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Lindsay RS, Whitesell JC, Dew KE, Rodriguez E, Sandor AM, Tracy D, Yannacone SF, Basta BN, Jacobelli J, Friedman RS. MERTK on mononuclear phagocytes regulates T cell antigen recognition at autoimmune and tumor sites. J Exp Med 2021; 218:e20200464. [PMID: 34415994 PMCID: PMC8383814 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20200464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding mechanisms of immune regulation is key to developing immunotherapies for autoimmunity and cancer. We examined the role of mononuclear phagocytes during peripheral T cell regulation in type 1 diabetes and melanoma. MERTK expression and activity in mononuclear phagocytes in the pancreatic islets promoted islet T cell regulation, resulting in reduced sensitivity of T cell scanning for cognate antigen in prediabetic islets. MERTK-dependent regulation led to reduced T cell activation and effector function at the disease site in islets and prevented rapid progression of type 1 diabetes. In human islets, MERTK-expressing cells were increased in remaining insulin-containing islets of type 1 diabetic patients, suggesting that MERTK protects islets from autoimmune destruction. MERTK also regulated T cell arrest in melanoma tumors. These data indicate that MERTK signaling in mononuclear phagocytes drives T cell regulation at inflammatory disease sites in peripheral tissues through a mechanism that reduces the sensitivity of scanning for antigen leading to reduced responsiveness to antigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin S. Lindsay
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
| | - Jennifer C. Whitesell
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Aurora, CO
| | - Kristen E. Dew
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
| | - Erika Rodriguez
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Aurora, CO
| | - Adam M. Sandor
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
| | - Dayna Tracy
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
| | - Seth F. Yannacone
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
| | | | - Jordan Jacobelli
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Aurora, CO
| | - Rachel S. Friedman
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Aurora, CO
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Chen CJ, Liu YP. MERTK Inhibition: Potential as a Treatment Strategy in EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14020130. [PMID: 33562150 PMCID: PMC7915726 DOI: 10.3390/ph14020130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are currently the most effective treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, who carry primary EGFR mutations. However, the patients eventually develop drug resistance to EGFR-TKIs after approximately one year. In addition to the acquisition of the EGFR T790M mutation, the activation of alternative receptor-mediated signaling pathways is a common mechanism for conferring the insensitivity of EGFR-TKI in NSCLC. Upregulation of the Mer receptor tyrosine kinase (MERTK), which is a member of the Tyro3-Axl-MERTK (TAM) family, is associated with a poor prognosis of many cancers. The binding of specific ligands, such as Gas6 and PROS1, to MERTK activates phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, which are the signaling pathways shared by EGFR. Therefore, the inhibition of MERTK can be considered a new therapeutic strategy for overcoming the resistance of NSCLC to EGFR-targeted agents. Although several small molecules and monoclonal antibodies targeting the TAM family are being developed and have been described to enhance the chemosensitivity and converse the resistance of EGFR-TKI, few have specifically been developed as MERTK inhibitors. The further development and investigation of biomarkers which can accurately predict MERTK activity and the response to MERTK inhibitors and MERTK-specific drugs are vitally important for obtaining appropriate patient stratification and increased benefits in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Ju Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan;
| | - Yu-Peng Liu
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-7-3121101
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Pidwill GR, Gibson JF, Cole J, Renshaw SA, Foster SJ. The Role of Macrophages in Staphylococcus aureus Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 11:620339. [PMID: 33542723 PMCID: PMC7850989 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.620339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a member of the human commensal microflora that exists, apparently benignly, at multiple sites on the host. However, as an opportunist pathogen it can also cause a range of serious diseases. This requires an ability to circumvent the innate immune system to establish an infection. Professional phagocytes, primarily macrophages and neutrophils, are key innate immune cells which interact with S. aureus, acting as gatekeepers to contain and resolve infection. Recent studies have highlighted the important roles of macrophages during S. aureus infections, using a wide array of killing mechanisms. In defense, S. aureus has evolved multiple strategies to survive within, manipulate and escape from macrophages, allowing them to not only subvert but also exploit this key element of our immune system. Macrophage-S. aureus interactions are multifaceted and have direct roles in infection outcome. In depth understanding of these host-pathogen interactions may be useful for future therapeutic developments. This review examines macrophage interactions with S. aureus throughout all stages of infection, with special emphasis on mechanisms that determine infection outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace R. Pidwill
