The immune system is the most important protective physiological system of the organism. It has many connections with other systems and is, in fact, often considered as part of the larger neuro-endocrine-immune axis. Most experimental data on immune changes with aging show a decline in many immune parameters when compared to young healthy subjects. The bulk of these changes is termed immunosenescence. Immunosenescence has been considered for some time as detrimental because it often leads to subclinical accumulation of pro-inflammatory factors and inflamm-aging. Together, immunosenescence and inflamm-aging are suggested to stand at the origin of most of the diseases of the elderly, such as infections, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and chronic inflammatory diseases. However, an increasing number of immune-gerontologists have challenged this negative interpretation of immunosenescence with respect to its significance in aging-related alterations of the immune system. If one considers these changes from an evolutionary perspective, they can be viewed preferably as adaptive or remodeling rather than solely detrimental. Whereas it is conceivable that global immune changes may lead to various diseases, it is also obvious that these changes may be needed for extended survival/longevity. Recent cumulative data suggest that, without the existence of the immunosenescence/inflamm-aging duo (representing two sides of the same phenomenon), human longevity would be greatly shortened. This review summarizes recent data on the dynamic reassessment of immune changes with aging. Accordingly, attempts to intervene on the aging immune system by targeting its rejuvenation, it may be more suitable to aim to maintain general homeostasis and function by appropriately improving immune-inflammatory-functions.

Immunosenescence and Inflamm-Aging As Two Sides of the Same Coin: Friends or Foes?

Exciting new discoveries have transformed the view of the lysosome from a static organelle dedicated to the disposal and recycling of cellular waste to a highly dynamic structure that mediates the adaptation of cell metabolism to environmental cues. Lysosome-mediated signalling pathways and transcription programmes are able to sense the status of cellular metabolism and control the switch between anabolism and catabolism by regulating lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy. The lysosome also extensively communicates with other cellular structures by exchanging content and information and by establishing membrane contact sites. It is now clear that lysosome positioning is a dynamically regulated process and a crucial determinant of lysosomal function. Finally, growing evidence indicates that the role of lysosomal dysfunction in human diseases goes beyond rare inherited diseases, such as lysosomal storage disorders, to include common neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, as well as cancer. Together, these discoveries highlight the lysosome as a regulatory hub for cellular and organismal homeostasis, and an attractive therapeutic target for a broad variety of disease conditions.

Lysosomes as dynamic regulators of cell and organismal homeostasis

Toll-like receptors in immunity and inflammatory diseases: Past, present, and future.

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are a class of receptors that can directly recognize the specific molecular structures on the surface of pathogens, apoptotic host cells, and damaged senescent cells. PRRs bridge nonspecific immunity and specific immunity. Through the recognition and binding of ligands, PRRs can produce nonspecific anti-infection, antitumor, and other immunoprotective effects. Most PRRs in the innate immune system of vertebrates can be classified into the following five types based on protein domain homology: Toll-like receptors (TLRs), nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs), retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), and absent in melanoma-2 (AIM2)-like receptors (ALRs). PRRs are basically composed of ligand recognition domains, intermediate domains, and effector domains. PRRs recognize and bind their respective ligands and recruit adaptor molecules with the same structure through their effector domains, initiating downstream signaling pathways to exert effects. In recent years, the increased researches on the recognition and binding of PRRs and their ligands have greatly promoted the understanding of different PRRs signaling pathways and provided ideas for the treatment of immune-related diseases and even tumors. This review describes in detail the history, the structural characteristics, ligand recognition mechanism, the signaling pathway, the related disease, new drugs in clinical trials and clinical therapy of different types of PRRs, and discusses the significance of the research on pattern recognition mechanism for the treatment of PRR-related diseases.

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Pattern recognition receptors in health and diseases.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are an important family of receptors that constitute the first line of defense system against microbes. They can recognize both invading pathogens and endogenous danger molecules released from dying cells and damaged tissues and play a key role in linking innate and adaptive immunity. TLRs are widely distributed in both immune and other body cells. The expressions and locations of TLRs are regulated in response to specific molecules derived from pathogens or damaged host cells. The binding of ligands to TLR activates specific intracellular signaling cascades that initiate host defense reactions. Such binding is ligand-dependent and cell type-dependent and leads to production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and type 1 interferon. TLR-dependent signaling pathways are tightly increased during innate immune responses by a variety of negative regulators. Overactivation of TLRs can ultimately lead to disruption of immune homeostasis and thus increase the risk for inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders. Antagonists/inhibitors targeting the TLR signaling pathways have emerged as novel therapeutics to treat these diseases. The present review summarizes the structure, characterizations, and signaling of TLRs and their regulators, as well as describes the implication of TLRs in many diseases with a brief idea about the inhibitors that target TLR signaling pathways. We conclude that TLRs are the main elements of our immune system, and they should be maintained functioning to keep the integrity of innate immunity. Targeting of TLR signaling represents a new challenge for treatment of many diseases.

