scholarly journals Role of Super Immune Activation Secondary to Infection in the Context of Cancer

Author(s):  
Javier Contreras Cardenas ◽  

By 2008, it was estimated that there were about 12.7 million new cases of cancer worldwide, resulting in 7.6 million deaths. We are aware of the heterogeneity that exists and that it is impossible to link its development in any organ to a single pathophysiological mechanism. The greatest risk factor for developing cancer is aging, as age is directly proportional to accumulated aberrations and exposure to carcinogens. Most cancers occur in people who have no overt immunodeficiency. It is evident, then, that tumor cells must develop mechanisms to escape or evade the immune system in immunocompetent hosts. The main mechanisms of innate immunity against viruses are inhibition of infection by type I interferons and NK cell-mediated death of infected cells. The hypothesis is that perhaps the ability of epigenetic modification, which varies from virus to virus, is not exclusively reduced to the ability to activate genes that lead to cancer; but also randomly empower the organism to activate tumor suppressor genes.

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Webster ◽  
Scott W Werneke ◽  
Biljana Zafirova ◽  
Sébastien This ◽  
Séverin Coléon ◽  
...  

Type I interferon (IFN-I) responses are critical for the control of RNA virus infections, however, many viruses, including Dengue (DENV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) virus, do not directly activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), robust IFN-I producing cells. Herein, we demonstrated that DENV and CHIKV infected cells are sensed by pDCs, indirectly, resulting in selective IRF7 activation and IFN-I production, in the absence of other inflammatory cytokine responses. To elucidate pDC immunomodulatory functions, we developed a mouse model in which IRF7 signaling is restricted to pDC. Despite undetectable levels of IFN-I protein, pDC-restricted IRF7 signaling controlled both viruses and was sufficient to protect mice from lethal CHIKV infection. Early pDC IRF7-signaling resulted in amplification of downstream antiviral responses, including an accelerated natural killer (NK) cell-mediated type II IFN response. These studies revealed the dominant, yet indirect role of pDC IRF7-signaling in directing both type I and II IFN responses during arbovirus infections.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-149
Author(s):  
Marja Ojaniemi ◽  
Mari Liljeroos ◽  
Reetta Vuolteenaho

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1720
Author(s):  
Kuo-Chieh Liao ◽  
Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco

The importance of transcriptional regulation of host genes in innate immunity against viral infection has been widely recognized. More recently, post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms have gained appreciation as an additional and important layer of regulation to fine-tune host immune responses. Here, we review the functional significance of alternative splicing in innate immune responses to viral infection. We describe how several central components of the Type I and III interferon pathways encode spliced isoforms to regulate IFN activation and function. Additionally, the functional roles of splicing factors and modulators in antiviral immunity are discussed. Lastly, we discuss how cell death pathways are regulated by alternative splicing as well as the potential role of this regulation on host immunity and viral infection. Altogether, these studies highlight the importance of RNA splicing in regulating host–virus interactions and suggest a role in downregulating antiviral innate immunity; this may be critical to prevent pathological inflammation.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 675
Author(s):  
Samira Elmanfi ◽  
Mustafa Yilmaz ◽  
Wilson W. S. Ong ◽  
Kofi S. Yeboah ◽  
Herman O. Sintim ◽  
...  

Host cells can recognize cytosolic double-stranded DNAs and endogenous second messengers as cyclic dinucleotides—including c-di-GMP, c-di-AMP, and cGAMP—of invading microbes via the critical and essential innate immune signaling adaptor molecule known as STING. This recognition activates the innate immune system and leads to the production of Type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines. In this review, we (1) focus on the possible role of bacterial cyclic dinucleotides and the STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and the regulation of periodontal immune response, and (2) review and discuss activators and inhibitors of the STING pathway as immune response regulators and their potential utility in the treatment of periodontitis. PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched with the terms “STING”, “TBK 1”, “IRF3”, and “cGAS”—alone, or together with “periodontitis”. Current studies produced evidence for using STING-pathway-targeting molecules as part of anticancer therapy, and as vaccine adjuvants against microbial infections; however, the role of the STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway in periodontal disease pathogenesis is still undiscovered. Understanding the stimulation of the innate immune response by cyclic dinucleotides opens a new approach to host modulation therapies in periodontology.