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Florey Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Josie F. Gibson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Florey Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- The Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Joby Cole
- Florey Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen A. Renshaw
- Florey Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- The Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J. Foster
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Florey Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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Zahoor A, Yang C, Yang Y, Akhtar M, Umar T, Khan MA, Ahmad S, Deng G, Guo MY. MerTK negatively regulates Staphylococcus aureus induced inflammatory response via SOCS1/SOCS3 and Mal. Immunobiology 2020; 225:151960. [PMID: 32747017 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2020.151960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), one of Gram-positive pathogen, is frequently associated with acute lung inflammation. The central feature of S. aureus acute lung inflammation are pulmonary dysfunctioning and impeded host defence response, which cause failure in inflammatory cytokines homeostasis and leads to serious tissue damage. However, the role of the Mer receptor tyrosine kinase (MerTK) in the lung following S. aureus infection remains elusive. Here, we investigate whether MerTK alleviates S. aureus induced uncontrolled inflammation through negatively regulating toll-like receptor 2 and 6 (TLR2/ TLR6) via suppressor of cytokine signalling 1, 3 (SOCS1/SOCS3). METHODS AND RESULTS We found in mice lung tissues and RAW 264.7 macrophages upon S. aureus infection activates TLR2 and TLR6 driven mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signalling pathways, resulting in production of inflammatory cytokines including tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6). Furthermore, S. aureus-infection groups showed a significant up-regulation of MerTK which serves as mediator of SOCS1 and SOCS3. Subsequently, through feedback mechanism SOCS1/3 degrade Mal, resulting in inhibition of downstream TLR mediated inflammatory pathways. Moreover, MerTK-/- mice lung tissues and silencing MerTK in RAW 264.7 inhibited the S. aureus-induced activation of MerTK, which significantly upregulated the phosphorylation of crucial protein in MAPKs (ERK, JNK, p38) and NF-κB (IĸBα, p65) signalling pathways, as well as the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSION Collectively, these findings indicate the important role of MerTK in self-regulatory resolution of S. aureus-induced inflammatory pathways and cytokines through intrinsic SOCS1 and SOCS3 repressed feedback on TLR2, TLR6 both in vivo and in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Zahoor
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China; College of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaping Yang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Akhtar
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Talha Umar
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Murad Ali Khan
- College of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Shakoor Ahmad
- College of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Ganzhen Deng
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
| | - Meng-Yao Guo
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
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Zahoor A, Yang Y, Yang C, Khan SB, Reix C, Anwar F, Guo MY, Deng G. MerTK negatively regulates Staphylococcus aureus induced inflammatory response via Toll-like receptor signaling in the mammary gland. Mol Immunol 2020; 122:1-12. [PMID: 32247834 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2020.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Mastitis is the most commonly diagnosed infectious disease reducing milk yield and quality and is accompanied by mammary tissue damage in both humans and animals. Mastitis incurs welfare and economic costs as well as environmental concerns regarding treatment. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a prevalent Gram-positive bacteria and a major cause of mastitis, however, pathogenesis of the intrinsic anti-inflammatory response in mammary tissues is still principally unknown. Our aim, in combatting the S. aureus induced inflammatory response in mammary tissues, was to elucidate the intrinsic anti-inflammatory role of MerTK signaling. Here, we demonstrate that Mer receptor tyrosine kinase (MerTK) regulates an intrinsic negative feedback to balance the over-reaction of the host defense system. S. aureus elicits toll-like receptors 2 and 6 (TLR2/TLR6) signaling pathways, subsequently recruiting TRAF6, whose ubiquitination is intricate to the downstream signaling including MAPKs and NF-κB. We observed that TLR2/TLR6 activation, in response to S. aureus, was concomitant with induced MerTK activation, leading to raised expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 and 3 (SOCS1, SOCS3) in wild type mice mammary tissues and epithelial cells. Meanwhile, S. aureus infection in MerTK-/- mice showed significant increased phosphorylation of p65, IκBα, p38, JNK and ERK along with production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, MerTK-/- evidently inhibited S. aureus induced phosphorylation of STAT1 and subsequent SOCS1/SOCS3 expression which are pivotal in the negative feedback mechanism for targeting TRAF6 to inhibit the TLR2/TLR6 mediated immune response. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the importance of MerTK in the regulation of the intrinsic feedback during the inflammatory response induced by S. aureus through STAT1/SOCS1/SOCS3 in mice mammary tissues and mice mammary epithelial cells (MMECs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Zahoor
