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Li L, Huang F, Zhang YH, Cai YD. Identifying allergic-rhinitis-associated genes with random-walk-based method in PPI network. Comput Biol Med 2024; 175:108495. [PMID: 38697003 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Allergic rhinitis is a common allergic disease with a complex pathogenesis and many unresolved issues. Studies have shown that the incidence of allergic rhinitis is closely related to genetic factors, and research on the related genes could help further understand its pathogenesis and develop new treatment methods. In this study, 446 allergic rhinitis-related genes were obtained on the basis of the DisGeNET database. The protein-protein interaction network was searched using the random-walk-with-restart algorithm with these 446 genes as seed nodes to assess the linkages between other genes and allergic rhinitis. Then, this result was further examined by three screening tests, including permutation, interaction, and enrichment tests, which aimed to pick up genes that have strong and special associations with allergic rhinitis. 52 novel genes were finally obtained. The functional enrichment test confirmed their relationships to the biological processes and pathways related to allergic rhinitis. Furthermore, some genes were extensively analyzed to uncover their special or latent associations to allergic rhinitis, including IRAK2 and MAPK, which are involved in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and the inhibition of allergic inflammation via the p38-MAPK pathway, respectively. The new found genes may help the following investigations for understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of allergic rhinitis and developing effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Li
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head&neck, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, China; Department of Otolaryngology and Head&neck, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China.
| | - FeiMing Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China.
| | - Yu-Hang Zhang
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Yu-Dong Cai
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China.
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2
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Chen JL, Barr JY, Zuk JJ, Gorman JV, Colgan JD. Reciprocal SH2-SH3 Domain Contacts between ITK Molecules Limit T Cell Receptor Signaling in Th2-type CD4 + T Cells. Immunol Invest 2022; 51:1612-1629. [PMID: 34844506 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2021.2007262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The nonreceptor tyrosine kinase ITK is a key component of the T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway and is required for cytokine production by CD4+ T cells that have differentiated into Th2 cells. Structural and biochemical studies suggest that contacts between the SH2 and SH3 domains of ITK mediate intermolecular self-association, forming a structure that restrains ITK activity by interfering with interactions between ITK and other components of the TCR signaling pathway. Wild-type (WT) ITK and a panel of ITK mutants containing amino acid substitutions in the SH2 and SH3 domains were tested for self-association and for binding to the adaptor protein SLP76, a key ligand for the ITK SH2 domain. WT and ITK mutants were also expressed in Itk-deficient CD4+ T cells via retroviral-mediated gene delivery to analyze their ability to support TCR signaling and cytokine production by Th2 cells. Specific amino acid substitutions in the ITK SH2 or SH3 domains impaired self-association, with the greatest effects being seen when both intermolecular SH2-SH3 domain contacts were disrupted. Two of the SH2 domain substitutions tested reduced ITK self-association but had no effect on binding to SLP-76. When their function was analyzed in Th2 cells, ITK proteins with diminished self-association activity supported greater IL-4 production and calcium flux in response to TCR stimulation compared to WT ITK. Our findings indicate that intermolecular contacts between ITK molecules can restrain the amplitude of TCR signaling, suggesting ITK is a limiting factor for responses by CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Long Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jennifer Y Barr
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jonathan J Zuk
- The Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jacob V Gorman
- The Immunology Graduate Program, Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - John D Colgan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.,The Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.,The Immunology Graduate Program, Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Abstract
The focus of this review is to examine the role of ITK signaling in multiple diseases and investigate the clinical potential of ITK inhibition. The diseases and potential interventions reviewed include T cell-derived malignancies as well as other neoplastic diseases, allergic diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis, certain infectious diseases, several autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, and finally the use of ITK inhibition in both solid organ and bone marrow transplantation recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Weeks
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 766 Irving Avenue Weiskotten Hall Suite 2281, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Rebecca Harris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 766 Irving Avenue Weiskotten Hall Suite 2281, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Mobin Karimi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 766 Irving Avenue Weiskotten Hall Suite 2281, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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Souza MR, Ibelli AMG, Savoldi IR, Cantão ME, Peixoto JDO, Mores MAZ, Lopes JS, Coutinho LL, Ledur MC. Transcriptome analysis identifies genes involved with the development of umbilical hernias in pigs. