Impact of chemotherapy and immunotherapy on the composition and function of immune cells in COVID-19 convalescent with gynecological tumors

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewable, rapidly proliferating, multipotent stem cells which reside in almost all post-natal tissues. MSCs possess potent immunoregulatory properties and, in juxtacrine and paracrine manner, modulate phenotype and function of all immune cells that participate in tissue repair and regeneration. Additionally, MSCs produce various pro-angiogenic factors and promote neo-vascularization in healing tissues, contributing to their enhanced repair and regeneration. In this review article, we summarized current knowledge about molecular mechanisms that regulate the crosstalk between MSCs and immune cells in tissue repair and regeneration.

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Biology and pathology of the uterine microenvironment and its natural killer cells

Cellular and Molecular Immunology ◽

10.1038/s41423-021-00739-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fuyan Wang ◽

Anita Ellen Qualls ◽

Laia Marques-Fernandez ◽

Francesco Colucci

Keyword(s):

Natural Killer ◽

Fetal Growth ◽

Immune Cells ◽

Smooth Muscle Actin ◽

Lymphoid Cells ◽

Unk Cells ◽

New Frontier ◽

Uterine Mucosa ◽

Blastocyst Implantation ◽

And Function

AbstractTissues are the new frontier of discoveries in immunology. Cells of the immune system are an integral part of tissue physiology and immunity. Determining how immune cells inhabit, housekeep, and defend gut, lung, brain, liver, uterus, and other organs helps revealing the intimate details of tissue physiology and may offer new therapeutic targets to treat pathologies. The uterine microenvironment modulates the development and function of innate lymphoid cells [ILC, largely represented by natural killer (NK) cells], macrophages, T cells, and dendritic cells. These immune cells, in turn, contribute to tissue homeostasis. Regulated by ovarian hormones, the human uterine mucosa (endometrium) undergoes ~400 monthly cycles of breakdown and regeneration from menarche to menopause, with its fibroblasts, glands, blood vessels, and immune cells remodeling the tissue into the transient decidua. Even more transformative changes occur upon blastocyst implantation. Before the placenta is formed, the endometrial glands feed the embryo by histiotrophic nutrition while the uterine spiral arteries are stripped of their endothelial layer and smooth muscle actin. This arterial remodeling is carried out by invading fetal trophoblast and maternal immune cells, chiefly uterine NK (uNK) cells, which also assist fetal growth. The transformed arteries no longer respond to maternal stimuli and meet the increasing demands of the growing fetus. This review focuses on how the everchanging uterine microenvironment affects uNK cells and how uNK cells regulate homeostasis of the decidua, placenta development, and fetal growth. Determining these pathways will help understand the causes of major pregnancy complications.

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How Changes in the Nutritional Landscape Shape Gut Immunometabolism

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13030823 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 823

Author(s):

Jian Tan ◽

Duan Ni ◽

Rosilene V. Ribeiro ◽

Gabriela V. Pinget ◽

Laurence Macia

Keyword(s):

Immune Cells ◽

Metabolic Pathways ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Food Additives ◽

Cell Activity ◽

Inflammatory Cells ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Food Antigens ◽

And Function ◽

Micro Organisms

Cell survival, proliferation and function are energy-demanding processes, fuelled by different metabolic pathways. Immune cells like any other cells will adapt their energy production to their function with specific metabolic pathways characteristic of resting, inflammatory or anti-inflammatory cells. This concept of immunometabolism is revolutionising the field of immunology, opening the gates for novel therapeutic approaches aimed at altering immune responses through immune metabolic manipulations. The first part of this review will give an extensive overview on the metabolic pathways used by immune cells. Diet is a major source of energy, providing substrates to fuel these different metabolic pathways. Protein, lipid and carbohydrate composition as well as food additives can thus shape the immune response particularly in the gut, the first immune point of contact with food antigens and gastrointestinal tract pathogens. How diet composition might affect gut immunometabolism and its impact on diseases will also be discussed. Finally, the food ingested by the host is also a source of energy for the micro-organisms inhabiting the gut lumen particularly in the colon. The by-products released through the processing of specific nutrients by gut bacteria also influence immune cell activity and differentiation. How bacterial metabolites influence gut immunometabolism will be covered in the third part of this review. This notion of immunometabolism and immune function is recent and a deeper understanding of how lifestyle might influence gut immunometabolism is key to prevent or treat diseases.

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Microglial Function and Regulation during Development, Homeostasis and Alzheimer’s Disease

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10040957 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 957

Author(s):

Brad T. Casali ◽

Erin G. Reed-Geaghan

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Immune Cells ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Brain Parenchyma ◽

Primary Role ◽

And Function ◽

Inflammatory Milieu ◽

The Brain ◽

Homeostatic State

Microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain, deriving from yolk sac progenitors that populate the brain parenchyma during development. During development and homeostasis, microglia play critical roles in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity, in addition to their primary role as immune sentinels. In aging and neurodegenerative diseases generally, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) specifically, microglial function is altered in ways that significantly diverge from their homeostatic state, inducing a more detrimental inflammatory environment. In this review, we discuss the receptors, signaling, regulation and gene expression patterns of microglia that mediate their phenotype and function contributing to the inflammatory milieu of the AD brain, as well as strategies that target microglia to ameliorate the onset, progression and symptoms of AD.

