Triggering effects of BCG vaccine on antitumor and interleukin-1 secretory activity of T cell lymphokine-primed macrophages

Immunological and clinical aspects of cell therapy in the treatment of aftereffects of craniocerebral injury

Cell suspension consisting of cells from immature nervous and hemopoietic tissues was transplanted subarachnoidally to patients with craniocerebral injury aftereffects. In some patients cell therapy led to immune sensitization to donor antigens, detected by the leukocyte migration inhibition test. No signs of tissue-destructive autoimmune reactions were detected in patients receiving cell therapy. Follow-up of 56 patients showed that cell therapy was associated with significant improvement of the neurological status. No serious complications of this treatment modality were observed. Presumably, cell therapy is a safe method which can be used in the treatment of craniocerebral injury aftereffects.

Cell Therapy of Cerebral Palsy

The paper presents the results of a controlled study of cell therapy in 30 patients with severe forms of cerebral palsy. A cell suspension from immature nervous and hemopoietic tissues was injected into the subarachnoidal space of a recipient through a spinal puncture. Immune sensitization to donor antigens (detected by suppression of lymphocyte migration) was noted in few patients. In none patients laboratory and clinical signs of tissue-destructive autoimmune reactions were observed. One year after treatment activity of the major psychomotor functions in treated patients considerably surpassed the normal. No delayed complications of cell therapy were noted. These findings suggest that cell therapy is an effective, safe, and immunologically justified method of therapy for patients with cerebral palsy.

Effect of hot water extract from Agaricus blazei Murill on antibody-producing cells in mice

We investigated the immunopotentiating activities of boiled water-soluble extracts from desiccated Agaricus blazei Murill (ABM). Effect of ABM extract on antibody production was investigated by method of hemolytic plaque-forming cells (PFC) against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) antigen. ABM extracts significantly (p<0.01) increased the number of PFC in spleen with intraperitoneal administration at doses of 25 mg/kg as compared with control group. The populations of Mac-1- or CD25-positive cells significantly (p<0.01, p<0.001) increased, but in CD19-positive cells, there were no differences in ABM-treated mice as compared with control mice. The expressions of IL-6 and IL-1beta mRNA were augmented by ABM extract in both peritoneal macrophages and spleen cells. These results suggested that ABM extract might be an effective stimulator for T cell and macrophage to IL-1beta and IL-6 release, resulting in augmentation of antibody production against SRBC antigen.