The Latest Biology News And Medical NewsBiology News 2Health News 2Biology News 3Health News 3
HOME >> BIOLOGY >> NEWS
Mouse study yields clue to why liver is less prone to rejection, say Pitt researchers

BOSTON, May 17 Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh's Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute believe they have identified a mechanism that may help to explain why the liver enjoys privileged immunological status over other organs, making it the least vulnerable to rejection when transplanted.

Playing a central role in this mechanism is the dendritic cell, known for its ability to identify and present antigens, or foreign substances, to other immune system cells that are programmed to destroy the antigen. When mature, dendritic cells signal T cells, the soldiers of the immune system, to attack a transplanted organ, for example. But dendritic cells that reside in the liver are relatively docile in nature. Why this is, according to the Pitt study, may be due to the fact that they express lower amounts of a certain molecule that serves as a switch for the maturation process.

Reporting in a plenary session at the American Transplant Congress, the joint scientific meeting of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and the American Society of Transplantation, An de Creus, Ph.D., identified the key molecule as a Toll-like receptor known as TLR-4. Toll-like receptors are like night watchmen that look for suspicious activity characterized by unusual patterns of other molecules. TLR-4 is known to react to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component found in the cell wall of bacteria. Reacting to LPS sets in motion a cascade of immune events that begins with the rapid maturation of dendritic cells.

Because of the liver's position downstream from the intestines, dendritic cells there encounter large amounts of LPS as remnants of bacteria from the gut are carried by blood flowing through the liver's portal vein. But unlike dendritic cells found elsewhere, such as in the spleen, dendritic cells that reside in the liver express less TLR-4, making them more apathetic toward LPS, the researchers found in their studies of mice.

"With th
'"/>


17-May-2004


Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Half-million dollar landmark achieved for the Methuselah Mouse Prize
2. Mouse study shows NPAS3 and NPAS1 genes may be linked to psychosis
3. Mouse brain stem cells capable of converting into blood vessel cells
4. Mouse embryonic germ cells and male gametes created in the lab
5. Mouse, stripped of a key gene, resists diabetes
6. Mouse model of schizophrenia could speed identification of new antipsychotic drugs
7. Mouse study identifies protective mechanism against alcohol-induced embryo toxicity
8. Mouse model offers new explanation for kidney disease and failure
9. Mouse study suggests mammoth evolutionary change
10. Mouse genetic model for spongiform brain diseases
11. Mouse model links alcohol intake to marijuana-like brain compounds
Post Your Comments:
(Date:11/30/2008)...vels of "good cholesterol" are good enough, a new ... FASEB Journal suggests that you may want to thin...rsity of Chicago challenge the conventional wisdom...l (HDL) and low levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) is... the good cholesterol has varying degrees of quali...
(Date:11/30/2008)...sue of BioScience includes a Special Section con...n the Environment, coordinated by Louis J. Guillet...te list of research articles in the issue is as fo...ebrate Ecotoxicology. , Michael J. Carvan III, Jo...l organism for ecotoxicology, the zebrafish can be...
(Date:11/30/2008)..., 2008 Although naturally occurring smallpox was ...rists might obtain smallpox from a laboratory and ...tances, the supply of smallpox vaccine may be insu...published in the December 2008 issue of The Ameri...ifetime protection is obtained from just one vacci...
(Date:11/27/2008)...Journal of Experimental Biology are pleased to an...y of Sydney is the winner of this year,s JEB Outst...28th November in The Journal of Experimental Biol... prize recognises the contribution of an outstandi...r. Dussutour was the first author on the paper ,Ca...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):BioScience tip sheet, December 2008 2New study indicates smallpox vaccination effective for decades 2French scientist wins the Journal of Experimental Biology Outstanding Paper Prize 2French scientist wins the Journal of Experimental Biology Outstanding Paper Prize 3Study suggests existing drugs may be useful in treating brain tumors 3795 1Study suggests existing drugs may be useful in treating brain tumors 3795 2Study suggests existing drugs may be useful in treating brain tumors 3795 3New research on structure of bones raises questions for treatment of osteoporosis 831 1New research on structure of bones raises questions for treatment of osteoporosis 831 2K State chemistry professor to receive Masao Horiba award 826 1K State chemistry professor to receive Masao Horiba award 826 2UC San Diego researchers improve accuracy of breast cancer prognoses 3791 1UC San Diego researchers improve accuracy of breast cancer prognoses 3791 2UC San Diego researchers improve accuracy of breast cancer prognoses 3791 3
Other News:
...recent study shows that hundreds of genes contribu... time these genes, many of which are potential con...systematic study.......The group led by Professor ... Public Health Institute of Finland) has identifie...
...searchers at Yale School of Medicine have gained d...proteins called caspases that play a key role in p...sponds to external signals by essentially committi...sue of Science, the study focused on caspase 3 and...
...ientists have discovered that rarest of things: a .........Contrary to the well-known phrase, 'As rare ...nd a naturally occurring mutant chicken called Tal...eam, based at the Universities of Manchester and W...
...coholism and smoking have a high rate of co-occurr...wn about the co-morbidity of alcoholism and smokin...lcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, resea... among Plains American Indians, as well as the inf...
Genes involved in cell growth and cell division identified 2Hens' teeth not so rare after all 2Alcoholism, smoking and genetics among Plains American Indians 2Alcoholism, smoking and genetics among Plains American Indians 3
...Health now recommends that health professionals sh...about whether they have experienced domestic viole... that implementation of screening programmes in he...ence.......Researchers at Queen Mary's School of M...
...thin three days of birth some babies exhibit a uni...trongest in babies who have at least one grandpare...w research reported in today's rapid access issue ...ociation....... Healthy babies who had a "preferen...
...gs of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) ... linked to the same gene defect that causes PCOS, ...rtility, excessive body hair and increased risk fo... $6 million National Institutes of Health-funded N...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ( Aug. 12, 2002) The approval of a new drug for advanced colorectal cancer provides an important new option for patients whose disease has defied other therapies, says the Vanderbilt
health news:Screening women for domestic violence 'cannot be justified' on current evidence 2health news:Babies fond of salt have higher blood pressure, a granny with hypertension 2health news:Women with PCOS and their siblings with hormone problems have same gene defect 2health news:Colorectal cancer drug provides important option for patients with advanced disease 2health news:Colorectal cancer drug provides important option for patients with advanced disease 3
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts and the University of Pennsylvania have shown that race/ethnicity is a predictor of plasma lipids in patients with HIV-1 on HAART (highly active antire
... a warning sign of significant coronary heart dise...ort in the January 23 issue of the Archives of Int...n association between erectile dysfunction and ath...tudy to link ED with abnormal results on cardiac s...
It is the stuff of nightmares - you are under anaesthetic during an operation but you are fully conscious. Aware of every incision -yet unable to communicate that fact.......Now a leading Professor of
...vation satellite, was successfully launched at 02:...ntal data and imagery from ALOS will be provided t... agreement between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exp...erving Satellite (ALOS) is a four-tonne satellite ...
health news:Ethnic differences in response to HIV medicines 2health news:Erectile dysfunction may warn of heart disease 2health news:Awareness under anaesthesia-findings from research by University of Leicester professor 2health news:Japan's ALOS in orbit: ESA will deliver its data to European researchers 2