Role of Complement Receptors (CRs) on DCs in Anti-HIV-1 Immunity

Proteomics analysis of methionine enkephalin upregulated macrophages against infection by the influenza-A virus

Macrophages have a vital role in phagocytosis and antiviral effect against invading influenza viruses. Previously, we found that methionine enkephalin (MENK) inhibited influenza virus infection by upregulating the "antiviral state" of macrophages. To investigate the immunoregulatory mechanism of action of MENK on macrophages, we employed proteomic analysis to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between macrophages infected with the influenza-A virus and cells infected with the influenza-A virus after pretreatment with MENK. A total of 215 DEPs were identified: 164 proteins had upregulated expression and 51 proteins had downregulated expression. Proteomics analysis showed that DEPs were highly enriched in "cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction", "phagosome", and "complement and coagulation cascades pathway". Proteomics analysis revealed that MENK could be an immune modulator or prophylactic for the prevention and treatment of influenza. MENK promoted the polarization of M1 macrophages, activated inflammatory responses, and enhanced phagocytosis and killing function by upregulating opsonizing receptors.

The Importance of Cellular Immune Response to HIV: Implications for Antibody Production and Vaccine Design

Despite many years from the discovery of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a prophylactic vaccine against HIV is still needed. The failure of most of the vaccine clinical trials in the field has different causes, mainly due by the difficulties to identify the correct antigen able to prime the optimal B cell lineage and then make the series of somatic mutations necessary to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). B cells are responsible for the bNAbs production; however, their function is strongly influenced by the presence of a population of CD4+ T lymphocytes, mainly present in the lymphoid organs, the T follicular helper cells (Tfh). In this review, the importance of the contribution of Tfh cells in HIV response is highlighted and future therapy perspectives based on these observations are described. The advanced technology available nowadays and the wide knowledge built over the past years for HIV may eventually create the best scenario for the generation of an effective vaccine.