Activities-Section for Studies on Host-immune Response
16. Section for Studies on Host-immune Response
The Section for Studies on Host-immune Response, started its scientific activities in April, 1993. At present, major research interest is focused on the following projects: 1) the thioldisulfide oxidoreduction enzyme thioredoxin and cell proliferation, and 2) the role of extrathymic T lymphocytes in carcinogenesis.
Analysis of the Mechanisms of Thioredoxin-mediated Lymphoid Cell Proliferation
Human thioredoxin has been reported to be capable of functioning as an autocrine growth factor for human lymphoid cells immortalized by human T-lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The possible involvement of thioredoxin in the signal transduction pathways, including a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism, will be investigated. The molecular mechanisms of regulation of the thioredoxin gene by EBV-encoded genes, such as EBNAs or LMP, will also be assessed. The serum thioredoxin levels of cancer patients will be measured by an ELISA using monoclonal and polyclonal anti-thioredoxin antibodies.
Development of T-Cell Lymphomas of Extrathymic Origin by Inflammatory Breast Cancer Implanted in BALB/c Nude Mice
Inflammatory breast cancer is a disease resistant to all kinds of therapy. Elucidation of the metastatic process is a very urgent topic in regard to the management of this cancer. The unexpected development of mouse T-cell lymphomas of extrathymic origin was recently observed after implanting surgical specimens of inflammatory cancer from patients. At present, based on the experimental observations, these extrathymic developed T cells appear to play an important role in the immune-surveillance of host defense mechanisms including carcinogenesis, autoimmune diseases, aging, GVH, pregnancy and parasitism. In this newly developing field, the cell lines of the Section of Studies on Host-immune Response may serve as a powerful tool for investigating the role of T cells of extrathymic origin, as well as a tool for studying the mechanisms of in vivo transformation of murine cells by xenografted human inflammatory breast cancer. Papers related to this work can be found in the list of references.(353)
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