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A critical molecule for regulating inflammatory cell death through intracellular binding to microbial glycans

The cytosolic LPS-sensing pathway mediated by caspase-4/5/11 is regarded as the final line of host defense. When this defensive line is triggered, the host immune system may respond in extreme ways, including cytokine storm and inflammatory cell death, leading to sepsis. Galectin-3 recognizes cytosolic LPSs from various bacteria and amplifies LPS-induced caspase-4/11 oligomerization and activation, causing a more intense inflammatory response. By intracellularly recognizing LPS glycan moieties, galectin-3 may act as a critical regulator of LPS-mediated sepsis.

Polyethylene Glycol Immunogenicity: Theoretical, Clinical, and Practical Aspects of Anti-Polyethylene Glycol Antibodies

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a polymer that is attached to peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, liposomes and nanoparticles to create effective medicines. However, immune responses to PEG can adversely impact drug efficacy and safety. We provide a framework to understand PEG immunogenicity and how antibodies against PEG affect pegylated medicines. The widespread use of SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccines that incorporate PEG in lipid nanoparticles make understanding effects of anti-PEG antibodies on pegylated medicines even more critical.

Hydrogel-infused dendritic cells for anticancer immunotherapy

A new technique that polymerizes cellular cytosol with hydrogel generates robust biomimetic antigen presenting systems for anticancer adoptive T cell therapy.
Adoptive T cell therapy that extracts, expands, and reinfuses endogenous T cells from patents’ body is an emerging therapeutic regimen that has demonstrated compelling therapeutic benefits against cancer and chronic viral infections. …more

Precise drug delivery for heart disease and cancer-- Monocytes count.

Aptamer-modified nanoparticles hitchhikes circulating monocytes to achieve precise drug delivery to cardiac infarct site and tumor.

One of the major challenges in modern pharmacological treatment is the difficulty to precisely deliver the drugs to the sites for treatment. Dr. Hsieh’s team used a technology called Cell-Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (Cell-SELEX) to select a monocyte-specific aptamer from the oligonucleotide library of more than a quadrillion (1015) sequences. The aptamer can be easily modified on the liposomes. The aptamer-liposomes are stable and can be loaded with various drugs of interests.

A rare bone disease gene found: SCUBE3 is required for proper bone formation

The extracellular microenvironment provides the biochemical signals that control cell behavior and coordinate developmental and physiological processes. Any imbalance of such delicate regulation can considerably affect development and homeostasis. A research team composed of Dr. Ruey-Bing Yang (Research Fellow of Academia Sinica) and Dr. Yuh-Charn Lin (Research Scholar) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences identified …(Read More)