Lymphatic vessels have traditionally been considered as passive conduits for interstitial fluid drainage and for immune cell trafficking to lymph nodes. In the last two decades, many studies have challenged this classical dogma: lymphatic endothelial cells ...
Background: Members of the thioester-containing protein (TEP) family contribute to host defence in both insects and mammals. However, their role in the immune response of Drosophila is elusive. In this study, we address the role of TEPs in Drosophila immun ...
Only a small proportion of newborn infants exposed to a pathogenic microorganism develop overt infection. Susceptibility to infection in preterm infants and infants with known comorbidities has a likely multifactorial origin and can be often attributed to ...
The lymphatic system serves a critical role in fluid homeostasis, lipid metabolism and immune surveillance. The growing appreciation of its implication in various diseases challenges the conventional view of lymphatics as a passive transport system. Tradit ...
The extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibronectin (FN) is a remarkably multifaceted molecule, including numerous fibronectin type III (FNIII) repeats carrying out different functions, which despite being extensively studied for over thirty years still pre ...
The sensing of foreign DNA is crucial for host defense against several pathogens. In the cytosol the enzyme cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is critical for the recognition of pathogen-derived DNA and provides key signals that initiate immune responses. Beyo ...
During infection, microbial pathogens encounter phagocytic cells of the host innate immune system, such as macrophages and neutrophils. These encounters typically lead to uptake and killing of the bacteria by the host cell or, conversely, parasitization of ...
The guts of metazoans are in permanent contact with the microbial realm that includes beneficial symbionts, nonsymbionts, food-borne microbes and life-threatening pathogens. However, little is known concerning how host immunity affects gut bacterial commun ...
Bone marrow is currently being considered as an alternative site for pancreatic islet transplantation. The goal of the present review is to report preclinical and clinical studies taking advantage of this new implantation site. Preclinical studies in mice ...
Adhesion to host tissue is one of the key steps of the bacterial pathogenic process. Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri possesses a non-fimbrial adhesin protein, XacFhaB, required for bacterial attachment, which we have previously demonstrated to be an important ...
