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ABSTRACT Background: A number of antiviral therapies have evolved that may be effectively administered to treat respiratory viral diseases. But these therapies are very often of limited efficacy or have [...]

ABSTRACT Sinupret®, a herbal medicinal product made from Gentian root. Primula flower, Elder flower, Sorrel herb, and Verbena herb is frequently used in the treatment of acute and chronic rhinosinusitis [...]

The transcription factor Stat1 plays an essential role in responses to interferons (IFNs). Activation of Stat1 is achieved by phosphorylation on Y701 that is followed by nuclear accumulation. For full transcriptional activity and biological function Stat1 must also be phosphorylated on S727. The molecular mechanisms underlying the IFN-induced S727 phosphorylation are incompletely understood. Here, we show that both Stat1 Y701 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation are required for IFN-induced S727 phosphorylation. We further show that Stat1 mutants lacking the ability to stably associate with chromatin are poorly serine-phosphorylated in response to IFN-[gamma]. The S727 phosphorylation of these mutants is restored on IFN-[beta] treatment that induces the formation of the ISGF3 complex (Stat1/Stat2/ Irf9) where Irf9 represents the main DNA binding subunit. These findings indicate that Stat1 needs to be assembled into chromatin-associated transcriptional complexes to become S727-phosphorylated and fully biologically active in response to IFNs. This control mechanism, which may be used by other Stat proteins as well, restricts the final activation step to the chromatin-tethered transcription factor. kinase | transcription

Author(s): Bettina Wöchtl[sup.1] , Florian Gunzer[sup.2] , Wilhelm Gerner[sup.3] , Hagen Gasse[sup.4] , Michaela Koch[sup.1] , Zoltán Bagó[sup.5] , Martin Ganter[sup.6] , Herbert Weissenböck[sup.7] , Nora Dinhopl[sup.7] , Sina M. [...]

Abstract: Gripp-Heel® is a homeopathic preparation frequently used in the treatment of respiratory viral infections such as various types of influenza and the common cold. The antiviral activity of Gripp-Heel [...]

Background: Bacterial ghosts, genetically inactivated Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, possess significant advantages over commonly used vaccination technologies. The autolysis of the bacteria, by the expression of a cloned viral gene, results in empty bacterial envelopes through the expulsion of cytoplasmic content. Immunostimulatory properties are generally presented through the targeting of professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs)., Material/methods: This study investigated the interactions between porcine antigen-presenting cells and bacterial ghosts derived from the bacterial pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. The maturation process of DCs and their generation of immune responses to bacterial ghosts was shown by the expression of activation markers on their surface, as well as in the functional tests., Results: A population of porcine APCs was generated from PBS by incubation with rpo-GMCSF and rh-IL-4. The cells expressed SWC3, MIL-2, CD80/86 molecules, as well as a high level of MSA3 molecules. The internalization of bacterial ghosts by the cells resulted in increased expression of MSA3 molecules. The capacity of T cells to proliferate when induced by bacterial ghosts was 4 times higher in the cultures including APCs than in cultures stimulated with bacterial ghosts only., Conclusions: We found that antigen-presenting cells have the capacity to stimulate specific T cells after the internalization and processing of Actinobacillus ghosts, as demonstrated by a strong specific T-cell response generated against the ghost antigens.