Immunogenicity of a chromatographically concentrated influenza vaccine

The immunogenicity of the Czechoslovak-made commercial vaccine Adinvira as well as that of the chromatographically concentrated vaccine Leningrad of Soviet origin was evaluated in an immunization project. The both vaccines were well tolerated after administration, the Soviet-made Leningrad brand featuring greater efficiency in eliciting an antibody response against influenza virus haemagglutinin.     

Species of the genus Papio (Cercopithecidae) as subjects of biomedical research: I. Biological basis of experiments on baboons

The paper reviews the use of various baboon species in biomedical research throughout the world.     

Synthesis and Immunostimulating Activity of Cysteine-Containing Derivatives of Glycyrrhizic Acid

New cysteine-containing derivatives of glycyrrhizic acid were synthesized by its coupling with Cys(Bzl) esters or the Cys(Bzl)-Val-OBu ^t dipeptide by the active ester method (DCC/HOSu) or by Woodward's reagent K. The derivatives with Cys(Bzl) and Cys(Bzl)-Val residues attached to the carbohydrate part of the molecule stimulated the primary immune response and the reaction of delayed-Type hypersensitivity in mice at a dose of 2 mg/kg.     

Recombinant soluble Fcγ receptors: production, purification and biological activities

Soluble forms of low affinity receptors for the Fc portion of IgG circulate in body fluids and regulate immune functions. We describe the transfection, production and purification techniques which allow the preparation, at a laboratory scale, of milligram amounts of glycosylated recombinant mouse and human soluble Fcγ receptors. These recombinant products bind IgG and are biologically active on immune responses, like their normal counterparts.     

Features of Autonomic Regulation and the Character of Convulsions in Stammering Children

The neurophysiological mechanisms of convulsions were studied in the stammering syndrome. Electrophysiological, neurological, neuropsychological, and logopedic examinations were performed for 23 children aged 9–10 years with stammering. For comprehensive analysis, a neurophysiological classification was used to divide the stammering children into two groups: group I, which included patients with paroxysmal patterns recorded in the EEG, and group II, which included patients without paroxysmal EEG patterns. The analysis revealed a correlation of specific features of the autonomic regulation with the character of convulsions. Predominant malfunction of the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system and tonic convulsions in stammering were found in the group I children. Malfunction of the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system and clonic convulsions in stammering were characteristic of group II children.     

Shaping of an effective immune microenvironment to and by cancer cells

A high density of intratumoral effector memory CD8+/Th1 T cells is associated with favorable prognosis in most cancers and may be induced or increased by immunotherapy. Efficient adaptive immune reactions are shaped in tumor adjacent tertiary lymphoid structures, which exhibit all characteristics of immunity generating lymphoid formations in reactive lymph nodes. Malignant tumor cells impact favorably or deleteriously their immune microenvironment if they bear genetic mutations that result in neo-antigens or by producing chemokines and cytokines that recruit lymphocytes and myeloid cells or increase inflammation and neo-angiogenesis. This intricate network of interactions results in control or escape of tumors, and its understanding will help define goals to monitor efficiency of immunotherapies.     

Long Non-Coding RNAs as Competitive Endogenous RNAs in Osteosarcoma

Molecular Biology - It was more than twenty years ago that miRNAs were recognized as a new class of RNA, but the understanding of their regulatory role is just beginning to emerge. Furthermore, it...     

The Small Subunit of Snapdragon Geranyl Diphosphate Synthase Modifies the Chain Length Specificity of Tobacco Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase in Planta

Geranyl diphosphate (GPP), the precursor of many monoterpene end products, is synthesized in plastids by a condensation of dimethylallyl diphosphate and isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) in a reaction catalyzed by homodimeric or heterodimeric GPP synthase (GPPS). In the heterodimeric enzymes, a noncatalytic small subunit (GPPS.SSU) determines the product specificity of the catalytic large subunit, which may be either an active geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS) or an inactive GGPPS-like protein. Here, we show that expression of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) GPPS.SSU in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants increased the total GPPS activity and monoterpene emission from leaves and flowers, indicating that the introduced catalytically inactive GPPS.SSU found endogenous large subunit partner(s) and formed an active snapdragon/tobacco GPPS in planta. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and in vitro enzyme analysis of individual and hybrid proteins revealed that two of four GGPPS-like candidates from tobacco EST databases encode bona fide GGPPS that can interact with snapdragon GPPS.SSU and form a functional GPPS enzyme in plastids. The formation of chimeric GPPS in transgenic plants also resulted in leaf chlorosis, increased light sensitivity, and dwarfism due to decreased levels of chlorophylls, carotenoids, and gibberellins. In addition, these transgenic plants had reduced levels of sesquiterpene emission, suggesting that the export of isoprenoid intermediates from the plastids into the cytosol was decreased. These results provide genetic evidence that GPPS.SSU modifies the chain length specificity of phylogenetically distant GGPPS and can modulate IPP flux distribution between GPP and GGPP synthesis in planta.