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232542. [PMID: 32379844 PMCID: PMC7205231 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Umbilical hernia (UH) is one of the most frequent defects affecting pig production, however, it also affects humans and other mammals. UH is characterized as an abnormal protrusion of the abdominal contents to the umbilical region, causing pain, discomfort and reduced performance in pigs. Some genomic regions associated to UH have already been identified, however, no study involving RNA sequencing was performed when umbilical tissue is considered. Therefore, here, we have sequenced the umbilical ring transcriptome of five normal and five UH-affected pigs to uncover genes and pathways involved with UH development. A total of 13,216 transcripts were expressed in the umbilical ring tissue. From those, 230 genes were differentially expressed (DE) between normal and UH-affected pigs (FDR <0.05), being 145 downregulated and 85 upregulated in the affected compared to the normal pigs. A total of 68 significant biological processes were identified and the most relevant were extracellular matrix, immune system, anatomical development, cell adhesion, membrane components, receptor activation, calcium binding and immune synapse. The results pointed out ACAN, MMPs, COLs, EPYC, VIT, CCBE1 and LGALS3 as strong candidates to trigger umbilical hernias in pigs since they act in the extracellular matrix remodeling and in the production, integrity and resistance of the collagen. We have generated the first transcriptome of the pig umbilical ring tissue, which allowed the identification of genes that had not yet been related to umbilical hernias in pigs. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to identify the causal mutations, SNPs and CNVs in these genes to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayla Regina Souza
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zootecnia, Centro de Educação Superior do Oeste, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, UDESC, Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | | | - Igor Ricardo Savoldi
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zootecnia, Centro de Educação Superior do Oeste, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, UDESC, Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia Animal, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mônica Corrêa Ledur
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zootecnia, Centro de Educação Superior do Oeste, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, UDESC, Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Embrapa Suínos e Aves, Concórdia, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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5
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Aw A, Brown JR. Current Status of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Development and Use in B-Cell Malignancies. Drugs Aging 2017; 34:509-527. [PMID: 28536906 DOI: 10.1007/s40266-017-0468-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The B-cell receptor (BCR) pathway plays an important role in the survival, proliferation and trafficking of cancer cells in a variety of B-cell malignancies. Recently, a number of agents have been developed to target various components of the BCR pathway. One such target is Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a Tec family kinase member found near the cell membrane that is involved in upstream BCR signaling. The biological function of BTK in several B-cell lymphoid malignancies has led to the development of the oral BTK inhibitor ibrutinib. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), ibrutinib has demonstrated durable clinical responses in relapsed/refractory (R/R) patients, including those with the high-risk del(17p) cytogenetic abnormality. These findings have paved the way for trials evaluating ibrutinib in previously untreated CLL patients, and also in combination with chemoimmunotherapy or other novel agents. Durable clinical responses have also been demonstrated in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) patients treated with ibrutinib. Ibrutinib is generally well tolerated, although current follow-up remains short and patients of advanced age are more likely to discontinue treatment for toxicity. Treatment-specific side effects such as bleeding and atrial fibrillation may, at least partly, be related to off-target inhibition of non-BTK kinases. Studies evaluating other potential indications for BTK inhibition are ongoing, including in post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients for whom ibrutinib may be effective in modulating graft-versus-host disease. Combination trials of ibrutinib with venetoclax, a Bcl-2 inhibitor, are underway and are supported by sound preclinical rationale. Several next-generation BTK inhibitors are under development with the goal of decreasing treatment-related toxicity and resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Aw
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer R Brown
- CLL Center and Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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Abstract
Nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) is one of the most common conditions in medicine, affecting the quality of life of millions of patients throughout the United States. Despite its ubiquitous nature, NAR remains a poorly managed and often difficult to treat condition. NAR is often suboptimally managed by clinicians with poor clinical outcomes. Establishing the correct diagnosis requires a keen understanding of the unique underlying mechanisms involved in NAR, which is still evolving. Ultimately epidemiologic studies that better define NAR prevalence and its economic burden on society are needed to convince funding agencies of the need for research to elucidate mechanisms and specific treatment approaches for this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Greiwe
- Bernstein Allergy Group, 8444 Winton Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45231, USA; Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Cincinnati, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Jonathan A Bernstein
- Bernstein Allergy Group, 8444 Winton Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45231, USA; Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Cincinnati, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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7
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Kokhaei P, Jadidi-Niaragh F, Sotoodeh Jahromi A, Osterborg A, Mellstedt H, Hojjat-Farsangi M. Ibrutinib-A double-edge sword in cancer and autoimmune disorders. J Drug Target 2015; 24:373-85. [DOI: 10.3109/1061186x.2015.1086357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Parviz Kokhaei
- Cancer Research Center and Department of Immunology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran,
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Immune and Gene therapy Lab, Cancer Center Karolinska (CCK), Karolinska University Hospital Solna and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden,
| | - Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
| | | | - Anders Osterborg
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Immune and Gene therapy Lab, Cancer Center Karolinska (CCK), Karolinska University Hospital Solna and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden,
