Transgenics and gene targeting by homologous recombination provide an ideal opportunity to delineate immune functions of specific genes. These gene knockout mice are powerful tools to understand complex mechanism of immune system and molecular processes underlying autoimmune diseases and immunodeficiencies. Availability of an increased pool of genetically manipulated mice will provide a basic f...

Trenzyme GmbH (S.T.), Byk-Gulden –Str. 2, D-78467 Konstanz, Germany; Lead Identification and Optimization Support (L.H., S.H., R.H.), Immunological and Respiratory Diseases Research (H.S.), CNS Diseases Research (H.R.), Target Discovery Research (E.S.); Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Str. 65, D-88397 Biberach, Germany; Biotherapeutics Discovery (L.F.); Boehringer Ingelh...

Scleractinian corals (phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa) have innate immunological responses against infections. Research has recently suggested that corals also possess an adaptive-like immunological repertoire that recognizes specific pathogens and allografts. While evolutionarily distinct, the corals' innate and adaptive-like immunity systems are not mutually exclusive because the phagocytic c...

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are considered to be promising agents for the treatment of immunological disease. Although originally identified as precursor cells for mesenchymal lineages, in vitro studies have demonstrated that MSCs possess diverse immune regulatory capacities. Pre-clinical models have shown beneficial effects of MSCs in multiple immunological diseases and a number of phase ...

Here, we synthesize research behind the emerging hypothesis that inflammation--which can result, for example, from viral infections--can initiate and propagate chronic neuronal dysfunction, an event that precedes the clinical onset of many neurodegenerative diseases. Therapeutic approaches that target immunological pathways in the prodromal phase of diseases might decrease the incidence of neur...

the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neuronal degenerative disease, present a challenge to find more effective therapies. stem cell-based therapy, including embryonic, umbilical cord blood and adult stem cells provides a rational treatment tool for regenerative medicine and has the potential to revolutionize modern therapy. however, there are...