Critical Reviews in Immunology 

About: Critical Reviews in Immunology is an academic journal published by Begell House. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Immune system & Antigen. It has an ISSN identifier of 1040-8401. Over the lifetime, 798 publications have been published receiving 42538 citations. The journal is also known as: Crit. Rev. Immunol. & Critical reviews in immunology.

Role of Interleukin 10 Transcriptional Regulation in Inflammation and Autoimmune Disease

Abstract: Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a cytokine with potent anti-inflammatory properties that plays a central role in limiting host immune response to pathogens, thereby preventing damage to the host and maintaining normal tissue homeostasis Dysregulation of IL-10 is associated with enhanced immunopathology in response to infection as well as increased risk for development of many autoimmune diseases Thus a fundamental understanding of IL-10 gene expression is critical for our comprehension of disease progression and resolution of host inflammatory response In this review, we discuss modes of regulation of IL-10 gene expression in immune effector cell types, including signal transduction, epigenetics, promoter architecture, and post-transcriptional regulation, and how aberrant regulation contributes to immunopathology and disease progression

M1 and M2 Macrophages: Oracles of Health and Disease.

Abstract: The purpose of immunology is simple. Cure or prevent disease. M1/M2 is useful because it is simple. M1/M2 describes the two major and opposing activities of macrophages. M1 activity inhibits cell proliferation and causes tissue damage while M2 activity promotes cell proliferation and tissue repair. Remarkably, the molecules primarily responsible for these "Fight" (NO) or "Fix" (Ornithine) activities both arise from arginine, and via enzymatic pathways (iNOS and arginase) that down regulate each other. The names M1 and M2 were chosen because M1 and M2 macrophages promote Th1 and Th2 responses, respectively. Products of Th1 and Th2 responses (e.g., IFN-γ, IL-4) also down regulate M2 and M1activity, respectively. Thus, M1/M2 demonstrated the importance of Innate Immunity and how it is linked to Adaptive Immunity in a beautifully counterbalanced system. "Civilization" and increased longevity present new disease challenges such as cancer and atherosclerosis that do not display classical "foreign" antigens. And, these diseases are often associated with (or caused by) M1- or M2- type responses that were formerly useful for fighting infections, but now are inappropriate in our increasingly "germ-free" societies. In turn, there is considerable potential for modulating M1 or M2 Innate responses in modern diseases to achieve better health. Finally, since M1 and Th1 (or M2 and Th2) often work in concert to produce characteristic immune responses and disease pathologies, it is recommended that Immune Type 1 or 2 (IT1, IT2) would be a simpler and unifying terminology going forward.

Biology and biochemistry of the chemokines: a family of chemotactic and inflammatory cytokines.

Abstract: Studies conducted in many laboratories over the past several years have resulted in the identification and initial characterization of a large superfamily of structurally and functionally related inflammatory cytokines. This superfamily currently includes 14 distinct members: platelet factor 4, beta-thromboglobulin, neutrophil activating peptide-1/interleukin-8, gro, IP-10, mig, ENA-78, macrophage inflammatory proteins-1 alpha and -1 beta, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1/JE, RANTES, HC-14, C-10, and I-309. Although numerous biological activities have been assigned to these molecules, a common theme is their ability to stimulate the chemotactic migration of distinct sets of cells, including neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, and fibroblasts. Accumulating evidence indicates that these molecules play important roles in mediating cell recruitment and activation necessary for inflammation and the repair of tissue damage.

Therapeutic Effects of Substances Occurring in Higher Basidiomycetes Mushrooms: A Modern Perspective

Abstract: This review highlights some of the recently isolated and identified substances of higher Basidiomycetes mushrooms origin that express promising antitumor, immune modulating, cardiovascular and hypercholesterolemia, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic effects. Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of use in folk medicine. In particular, mushrooms useful against cancers of the stomach, esophagus, lungs, etc. are known in China, Russia, Japan, Korea, as well as the U.S.A. and Canada. There are about 200 species of mushrooms that have been found to markedly inhibit the growth of different kinds of tumors. Searching for new antitumor and other medicinal substances from mushrooms and to study the medicinal value of these mushrooms have become a matter of great significance. However, most of the mushroom origin antitumor substances have not been clearly defined. Several antitumor polysaccharides such as hetero-beta-glucans and their protein complexes (e.g., xyloglucans and acidic beta-glucan-containing uronic acid), as well as dietary fibers, lectins, and terpenoids have been isolated from medicinal mushrooms. In Japan, Russia, China, and the U.S.A. several different polysaccharide antitumor agents have been developed from the fruiting body, mycelia, and culture medium of various medicinal mushrooms (Lentinus edodes, Ganoderma lucidum, Schizophyllum commune, Trametes versicolor, Inonotus obliquus, and Flammulina velutipes). Both cellular components and secondary metabolites of a large number of mushrooms have been shown to effect the immune system of the host and therefore could be used to treat a variety of disease states.

The Nature of Selection on the Major Histocompatibility Complex

Abstract: Only natural selection can account for the extreme genetic diversity of genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Although the structure and function of classic MHC genes is well understood at the molecular and cellular levels, there is controversy about how MHC diversity is selectively maintained. The diversifying selection can be driven by pathogen interactions and inbreeding avoidance mechanisms. Pathogen-driven selection can maintain MHC polymorphism based on heterozygote advantage or frequency-dependent selection due to pathogen evasion of MHC-dependent immune recognition. Empirical evidence demonstrates that specific MHC haplotypes are resistant to certain infectious agents, while susceptible to others. These data are consistent with both heterozygote advantage and frequency-dependent models. Additional research is needed to discriminate between these mechanisms. Infectious agents can precipitate autoimmunity and can potentially contribute to MHC diversity through molecular mimicry and by favoring immunodominance. MHC-dependent abortion and mate choice, based on olfaction, can also maintain MHC diversity and probably functions both to avoid genome-wide inbreeding and produce MHC-heterozygous offspring with increased immune responsiveness. Although this diverse set of hypotheses are often treated as competing alternatives, we believe that they all fit into a coherent, internally consistent thesis. It is likely that at least in some species, all of these mechanisms operate, leading to the extreme diversification found in MHC genes.