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When Cells Suffocate: Autophagy in Cancer and Immune Cells under Low Oxygen

International Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1155/2011/470597 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Katrin Schlie ◽

Jaeline E. Spowart ◽

Luke R. K. Hughson ◽

Katelin N. Townsend ◽

Julian J. Lum

Keyword(s):

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Immune Cells ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Patient Treatment ◽

Low Oxygen ◽

Tumor Environment ◽

And Function ◽

The Impact

Hypoxia is a signature feature of growing tumors. This cellular state creates an inhospitable condition that impedes the growth and function of all cells within the immediate and surrounding tumor microenvironment. To adapt to hypoxia, cells activate autophagy and undergo a metabolic shift increasing the cellular dependency on anaerobic metabolism. Autophagy upregulation in cancer cells liberates nutrients, decreases the buildup of reactive oxygen species, and aids in the clearance of misfolded proteins. Together, these features impart a survival advantage for cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment. This observation has led to intense research efforts focused on developing autophagy-modulating drugs for cancer patient treatment. However, other cells that infiltrate the tumor environment such as immune cells also encounter hypoxia likely resulting in hypoxia-induced autophagy. In light of the fact that autophagy is crucial for immune cell proliferation as well as their effector functions such as antigen presentation and T cell-mediated killing of tumor cells, anticancer treatment strategies based on autophagy modulation will need to consider the impact of autophagy on the immune system.

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Gut symbiotic microbes imprint intestinal immune cells with the innate receptor SLAMF4 which contributes to gut immune protection against enteric pathogens

Gut ◽

10.1136/gutjnl-2016-313214 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 67 (5) ◽

pp. 847-859 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Allison Cabinian ◽

Daniel Sinsimer ◽

May Tang ◽

Youngsoon Jang ◽

Bongkum Choi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Immune Cells ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Lymphocyte Activation ◽

Premature Death ◽

Enteric Pathogens ◽

Immune Protection ◽

Intestinal Immunity ◽

Cell Responses ◽

And Function

BackgroundInteractions between host immune cells and gut microbiota are crucial for the integrity and function of the intestine. How these interactions regulate immune cell responses in the intestine remains a major gap in the field.AimWe have identified the signalling lymphocyte activation molecule family member 4 (SLAMF4) as an immunomodulator of the intestinal immunity. The aim is to determine how SLAMF4 is acquired in the gut and what its contribution to intestinal immunity is.MethodsExpression of SLAMF4 was assessed in mice and humans. The mechanism of induction was studied using GFPtg bone marrow chimaera mice, lymphotoxin α and TNLG8A-deficient mice, as well as gnotobiotic mice. Role in immune protection was revealed using oral infection with Listeria monocytogenes and Cytobacter rodentium.ResultsSLAMF4 is a selective marker of intestinal immune cells of mice and humans. SLAMF4 induction occurs directly in the intestinal mucosa without the involvement of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Gut bacterial products, particularly those of gut anaerobes, and gut-resident antigen-presenting cell (APC)TNLG8A are key contributors of SLAMF4 induction in the intestine. Importantly, lack of SLAMF4 expression leads the increased susceptibility of mice to infection by oral pathogens culminating in their premature death.ConclusionsSLAMF4 is a marker of intestinal immune cells which contributes to the protection against enteric pathogens and whose expression is dependent on the presence of the gut microbiota. This discovery provides a possible mechanism for answering the long-standing question of how the intertwining of the host and gut microbial biology regulates immune cell responses in the gut.

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Tu1672 IL-21 Production and Function in Peripheral Immune Cells From Crohn's Disease Patients

Gastroenterology ◽

10.1016/s0016-5085(13)63039-5 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 144 (5) ◽

pp. S-819

Author(s):

Jennifer H. Cox ◽

Evan Thomas ◽

Rebecca P. Wu ◽

Kem Valliant-Saunders ◽

Scott Hussell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crohn’S Disease ◽

Crohn's Disease ◽

Immune Cells ◽

And Function ◽

Peripheral Immune Cells

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Integrin signalling and function in immune cells

Immunology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2567.2011.03549.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 135 (4) ◽

pp. 268-275 ◽

Cited By ~ 90

Author(s):

Yanbo Zhang ◽

Hongyan Wang

Keyword(s):

Immune Cells ◽

And Function

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Microglia, Cytokines, and Neural Activity: Unexpected Interactions in Brain Development and Function

Frontiers in Immunology ◽

10.3389/fimmu.2021.703527 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Austin Ferro ◽

Yohan S. S. Auguste ◽

Lucas Cheadle

Keyword(s):

Brain Development ◽

Signaling Pathways ◽

Immune Cells ◽

Neural Activity ◽

Signaling Molecules ◽

Evolutionary Strategy ◽

Inflammatory Signaling ◽

Peripheral Tissues ◽

And Function ◽

The Brain

Intercellular signaling molecules such as cytokines and their receptors enable immune cells to communicate with one another and their surrounding microenvironments. Emerging evidence suggests that the same signaling pathways that regulate inflammatory responses to injury and disease outside of the brain also play powerful roles in brain development, plasticity, and function. These observations raise the question of how the same signaling molecules can play such distinct roles in peripheral tissues compared to the central nervous system, a system previously thought to be largely protected from inflammatory signaling. Here, we review evidence that the specialized roles of immune signaling molecules such as cytokines in the brain are to a large extent shaped by neural activity, a key feature of the brain that reflects active communication between neurons at synapses. We discuss the known mechanisms through which microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, respond to increases and decreases in activity by engaging classical inflammatory signaling cascades to assemble, remodel, and eliminate synapses across the lifespan. We integrate evidence from (1) in vivo imaging studies of microglia-neuron interactions, (2) developmental studies across multiple neural circuits, and (3) molecular studies of activity-dependent gene expression in microglia and neurons to highlight the specific roles of activity in defining immune pathway function in the brain. Given that the repurposing of signaling pathways across different tissues may be an important evolutionary strategy to overcome the limited size of the genome, understanding how cytokine function is established and maintained in the brain could lead to key insights into neurological health and disease.

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