2017 ◽  
Vol 282 (6) ◽  
pp. 522-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. H. Simons ◽  
H. A. B. Peters ◽  
J. W. Jukema ◽  
M. R. de Vries ◽  
P. H. A. Quax

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murray Carol ◽  
O Loughlin Elaine ◽  
Cunningham Colm

2021 ◽  
Vol 95 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teslin S. Sandstrom ◽  
Nischal Ranganath ◽  
Stephanie C. Burke Schinkel ◽  
Syim Salahuddin ◽  
Oussama Meziane ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The use of unique cell surface markers to target and eradicate HIV-infected cells has been a longstanding objective of HIV-1 cure research. This approach, however, overlooks the possibility that intracellular changes present within HIV-infected cells may serve as valuable therapeutic targets. For example, the identification of dysregulated antiviral signaling in cancer has led to the characterization of oncolytic viruses capable of preferentially killing cancer cells. Since impairment of cellular antiviral machinery has been proposed as a mechanism by which HIV-1 evades immune clearance, we hypothesized that HIV-infected macrophages (an important viral reservoir in vivo) would be preferentially killed by the interferon-sensitive oncolytic Maraba virus MG1. We first showed that HIV-infected monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were more susceptible to MG1 infection and killing than HIV-uninfected cells. As MG1 is highly sensitive to type I interferons (IFN-I), we then investigated whether we could identify IFN-I signaling differences between HIV-infected and uninfected MDM and found evidence of impaired IFN-α responsiveness within HIV-infected cells. Finally, to assess whether MG1 could target a relevant, primary cell reservoir of HIV-1, we investigated its effects in alveolar macrophages (AM) obtained from effectively treated individuals living with HIV-1. As observed with in vitro-infected MDM, we found that HIV-infected AM were preferentially eliminated by MG1. In summary, the oncolytic rhabdovirus MG1 appears to preferentially target and kill HIV-infected cells via impairment of antiviral signaling pathways and may therefore provide a novel approach to an HIV-1 cure. IMPORTANCE Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) remains a treatable, but incurable, viral infection. The establishment of viral reservoirs containing latently infected cells remains the main obstacle in the search for a cure. Cure research has also focused on only one cellular target of HIV-1 (the CD4+ T cell) while largely overlooking others (such as macrophages) that contribute to HIV-1 persistence. In this study, we address these challenges by describing a potential strategy for the eradication of HIV-infected macrophages. Specifically, we show that an engineered rhabdovirus—initially developed as a cancer therapy—is capable of preferential infection and killing of HIV-infected macrophages, possibly via the same altered antiviral signaling seen in cancer cells. As this rhabdovirus is currently being explored in phase I/II clinical trials, there is potential for this approach to be readily adapted for use within the HIV-1 cure field.


2008 ◽  
Vol 205 (8) ◽  
pp. 1929-1938 ◽  
Author(s):  
César Muñoz-Fontela ◽  
Salvador Macip ◽  
Luis Martínez-Sobrido ◽  
Lauren Brown ◽  
Joseph Ashour ◽  
...  

Tumor suppressor p53 is activated by several stimuli, including DNA damage and oncogenic stress. Previous studies (Takaoka, A., S. Hayakawa, H. Yanai, D. Stoiber, H. Negishi, H. Kikuchi, S. Sasaki, K. Imai, T. Shibue, K. Honda, and T. Taniguchi. 2003. Nature. 424:516–523) have shown that p53 is also induced in response to viral infections as a downstream transcriptional target of type I interferon (IFN) signaling. Moreover, many viruses, including SV40, human papillomavirus, Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus, adenoviruses, and even RNA viruses such as polioviruses, have evolved mechanisms designated to abrogate p53 responses. We describe a novel p53 function in the activation of the IFN pathway. We observed that infected mouse and human cells with functional p53 exhibited markedly decreased viral replication early after infection. This early inhibition of viral replication was mediated both in vitro and in vivo by a p53-dependent enhancement of IFN signaling, specifically the induction of genes containing IFN-stimulated response elements. Of note, p53 also contributed to an increase in IFN release from infected cells. We established that this p53-dependent enhancement of IFN signaling is dependent to a great extent on the ability of p53 to activate the transcription of IFN regulatory factor 9, a central component of the IFN-stimulated gene factor 3 complex. Our results demonstrate that p53 contributes to innate immunity by enhancing IFN-dependent antiviral activity independent of its functions as a proapoptotic and tumor suppressor gene.


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