Editorial: Space flight modifies T cell activation-role of microgravity

Effects of Microgravity: Cardiovascular Baroreflex Adaptation in Space Flight

The avian embryo responding to microgravity of space flight.

Central questions and paradigms of developmental biology have in recent decades evolved to stress gene regulation. (See Moore, 1987 for an excellent review). However, during fertilization and the pre-embryonic cleavage stages, cells of identical genome are responding to multiple microenvironmental factors, e.g., pH, spatial position, temperature, osmotic and barometric pressure, light, electr...

B and T Lymphocyte Attenuator is a Target of miR-155 during Naive CD4+ T Cell Activation

Background: MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) is upregulated during T cell activation, but the exact mechanisms by which it influences CD4+ T cell activation remain unclear. Objective: To examine whether the B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is a target of miR-155 during naïve CD4+ T cell activation. Methods: Firefly luciferase reporter plasmids pEZX-MT01-wild-type-BTLA and pEZX-MT01-mutant-BTLA were ...

Dichotomal effect of space flight-associated microgravity on stress-activated protein kinases in innate immunity

Space flight strongly moderates human immunity but is in general well tolerated. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which zero gravity interacts with human immunity may provide clues for developing rational avenues to deal with exaggerated immune responses, e.g. as in autoimmune disease. Using two sounding rockets and one manned Soyuz launch, the influence of space flight on immunological signal ...

Editorial Editorial : Ephs , ephrins , and early T cell development

Introduction The development of self-tolerant, MHC-restricted T cells occurs in the thymus throughout the life of vertebrates. However, the thymus lacks precursors with self-renewal ability and is normally, continuously replenished with progenitors imported from the bone marrow [1]. The cross-talk between T cell progenitors and nonhematopoietic thymic stromal cells (thymic epithelial cells, end...