Eosinophils subvert host resistance to an intracellular pathogen by instigating non-protective IL-4 in CCR2-/- mice

Platelets and mast cells promote pathogenic eosinophil recruitment during invasive fungal infection via the 5-HIAA-GPR35 ligand-receptor system

Cryptococcus neoformans is the leading cause of fungal meningitis and is characterized by pathogenic eosinophil accumulation in the context of type-2 inflammation. The chemoattractant receptor GPR35 is expressed by granulocytes and promotes their migration to the inflammatory mediator 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), a serotonin metabolite. Given the inflammatory nature of cryptococcal infection, we examined the role of GPR35 in the circuitry underlying cell recruitment to the lung. GPR35 deficiency dampened eosinophil recruitment and fungal growth, whereas overexpression promoted eosinophil homing to airways and fungal replication. Activated platelets and mast cells were the sources of GPR35 ligand activity and pharmacological inhibition of serotonin conversion to 5-HIAA, or genetic deficiency in 5-HIAA production by platelets and mast cells resulted in more efficient clearance of Cryptococcus. Thus, the 5-HIAA-GPR35 axis is an eosinophil chemoattractant receptor system that modulates the clearance of a lethal fungal pathogen, with implications for the use of serotonin metabolism inhibitors in the treatment of fungal infections.

Enhanced Immune Responses to Mucosa by Functionalized Chitosan-Based Composite Nanoparticles as a Vaccine Adjuvant for Intranasal Delivery

Nasal administration for vaccine delivery is a novel non-invasive vaccine administration approach that can induce local or systemic immune responses and overcome the disadvantages caused by traditional injectable administration. However, mucosal vaccine and adjuvant delivery systems with sustained-release ability and enhanced immune effects at mucosal sites have still been highly demanded. In this work, N-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan/N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan nanoparticles (N-2-HACC/CMCS NPs) with excellent mucosal absorption, high drug loading capacity, and enhanced immune responses were prepared by the ionic cross-linking method. To evaluate the potential capacity of the N-2-HACC/CMCS NPs as a vaccine adjuvant and the molecular mechanism for the induction of enhanced mucosal and systemic immune responses, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was employed as a general model antigen and loaded into the N-2-HACC/CMCS NPs to prepare a BSA-loaded N-2-HACC/CMCS adjuvant vaccine (N-2-HACC/CMCS/BSA NPs). It was well demonstrated that the N-2-HACC/CMCS/BSA NPs with great biostability and mucosal absorption could effectively promote the proliferation of lymphocytes and the secretion of related pro-inflammatory factors, resulting in the stimulation of specific mucosal and systemic immune responses. This study revealed that the chitosan-based nano-delivery system can act as the mucosal vaccine adjuvant and possesses great promise in viral infectious diseases and immunization therapy.

Interactions between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and epoxide hydrolase 1 play roles in asthma

Asthma, as one of the most common chronic diseases in children and adults, is a consequence of complex gene-environment interactions. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as a group of widespread environmental organic pollutants, are involved in the development, triggering and pathologic changes of asthma. Various previous studies reported the critical roles of PAHs in immune changes, oxidative stress and environment-gene interactions of asthma. EPHX1 (the gene of epoxide hydrolase 1, an enzyme mediating human PAH metabolism) had a possible association with asthma by influencing PAH metabolism. This review summarized that (1) the roles of PAHs in asthma-work as risk factors; (2) the possible mechanisms involved in PAH-related asthma-through immunologic and oxidative stress changes; (3) the interactions between PAHs and EPHX1 involved in asthma-enzymatic activity of epoxide hydrolase 1, which affected by EPHX1 genotypes/SNPs/diplotypes, could influence human PAH metabolism and people's vulnerability to PAH exposure. This review provided a better understanding of the above interactions and underlying mechanisms for asthma which help to raise public's concern on PAH control and develop strategies for individual asthma primary prevention.