differentiating DCs, feeding them tumor antigens ex vivo, and infusing them into patients. Importantly, this strategy relies on prior knowledge of suitable “tumor-specific” antigens to prime an effective anti-tumor response. DCs express a variety of receptors specific for the Fc region of immunoglobulins, and antigen uptake via Fc receptors is highly efficient and facilitates antigen presentation to T cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that expression of the mouse IgG1 Fc region on the surface of tumors would enhance tumor cell uptake by DCs and other myeloid cells and promote the induction of anti-tumor T cell responses. To test this, we engineered a murine lymphoma cell line expressing surface IgG1 Fc and discovered that such tumor cells were taken up rapidly by DCs, leading to enhanced cross-presentation of tumor-derived antigen to CD8+ T cells. IgG1-Fc tumors failed to grow in vivo and prophylactic vaccination of mice with IgG1-Fc tumors resulted in rejection of unmanipulated tumor cells. Furthermore, IgG1-Fc tumor cells were able to slow the growth of an unmanipulated primary tumor when used as a therapeutic tumor vaccine. Our data demonstrate that engagement of Fc receptors by tumors expressing the Fc region of IgG1 is a viable strategy to induce efficient and protective anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses without prior knowledge of tumor-specific antigens.     

Treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater in hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor packed with pleated poly vinyl chloride rings

In this study, the performance of 5.4 L hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (HUASB) reactor for treating poultry slaughterhouse wastewater under mesophilic conditions (29-35 °C), was investigated. After starting-up, the reactor was loaded up to an OLR of 19 kg COD/m³ d and achieved varied TCOD and SCOD removal efficiencies of 70-86% and 80-92%, respectively. The biogas was varied between 1.1 and 5.2 m³/m³ d with the maximum methane content of 72%. The maximum methane yield was 0.32 m³/kg COD_removed at an OLR of 9.27 kg COD/m³ d. Black matured granules of size between 2.5 and 5 mm were observed at the end of 225 d operation. RTD study showed the flow behavior was in mixed regime at the end of performance study. Step wise polynomial regression analysis was fitted well. Methanobacterium and Methanosaeta bacteria were dominant at the end of start-up whereas Methanosarcina, Cocci and rods were predominant at the end of performance studies.     

Nano-regenerative medicine towards clinical outcome of stem cell and tissue engineering in humans

Nanotechnology is a fast growing area of research that aims to create nanomaterials or nanostructures development in stem cell and tissue-based therapies. Concepts and discoveries from the fields of bio nano research provide exciting opportunities of using stem cells for regeneration of tissues and organs. The application of nanotechnology to stem-cell biology would be able to address the challenges of disease therapeutics. This review covers the potential of nanotechnology approaches towards regenerative medicine. Furthermore, it focuses on current aspects of stem- and tissue-cell engineering. The magnetic nanoparticles-based applications in stem-cell research open new frontiers in cell and tissue engineering.     

Synthesis of novel thiourea,thiazolidinedione and thioparabanic acid derivatives of 4-aminoquinoline as potent antimalarials

In search of new 4-aminoquinolines which are not recognized by CQR mechanism, thiourea, thiazolidinedione and thioparabanic acid derivatives of 4-aminoquinoline were synthesized and screened for their antimalarial activities. Thiourea derivative 3 found to be the most active against CQ sensitive strain 3D7 of Plasmodium falciparum in an in vitro model with an IC₅₀ of 6.07 ng/mL and also showed an in vivo suppression of 99.27% on day 4 against CQ resistant strain N-67 of Plasmodium yoelii.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of some novel imidazole-based dicationic quinolinophanes

Synthesis of novel quinoline based dicationic benzimidazolophanes and imidazolophanes incorporating various spacer units is described. Some of the quinolinophanes 1b, 3a, 3b and 4a exhibit good antibacterial activity against most of the human pathogenic bacteria in the tested concentrations as compared to the other cyclophanes as well as the test control, streptomycin.     

Synthesis of oxalamide and triazine derivatives as a novel class of hybrid 4-aminoquinoline with potent antiplasmodial activity

Frequency of malaria and its resistance to chemotherapeutic options are emerging rapidly. To counter this problem, a series of 4-aminoquinolines having oxalamide and triazine functionalities in the side chain were synthesized and screened for their antimalarial activities. Triazine derivative 48 found to be the most active against CQ sensitive strain 3D7 of Plasmodium falciparum in an in vitro assay with an IC₅₀ of 5.23 ng/mL and oxalamide derivative 13 showed an in vivo suppression of 70.45% on day 4 against CQ resistant strain N-67 of Plasmodium yoelii.     

Ethnopharmacological uses,phytochemistry, biological activities,and biotechnological applications of Eclipta prostrata

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Eclipta prostrata belongs to a family of medicinal plants (Asteraceae) and plays a role in the treatment of several diseases, including infectious...     

Biocalorimetric studies of the metabolic activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa aerobically grown in a glucose-limited complex growth medium

Biocalorimetric experiments were performed to investigate the aerobic growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, isolated from tannery saline wastewater. Growth factors (pH, Inoculum size, carbon source, temperature, aeration rate, and agitation rate) were optimized in shaker and calorimeter based on the growth of P. aeruginosa and heat generation rates. A limiting value of 0.2% glucose concentration was found to be optimum for the growth of P. aeruginosa in a complex growth medium, and the heat flux (q(r)) profiles resulting from the metabolic activity of P. aeruginosa further confirmed this observation. The bacterial growth profile was found to correlate well with the metabolic heat generated. Heat-yield values were calculated for both glucose consumption and the growth of P. aeruginosa from the calorimetric results. Metabolic shifts in substrate uptake from glucose to peptone present in growth medium was observed by the variations in heat-flux profile. The calorimetric data presented in this study should be useful in understanding the behavior of the isolated bacterial strain in degrading complex and mixed substrates commonly observed in tannery saline waste stream, and further to extend the results for scale-up studies.