John Radcliffe Hospital

About: John Radcliffe Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Antigen. The organization has 14491 authors who have published 23670 publications receiving 1459015 citations.

The role of bacterial polysaccharide capsules as virulence factors.

Abstract: Carbohydrates are universally present on the surface of living cells. On eukaryotic cells, many different carbohydrates are attached as glycoproteins and glycolipids; the oligosaccharide moieties are known to act as receptors and it seems likely that they play an important role in cell-to-cell recognition processes. Polysaccharide capsules, in prokaryotes characteristically composed of repeating oligosaccharides, are found on the surface of many bacteria. These capsules are typically composed of only one polysaccharide and lie outside the outer membrane of gram-negative cells and the peptidoglycan layer of gram-positive cells. In general, individual bacteria do not exhibit variation of these antigens as has been described for the variant glycoproteins of trypanosomes (Cross1978). Comprising 99% water, these highly hydrated, polyanionic polysaccharide capsules serve many functions. These include determining access of molecules and ions to the bacterial cell envelope and the cytoplasmic membrane, the promotion of adherence to the surfaces of inanimate objects or living cells and the formation of biofilms and microcolonies (Costerton and Irwin1981). Among certain gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, capsules have evolved distinctive structural and functional characteristics which are of cardinal importance in the pathogenesis of infections of animals, plants and insects (Sutherland1977).

Selection, the mutation rate and cancer: ensuring that the tail does not wag the dog.

Abstract: In considering tumorigenesis, much attention is paid to genome instability and mutation rates. While reflecting on the circumstances that have led to this emphasis on mutation rates, Ian Tomlinson and Walter Bodmer point out that an increased mutation rate does not necessarily cause a tumor to grow and that selection is in fact the mechanism that drives the cellular, somatic evolution that leads to cancer.

In vivo prevention of transplant arteriosclerosis by ex vivo-expanded human regulatory T cells

Abstract: Transplant arteriosclerosis is a leading cause of transplanted organ dysfunction. Human regulatory T cells expanded ex vivo can prevent transplant arteriosclerosis in a mouse model by preventing the immune infiltration of the graft.

Aquaporin-4 antibodies in neuromyelitis optica and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis.

Abstract: Objectives: To develop a clinically applicable quantitativeassaytodetectthepresenceofaquaporin-4(AQP4) antibodies in patients with neuromyelitis optica and to characterize the anti-AQP4 antibodies. Design: We compared a simple new quantitative fluorescence immunoprecipitation assay (FIPA) with both indirect immunofluorescence and an AQP4-transfected cell-based assay, both previously described. We used the cell-based assay to characterize the antibodies for their immunoglobulin class, IgG subclass, and ability to induce complement C3b deposition in vitro.