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China; College of Veterinary Science, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Yaping Yang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Sher Bahadar Khan
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China; College of Veterinary Science, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Christine Reix
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, University of Bordeaux, France
| | - Farhan Anwar
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China; College of Veterinary Science, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Meng-Yao Guo
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ganzhen Deng
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
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Zahoor A, Yang Y, Yang C, Akhtar M, Guo Y, Shaukat A, Guo MY, Deng G. Gas6 negatively regulates the Staphylococcus aureus-induced inflammatory response via TLR signaling in the mouse mammary gland. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:7081-7093. [PMID: 32052456 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced mastitis is the most frequent, pathogenic, and prevalent infection of the mammary gland. The ligand growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6) is a secretory protein that binds to and activates Tyro3, Axl, and MerTK receptors. This study explored the role of Gas6 in S. aureus-induced mastitis. Our results revealed that TLR receptors initiate the innate immune response in mammary gland tissues and epithelial cells and that introducing S. aureus activates TLR2 and TLR6 to drive multiple intracellular mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathways. Moreover, S. aureus also induces Gas6, which then activates the TAM receptor kinase pathway, which is related to the inhibition of TLR2- and TLR6-mediated inflammatory pathways through SOCS1 and SOCS3 induction. Gas6 absence alone was found to be involved in the downregulation of TAM receptor-mediated anti-inflammatory effects by inducing significantly prominent expression of TRAF6 and low protein and messenger RNA expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3. S. aureus-induced MAPK and NF-ĸB p65 phosphorylation were also dependent on Gas6, which negatively regulated the production of Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in S. aureus-treated mammary tissues and mammary epithelial cells. Our in vivo and in vitro study uncovered the Gas6-mediated negative feedback mechanism, which inhibits TLR2- and TLR6-mediated MAPK and NF-ĸB signaling by activating TAM receptor kinase (MerTK, Axl, and Tyro3) through the induction of SOCS1/SOCS3 proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Zahoor
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaping Yang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Akhtar
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingfang Guo
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Aftab Shaukat
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng-Yao Guo
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ganzhen Deng
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
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Lv Y, Fang L, Ding P, Liu R. PI3K/Akt-Beclin1 signaling pathway positively regulates phagocytosis and negatively mediates NF-κB-dependent inflammation in Staphylococcus aureus-infected macrophages. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 510:284-289. [PMID: 30700382 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.01.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Although autophagy and phagocytosis are involved in the regulation of host inflammatory response to bacterial infection in macrophages, the underlying mechanisms have not been completely elucidated. In the present study, we found that infecting RAW264.7 macrophages with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) activated multiple signaling pathways including phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and Rac1, as well as triggered autophagy. LY294002, a specific PI3K activity inhibitor, significantly decreased autophagy and phagocytosis of macrophages upon S. aureus infection. Similarly, knockdown of Beclin1 by specific siRNA significantly inhibited autophagy and phagocytosis of S. aureus-infected macrophages. Additionally, we showed that although administration of Beclin1 siRNA had no effects on phosphorylation of Akt (p-Akt), inhibition of PI3K activity by LY294002 significantly decreased the expression of Beclin1, suggesting that Beclin1 is a downstream molecular of PI3K. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy significantly increased the production of NF-κB-dependent TNFα/IL-1β in S. aureus-infected macrophages. Collectively, these findings demonstrated, for the first time, that the PI3K/Akt-Beclin1 signaling pathway positively regulates phagocytosis and negatively mediates NF-κB-dependent inflammation in S. aureus-infected macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxiang Lv
- Department of Respiration, Anhui Geriatric Institute, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Fang
- Department of Respiration, Anhui Geriatric Institute, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People's Republic of China
| | - Peishan Ding
- Department of Respiration, Anhui Geriatric Institute, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongyu Liu
- Department of Respiration, Anhui Geriatric Institute, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People's Republic of China.
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Zhang B, Lu H, Jiang A, Wu H, Fang L, Lv Y. MerTK Downregulates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation Through SOCS1 Protein but Does Not Affect Phagocytosis of Escherichia coli in Macrophages. Inflammation 2018; 42:113-123. [DOI: 10.1007/s10753-018-0877-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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