The innate immune system existed prior to the emergence of adaptive immunity in sharks and higher vertebrates. Homologues of many mammalian innate immune-system elements such as the toll-like receptors exist in species as distant as Drosophila. Selective pressure has led to the development of highly conserved, soluble, and cell-surface receptors that recognize functionally essential molecules s...

MiR-155 regulates numerous aspects of innate and adaptive immune function. This miR is induced in response to Toll-like receptor ligands, cytokines, and microbial infection. We have previously shown that miR-155 is induced in monocytes/macrophages infected with Francisella tularensis and suppresses expression of the inositol phosphatase SHIP to enhance activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, which ...

To date, only limited information about the influence of ovarian hormones on canine immune system cells has been available. The study investigated the in vitro influence of progesterone and estradiol-17β on the activity of canine neutrophils. Treatment of cells by both hormones led to a significant decrease in phagocytosisinduced oxidative burst as detected using luminometry after stimulation w...

Dendritic cells (DC) detect nucleic acid adjuvants through the Toll-like receptor (TLR) or cytosolic sensors. Nucleic acid adjuvants activate DC to produce a variety of soluble factors including proinflammatory cytokines or type I interferons (IFNs). Type I IFN, especially IFN-alpha, induction is a characteristic function of nucleic acid adjuvants and critical for antiviral host defense. Notabl...

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are powerful molecular regulators by which the immune system may "sense" the environment and protect the host from pathogens or endogenous threats. In mammalian cells, several TLRs were identified with a tissue and cell type-specific distribution. Understanding the functions of specific TLRs is crucial for the development and discovery of compounds useful to maintaini...

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)-1 is a recently identified molecule that is involved in monocytic activation and in the inflammatory response. It belongs to a family related to the natural killer cell receptors and is expressed on neutrophils, mature monocytes and macrophages. The inflammatory response mediated by Toll-like receptor-2 and -4 stimulation is amplified by the...

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a soluble pattern recognition receptor that is a humoral component of the innate immune system. It interacts with pathogenic moieties, infected and dying host cells and facilitates their removal through activation of appropriate innate and adaptive mechanisms. PTX3 is secreted by a diverse variety of cells, ranging from immune cells to structural cells, in response to Toll...

BACKGROUND Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a complex condition that exhibits a spectrum of abnormal neuropsychological and locomotor behaviors. Mechanisms for neuropathogenesis could include irregular immune activation, host soluble factors, and astrocyte dysfunction. METHODS We examined the role of astrocytes as modulators of immune function in macaques with SIB. We measured changes in astr...