- Departments of Hematology and Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden, and
| | - Håkan Mellstedt
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Immune and Gene therapy Lab, Cancer Center Karolinska (CCK), Karolinska University Hospital Solna and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden,
- Departments of Hematology and Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden, and
| | - Mohammad Hojjat-Farsangi
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Immune and Gene therapy Lab, Cancer Center Karolinska (CCK), Karolinska University Hospital Solna and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden,
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
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8
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis (AR) is estimated to affect 20-25% of the United States population and thus accounts for a significant portion of our annual total health care expenditure, especially when one includes all of the concomitant disorders associated with rhinitis such as asthma and sinusitis. Given the prevalence of chronic rhinitis, the significant comorbidities associated with this condition, its overall health burden, and dissatisfaction by allergy sufferers with treatment outcomes, it is essential that the allergist and otolaryngologist develop a consensus approach for the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic rhinitis subtypes. METHODS This study was designed to achieve this end point. Investigators have taken several clinical, physiological, and mechanistic approaches toward better characterizing rhinitis subtypes. An accurate diagnosis directed at differentiating AR, nonallergic rhinitis, and mixed rhinitis is essential to ensure that treatment(s) prescribed will lead to more favorable clinical outcomes. RESULTS An accurate history taking into account age of symptom onset, family history, quantification of inciting allergic and/or nonallergic triggers, and seasonality followed by aeroallergen skin testing to assess atopic status has been shown to be the most useful approach for clearly differentiating rhinitis subtypes. CONCLUSION Other cellular, cytokine, genetic, and physiological markers have thus far been proven to be less useful. Ultimately, treatment response to medications will be most effective when they are individualized to the patient's diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Bernstein
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology/Allergy Section, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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9
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Ying XJ, Zhao SW, Wang GL, Xie J, Xu HM, Dong P. Association of interleukin-13 SNP rs20541 with allergic rhinitis risk: a meta-analysis. Gene 2013; 521:222-6. [PMID: 23545317 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2013.03.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2013] [Accepted: 03/16/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Studies investigating the association between interleukin-13 (IL-13) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs20541 and allergic rhinitis (AR) risk have reported conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to conduct a meta-analysis assessing the possible association of IL-13 SNP rs20541 with AR risk. Eight studies were included in the present meta-analysis (2153 cases and 3931 controls). The combined results based on all studies showed that IL-13 SNP rs20541 was associated with increased AR risk (Gln versus Arg: odds ratio (OR)=1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.08-1.30; Gln/Gln versus Arg/Arg: OR=1.52, 95% CI=1.20-1.92; Arg/Gln+Gln/Gln versus Arg/Arg: OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.06-1.33; Gln/Gln versus Arg/Gln+Arg/Arg: OR=1.42, 95% CI=1.13-1.79). When stratifying for race, IL-13 SNP rs20541 exhibited increased AR risk in Asians (Gln versus Arg: OR=1.20, 95% CI=1.06-1.36; Gln/Gln versus Arg/Arg: OR=1.57, 95% CI=1.17-2.12; Arg/Gln+Gln/Gln versus Arg/Arg: OR=1.22, 95% CI=1.04-1.44; Gln/Gln versus Arg/Gln+Arg/Arg: OR=1.45, 95% CI=1.09-1.93), while no significant association was detected in Caucasians (Gln versus Arg: OR=1.28, 95% CI=0.93~1.78; Gln/Gln versus Arg/Arg: OR=1.42, 95% CI=0.96-2.11; Arg/Gln+Gln/Gln versus Arg/Arg: OR=1.35, 95% CI=0.89-2.05; Gln/Gln versus Arg/Gln+Arg/Arg: OR=1.37, 95% CI=0.93-2.02). This meta-analysis supported that IL-13 SNP rs20541 was associated with AR, particularly in Asians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Jiang Ying
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
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Passalacqua G, Ciprandi G. Emerging drugs for perennial allergic rhinitis. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2012. [PMID: 23186314 DOI: 10.1517/14728214.2012.746312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a high-prevalence disease, sustained by an IgE-triggered reaction with histamine release, followed by an inflammatory response which involves cells, mediators, cytokines and adhesion molecules. According to its duration, AR can be either intermittent or persistent. In the persistent form, the inflammatory component usually predominates. AREAS COVERED The current therapeutic strategy is based on antihistamines, antileukotrienes and on corticosteroids (which broadly act on inflammation). Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a biological response modifier that affects the immune response to allergens in a broad sense. The available pharmacotherapy is overall effective in controlling symptoms and inflammation, but safety concerns may be present (especially for prolonged treatments), and a proportion of patients remain uncontrolled. The available therapeutic innovations, as derived from the most recent literature are reviewed herein. EXPERT OPINION In the last years there have been very few innovative approaches to optimize the management of AR. These include new histamine receptor antagonists, combination therapy and strategies to selectively block relevant signaling pathways of the allergic reaction. Some more promising advances have been shown for allergen immunotherapy, where a number of new strategies are currently under development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Passalacqua
- Allergy & Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS S. Martino-IST-University of Genoa, Padiglione Maragliano, L.go R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
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11
