French Institute of Health and Medical Research

About: French Institute of Health and Medical Research is a government organization based out in Paris, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Receptor. The organization has 109367 authors who have published 174236 publications receiving 8365503 citations.

HIV drug resistance.

Abstract: Combinations of antiretroviral drugs have proven remarkably effective in controlling the progression of HIV disease and prolonging survival, but these benefits can be compromised by the development of drug resistance. About 50 percent of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in the United States are estimated to harbor viruses that express resistance to at least one of the available antiretroviral drugs.

Targeting natural killer cells and natural killer T cells in cancer.

Abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells and natural killer T (NKT) cells are subsets of lymphocytes that share some phenotypical and functional similarities. Both cell types can rapidly respond to the presence of tumour cells and participate in antitumour immune responses. This has prompted interest in the development of innovative cancer therapies that are based on the manipulation of NK and NKT cells. Recent studies have highlighted how the immune reactivity of NK and NKT cells is shaped by the environment in which they develop. The rational use of these cells in cancer immunotherapies awaits a better understanding of their effector functions, migratory patterns and survival properties in humans.

Foamy macrophages and the progression of the human tuberculosis granuloma.

Abstract: The progression of tuberculosis from a latent, subclinical infection to active disease that culminates in the transmission of infectious bacilli is determined locally at the level of the granuloma. This progression takes place even in the face of a robust immune response that, although it contains infection, is unable to eliminate the bacterium. The factors or environmental conditions that influence this progression remain to be determined. Recent advances have indicated that pathogen-induced dysregulation of host lipid synthesis and sequestration serves a critical role in this transition. The foamy macrophage seems to be a key participant in both sustaining persistent bacteria and contributing to the tissue pathology that leads to cavitation and the release of infectious bacilli.

The FMR-1 protein is cytoplasmic, most abundant in neurons and appears normal in carriers of a fragile X premutation.

Abstract: Fragile X mental retardation syndrome is caused by the unstable expansion of a CGG repeat in the FMR–1 gene. In patients with a full mutation, abnormal methylation results in suppression of FMR–1 transcription. FMR–1 is expressed in many tissues but its function is unknown. We have raised monoclonal antibodies specific for the FMR–1 protein. They detect 4–5 protein bands which appear identical in cells of normal males and of males carrying a premutation, but are absent in affected males with a full mutation. Immunohistochemistry shows a cytoplasmic localization of FMR–1. The highest levels were observed in neurons, while glial cells contain very low levels. In epithelial tissues, levels of FMR–1 were higher in dividing layers. In adult testis, FMR–1 was detected only in spermatogonia. FMR–1 was not detected in dermis and cardiac muscle except under pathological conditions.