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Toll-like receptors activation, signaling, and targeting: an overview

This review attempts to cover the implication of the toll-like receptors (TLRs) in controlling immune functions with emphasis on their significance, function, regulation and expression patterns. The tripartite TLRs are type I integral transmembrane receptors that are involved in recognition and conveying of pathogens to the immune system. These paralogs are located on cell surfaces or within endosomes. The TLRs are found to be functionally involved in the recognition of self and non-self-antigens, maturation of DCs and initiation of antigen-specific adaptive immune responses as they bridge the innate and adaptive immunity. Interestingly, they also have a significant role in immunotherapy and vaccination. Signals generated by TLRs are transduced through NFκB signaling and MAP kinases pathway to recruit pro-inflammatory cytokines and co-stimulatory molecules, which promote inflammatory responses. The excess production of these cytokines leads to grave systemic disorders like tumor growth and autoimmune disorders. Hence, regulation of the TLR signaling pathway is necessary to keep the host system safe. Many molecules like LPS, SOCS1, IRAK1, NFκB, and TRAF3 are involved in modulating the TLR pathways to induce appropriate response. Though quantification of these TLRs helps in correlating the magnitude of immune response exhibited by the animal, there are several internal, external, genetic and animal factors that affect their expression patterns. So it can be concluded that any identification based on those expression profiles may lead to improper diagnosis during certain conditions.

Toll-like receptors: Significance, ligands, signaling pathways, and functions in mammals

A study was designed to comparatively assess the impact of summer season induced heat stress on the immune response related genes in two different indigenous Osmanabadi and Salem Black goat breeds....

Comparative assessment of thermo-tolerance between indigenous Osmanabadi and Salem black goat breeds based on expression patterns of different intracellular toll-like receptor genes during exposure to summer heat stress

Certain blood parameters indicate the postpartum reproductive performance in cattle. In the present study, blood samples were collected from 25 lactating animals on 10 ththth th day of calving and thereafter at weekly intervals upto 12 weeks postpartum. The samples were analyzed for glucose, cholesterol, serum urea nitrogen (SUN) and total proteins, which were correlated with the postpartum reproductive efficiency in cattle. Animals with more amount of blood glucose (55.49mg/dl)   came to heat within 2 months compared to those with lesser blood glucose (50.20mg/dl), which came to heat after 2 months postpartum. There was no significant difference in the blood total protein concentration between the two groups of animals i.e which conceived with in 3 months and another group which conceived after 3 months. Significantly more blood cholesterol (181.8mg) was present in animals which came to heat within 2 months than  animals with cholesterol (159.9mg/dl) which came to heat after 2 months postpartum. Animals with lesser BUN (14.74 mg/dl) came to heat early compared to those with more amount of BUN (15.69 mg/dl). There was significant correlation of blood glucose, cholesterol and BUN with first postpartum heat.

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Relation of various physiological blood parameters with the postpartum reproductive efficiency in cattle

Metabolite, electrolyte, and enzymatic composition of bubaline follicular fluid

Two dimensional SDS PAGE analysis of epididymal tissue proteins of normal and castrated bulls (Bos taurus) and identification of an androgen dependant protein

V. Girish Kumar

Papers

Toll-like receptors: Significance, ligands, signaling pathways, and functions in mammals

Comparative assessment of thermo-tolerance between indigenous Osmanabadi and Salem black goat breeds based on expression patterns of different intracellular toll-like receptor genes during exposure to summer heat stress

Relation of various physiological blood parameters with the postpartum reproductive efficiency in cattle

Metabolite, electrolyte, and enzymatic composition of bubaline follicular fluid

Two dimensional SDS PAGE analysis of epididymal tissue proteins of normal and castrated bulls (Bos taurus) and identification of an androgen dependant protein