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August A, Ragin MJ. Regulation of T-cell responses and disease by tec kinase Itk. Int Rev Immunol 2012; 31:155-65. [PMID: 22449075 DOI: 10.3109/08830185.2012.668981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Itk is a member of the Tec family tyrosine kinases involved in T-cell receptor signaling. The authors review the background and most recent findings of the role of Itk T-cell activation and development of αβ T cells. They also discuss the role of Itk in development of nonconventional T cells, including CD8(+) innate memory phenotype T cells, different γδ T-cell populations, and invariant NKT cells. They close by reviewing the regulation of T helper differentiation and cytokine secretion, the immune response to infectious disease, and diseases such as allergic asthma and atopic dermatitis by Itk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery August
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
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12
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Qi Q, Kannan AK, August A. Structure and function of Tec family kinase Itk. Biomol Concepts 2011; 2:223-32. [PMID: 25962031 DOI: 10.1515/bmc.2011.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2011] [Accepted: 05/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Itk is a member of the Tec family of kinases that is expressed predominantly in T cells. Itk regulates the T cell receptor signaling pathway to modulate T cell development and T helper cell differentiation, particularly Th2 differentiation. Itk is also important for the development and function of iNKT cells. In this review we discuss current progress on our understanding of the structure, activation and signaling pathway of Itk, in addition to inhibitors that have been developed, which target this kinase. We also place in context the function of Itk, available inhibitors and potential use in treating disease.
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Barrenas F, Chavali S, Holme P, Mobini R, Benson M. Network properties of complex human disease genes identified through genome-wide association studies. PLoS One 2009; 4:e8090. [PMID: 19956617 PMCID: PMC2779513 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies of network properties of human disease genes have mainly focused on monogenic diseases or cancers and have suffered from discovery bias. Here we investigated the network properties of complex disease genes identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAs), thereby eliminating discovery bias. Principal findings We derived a network of complex diseases (n = 54) and complex disease genes (n = 349) to explore the shared genetic architecture of complex diseases. We evaluated the centrality measures of complex disease genes in comparison with essential and monogenic disease genes in the human interactome. The complex disease network showed that diseases belonging to the same disease class do not always share common disease genes. A possible explanation could be that the variants with higher minor allele frequency and larger effect size identified using GWAs constitute disjoint parts of the allelic spectra of similar complex diseases. The complex disease gene network showed high modularity with the size of the largest component being smaller than expected from a randomized null-model. This is consistent with limited sharing of genes between diseases. Complex disease genes are less central than the essential and monogenic disease genes in the human interactome. Genes associated with the same disease, compared to genes associated with different diseases, more often tend to share a protein-protein interaction and a Gene Ontology Biological Process. Conclusions This indicates that network neighbors of known disease genes form an important class of candidates for identifying novel genes for the same disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Barrenas
- The Unit for Clinical Systems Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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14
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Sahu N, August A. ITK inhibitors in inflammation and immune-mediated disorders. Curr Top Med Chem 2009; 9:690-703. [PMID: 19689375 DOI: 10.2174/156802609789044443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase expressed in T cells, NKT cells and mast cells which plays a crucial role in regulating the T cell receptor (TCR), CD28, CD2, chemokine receptor CXCR4, and FcepsilonR-mediated signaling pathways. In T cells, ITK is an important mediator for actin reorganization, activation of PLCgamma, mobilization of calcium, and activation of the NFAT transcription factor. ITK plays an important role in the secretion of IL-2, but more critically, also has a pivotal role in the secretion of Th2 cytokines, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. As such, ITK has been shown to regulate the development of effective Th2 response during allergic asthma as well as infections of parasitic worms. This ability of ITK to regulate Th2 responses, along with its pattern of expression, has led to the proposal that it would represent an excellent target for Th2-mediated inflammation. We discuss here the possibilities and pitfalls of targeting ITK for inflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisebita Sahu
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Molecular Immunology & Infectious Disease, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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15
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August A. IL-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) finds another (dance) partner...TFII-I. Eur J Immunol 2009; 39:2354-7. [PMID: 19688746 DOI: 10.1002/eji.200939813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The signals that regulate T-cell activation have been studied for some time. We know that upon interaction with antigen/MHC complex, the TCR triggers the activation of a number of kinases, including tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases. The Tec family kinase IL-2- inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) plays a role in this response, but the signaling pathways that ITK regulates are less well known. Even less known are the binding partners and substrates of ITK. A paper in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology extends our knowledge on the subject by showing that ITK interacts with the transcriptional regulator TFII-I. The implications of this finding are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery August
- Center for Molecular Immunology & Infectious Disease, Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, PA 16802, USA.
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