Excessive inflammatory responses in the surgical patient may result in cellular hypo-responsiveness, which is associated with an increased risk of secondary infection and death. microRNAs (miRNAs), such as miR-155, are powerful regulators of inflammatory signalling pathways including nuclear factor κB (NFκB). Our objective was to determine the effect of IκK-16, a selective blocker of inhibitor ...

The v-rel oncoprotein encoded by reticuloendotheliosis virus T strain (Rev-T) is a member of the rel/NF-κB family of transcription factors capable of transformation of primary chicken spleen and bone marrow cells. Rapid transformation of avian haematopoietic cells by v-rel occurs through a process of deregulation of multiple protein-encoding genes through its direct effect on their promoters. M...

OBJECTIVE The function of microRNAs is highly context and cell type dependent because of their highly dynamic expression pattern and the regulation of multiple mRNA targets. MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) plays an important role in the innate immune response by regulating macrophage function; however, the effects of miR-155 in macrophages on atherosclerosis are controversial. We hypothesized that the s...

The intracellular gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis causes the disease tularemia and is known for its ability to subvert host immune responses. Previous work from our laboratory identified the PI3K/Akt pathway and SHIP as critical modulators of host resistance to Francisella. Here, we show that SHIP expression is strongly down-regulated in monocytes and macrophages following infect...

MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) is an important regulator of B cells in mice. B cells have a critical role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here we show that miR-155 is highly expressed in peripheral blood B cells from RA patients compared with healthy individuals, particularly in the IgD-CD27- memory B-cell population in ACPA+ RA. MiR-155 is highly expressed in RA B cells from patients...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression levels of miR-146a and miR-155 in a cardiac xenograft model treated with the immunosuppressant FK506, and to construct lentiviral vectors to further study the roles of miR-146a and miR-155 in cardiac xenotransplantation. Expression levels of miR-146a and miR-155 were examined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and pr...

To improve regeneration of the injured myocardium, cardiomyocyte progenitor cells (CMPCs) have been put forward as a potential cell source for transplantation therapy. Although cell transplantation therapy displayed promising results, many issues need to be addressed before fully appreciating their impact. One of the hurdles is poor graft-cell survival upon injection, thereby limiting potential...

Infection-driven inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ~15-20% of human tumors. Expression of microRNA-155 (miR-155) is elevated during innate immune response and autoimmune disorders as well as in various malignancies. However, the molecular mechanisms providing miR-155 with its oncogenic properties remain unclear. We examined the effects of miR-155 overexpression and proinfl...

MicroRNAs regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally and function within the cells in which they are transcribed. However, recent evidence suggests that microRNAs can be transferred between cells and mediate target gene repression. We find that endogenous miR-155 and miR-146a, two critical microRNAs that regulate inflammation, are released from dendritic cells within exosomes and are subseq...

Graves' ophthalmopathy is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the orbit, characterized by inflammation and proliferation of the orbital tissue caused by CD4+T cells and orbital fibroblasts. Despite recent substantial findings regarding its cellular and molecular foundations, the pathogenesis of Graves' ophthalmopathy remains unclear. Accumulating data suggest that microRNAs play important rol...