Richard Bucala

Bio: Richard Bucala is an academic researcher from Yale University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor & Cytokine. The author has an hindex of 119, co-authored 595 publications receiving 54607 citations. Previous affiliations of Richard Bucala include École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne & Rockefeller University.

Immunochemical detection of in vivo advanced glycosylation endproducts

Abstract: The circulating advanced glycosylation endproducts Hb-AGE, serum AGE-peptides and urinary AGE-peptides are disclosed as long term markers of diseases and dysfunctions having as a characteristic the presence of a measurable difference in AGE concentration. Diagnostic and therapeutic protocols taking advantage of the characteristics of these AGEs are disclosed. Antibodies which recognize and bind to in vivo-derived advanced glycosylation endproducts are also disclosed. Methods of using these antibodies as well as pharmaceutical compositions are also disclosed, along with numerous diagnostic applications, including methods for the measurement of the presence and amount of advanced glycosylation endproducts in both plants and animals, including humans, as well as in cultivated and systhesized protein material for therapeutic use.

Endogenous macrophage migration inhibitory factor reduces the accumulation and toxicity of misfolded SOD1 in a mouse model of ALS

Abstract: Mutations in superoxide dismutase (SOD1) cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. It has been suggested that the toxicity of mutant SOD1 results from its misfolding and accumulation on the cytoplasmic faces of intracellular organelles, including the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of ALS-affected tissues. Recently, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was shown to directly inhibit the accumulation of misfolded SOD1 and its binding to intracellular membranes, but the role of endogenous MIF in modulating SOD1 misfolding in vivo remains unknown. To elucidate this role, we bred MIF-deficient mice with SOD1G85R mice, which express a dismutase-inactive mutant of SOD1 and are considered a model of familial ALS. We found that the accumulation of misfolded SOD1, its association with mitochondrial and ER membranes, and the levels of sedimentable insoluble SOD1 aggregates were significantly higher in the spinal cords of SOD1G85R-MIF−/− mice than in their SOD1G85R-MIF+/+ littermates. Moreover, increasing MIF expression in neuronal cultures inhibited the accumulation of misfolded SOD1 and rescued from mutant SOD1-induced cell death. In contrast, the complete elimination of endogenous MIF accelerated disease onset and late disease progression and shortened the lifespan of the SOD1G85R mutant mice. These findings indicate that MIF plays a significant role in the folding and misfolding of SOD1 in vivo, and they have implications for the potential therapeutic role of up-regulating MIF within the nervous system to modulate the selective accumulation of misfolded SOD1.

A role for the B‐cell CD74/macrophage migration inhibitory factor pathway in the immunomodulation of systemic lupus erythematosus by a therapeutic tolerogenic peptide

Abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that involves dysregulation of B and T cells A tolerogenic peptide, designated hCDR1, ameliorates disease manifestations in SLE-afflicted mice In the present study, the effect of treatment with hCDR1 on the CD74/macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) pathway was studied We report here that B lymphocytes from SLE-afflicted mice express relatively elevated levels of CD74, compared with B cells from healthy mice CD74 is a receptor found in complex with CD44, and it binds the pro-inflammatory cytokine MIF The latter components were also up-regulated in B cells from the diseased mice, and treatment with hCDR1 resulted in their down-regulation and in reduced B-cell survival Furthermore, up-regulation of CD74 and CD44 expression was detected in brain hippocampi and kidneys, two target organs in SLE Treatment with hCDR1 diminished the expression of those molecules to the levels determined for young healthy mice These results suggest that the CD74/MIF pathway plays an important role in lupus pathology

Natural antioxidant-isoliquiritigenin ameliorates contractile dysfunction of hypoxic cardiomyocytes via AMPK signaling pathway.

Abstract: Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a simple chalcone-type flavonoid, is derived from licorice compounds and is mainly present in foods, beverages, and tobacco. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a critical factor involved in modulating cardiac stress response signaling during ischemia and reperfusion. We hypothesize that ISL as a natural antioxidant may protect heart against ischemic injury via modulating cellular redox status and regulating cardioprotective signaling pathways. The fluorescent probe H2DCFDA was used to measure the level of intracellular ROS. The glucose uptake was determined by 2-deoxy-D-glucose-(3)H accumulation. The IonOptix System measured the contractile function of isolated cardiomyocytes. The results demonstrated that ISL treatment markedly ameliorated cardiomyocytes contractile dysfunction caused by hypoxia. ISL significantly stimulated cardioprotective signaling, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways. The ROS fluorescent probe H2DCFDA determination indicated that ISL significantly reduced cardiac ROS level during hypoxia/reoxygenation. Moreover, ISL reduced the mitochondrial potential (Δψ) of isolated mouse cardiomyocytes. Taken together, ISL as a natural antioxidant demonstrated the cardioprotection against ischemic injury that may attribute to the activation of AMPK and ERK signaling pathways and balance of cellular redox status.

Cutting Edge: Deficiency of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Impairs Murine Airway Allergic Responses

Abstract: Increased levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in serum, sputum, and bronchioalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from asthmatic patients and time/dose-dependent expression of MIF in eosinophils in response to phorbol myristate acetate suggest the participation of MIF in airway inflammation. In this study, we examined inflammation in OVA-sensitized mouse lungs in wild-type and MIF-deficient mice (MIF(-/-)). We report increased MIF in the lung and BALF of sensitized wild-type mice. MIF(-/-) mice demonstrated significant reductions in serum IgE and alveolar inflammatory cell recruitment. Reduced Th1/Th2 cytokines and chemokines also were detected in serum or BALF from MIF(-/-) mice. Importantly, alveolar macrophages and mast cells, but not dendritic cells or splenocytes, from MIF(-/-) mice demonstrated impaired CD4+ T cell activation, and the reconstitution of wild-type mast cells in MIF(-/-) mice restored the phenotype of OVA-induced airway inflammation, revealing a novel and essential role of mast cell-derived MIF in experimentally induced airway allergic diseases.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

Multilineage Potential of Adult Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Abstract: Human mesenchymal stem cells are thought to be multipotent cells, which are present in adult marrow, that can replicate as undifferentiated cells and that have the potential to differentiate to lineages of mesenchymal tissues, including bone, cartilage, fat, tendon, muscle, and marrow stroma. Cells that have the characteristics of human mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from marrow aspirates of volunteer donors. These cells displayed a stable phenotype and remained as a monolayer in vitro. These adult stem cells could be induced to differentiate exclusively into the adipocytic, chondrocytic, or osteocytic lineages. Individual stem cells were identified that, when expanded to colonies, retained their multilineage potential.

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。