| 1. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(författare)
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The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
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| 2. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N., et al.
(författare)
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The PREDICTS database : a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 4:24, s. 4701-4735
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species' threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project - and avert - future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups - including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems - ). We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database will be publicly available in 2015.
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| 3. |
- Böhm, M., et al.
(författare)
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The conservation status of the world’s freshwater molluscs
- 2021
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Ingår i: Hydrobiologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0018-8158 .- 1573-5117. ; 848, s. 3231-3254
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the biodiversity crisis continuing unchecked, we need to establish levels and drivers of extinction risk, and reassessments over time, to effectively allocate conservation resources and track progress towards global conservation targets. Given that threat appears particularly high in freshwaters, we assessed the extinction risk of 1428 randomly selected freshwater molluscs using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, as part of the Sampled Red List Index project. We show that close to one-third of species in our sample are estimated to be threatened with extinction, with highest levels of threat in the Nearctic, Palearctic and Australasia and among gastropods. Threat levels were higher in lotic than lentic systems. Pollution (chemical and physical) and the modification of natural systems (e.g. through damming and water abstraction) were the most frequently reported threats to freshwater molluscs, with some regional variation. Given that we found little spatial congruence between species richness patterns of freshwater molluscs and other freshwater taxa, apart from crayfish, new additional conservation priority areas emerged from our study. We discuss the implications of our findings for freshwater mollusc conservation, the adequacy of a sampled approach and important next steps to estimate trends in freshwater mollusc extinction risk over time. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Borestrom, C., et al.
(författare)
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A CRISP(e)R view on kidney organoids allows generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell-derived kidney model for drug discovery
- 2018
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Ingår i: Kidney International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0085-2538 .- 1523-1755. ; 94:6, s. 1099-1110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Development of physiologically relevant cellular models with strong translatability to human pathophysiology is critical for identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets. Herein we describe a detailed protocol for generation of an advanced 3-dimensional kidney cellular model using induced pluripotent stem cells, where differentiation and maturation of kidney progenitors and podocytes can be monitored in live cells due to CRISPR/Cas9-mediated fluorescent tagging of kidney lineage markers (SIX2 and NPHS1). Utilizing these cell lines, we have refined the previously published procedures to generate a new, higher throughput protocol suitable for drug discovery. Using paraffin-embedded sectioning and whole-mount immunostaining, we demonstrated that organoids grown in suspension culture express key markers of kidney biology (WT1, ECAD, LTL, nephrin) and vasculature (CD31) within renal cortical structures with microvilli, tight junctions and podocyte foot processes visualized by electron microscopy. Additionally, the organoids resemble the adult kidney transcriptomics profile, thereby strengthening the translatability of our in vitro model. Thus, development of human nephron-like structures in vitro fills a major gap in our ability to assess the effect of potential treatment on key kidney structures, opening up a wide range of possibilities to improve clinical translation.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Anttila, V., et al.
(författare)
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Direct intramyocardial injection of VEGF mRNA in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting
- 2023
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Ingår i: Molecular Therapy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1525-0016. ; 31:3, s. 866-874
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) has therapeutic cardiovascular effects, but delivery challenges have impeded clinical development. We report the first clinical study of naked mRNA encoding VEGF-A (AZD8601) injected into the human heart. EPICCURE (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03370887) was a randomized, double-blind study of AZD8601 in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 30%–50% who were undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery. Thirty epicardial injections of AZD8601 (total 3 mg) or placebo in citrate-buffered saline were targeted to ischemic but viable myocardial regions mapped using quantitative [15O]-water positron emission tomography. Seven patients received AZD8601 and four received placebo and were followed for 6 months. There were no deaths or treatment-related serious adverse events and no AZD8601-associated infections, immune reactions, or arrhythmias. Exploratory outcomes indicated potential improvement in LVEF, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels, but the study is limited in size, and significant efficacy conclusions are not possible from the dataset. Naked mRNA without lipid encapsulation may provide a safe delivery platform for introducing genetic material to cardiac muscle, but further studies are needed to confirm efficacy and safety in a larger patient pool. © 2022
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| 9. |
- Gan, Li-Ming, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Intradermal delivery of modified mRNA encoding VEGF-A in patients with type 2 diabetes
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chemically modified mRNA is an efficient, biocompatible modality for therapeutic protein expression. We report a first-time-in-human study of this modality, aiming to evaluate safety and potential therapeutic effects. Men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) received intradermal injections of modified mRNA encoding vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) or buffered saline placebo (ethical obligations precluded use of a non-translatable mRNA control) at randomized sites on the forearm. The only causally treatment-related adverse events were mild injection-site reactions. Skin microdialysis revealed elevated VEGF-A protein levels at mRNA-treated sites versus placebo-treated sites from about 4-24 hours post-administration. Enhancements in basal skin blood flow at 4 hours and 7 days post-administration were detected using laser Doppler fluximetry and imaging. Intradermal VEGF-A mRNA was well tolerated and led to local functional VEGF-A protein expression and transient skin blood flow enhancement in men with T2DM. VEGF-A mRNA may have therapeutic potential for regenerative angiogenesis.
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| 10. |
- Abrahamsson, K, et al.
(författare)
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Marine algae - a source of trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene
- 1995
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Ingår i: Limnology and Oceanography. - 0024-3590 .- 1939-5590. ; 40:7, s. 1321-1326
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our results show the natural production of two olefins, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, by various marine macroalgae and a microalga. We found significant difference in the ability of the algae to produce these compounds. The production rates for trichloroethylenevaried between 0.022 and 3,400 ng g-l fresh wt (FW)h-l and were generally higher than those for perchloroethylene(0.0026-8.2 ng g-l FW h-l). The two subtropicalalgae, Asparagopsis taxiformis and Falkenbergia hillebrandii,showed the highest formation rates. One axenicmarine red microalga, Porphyridium purpureum, was alsotested and it could also produce trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene.The measured rates suggest that the emissionof trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene from theoceans to the atmosphere may be of such a magnitude thatit cannot be neglected in the global atmospheric chlorinebudget.
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| 11. |
- Collen, A, et al.
(författare)
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VEGFA mRNA for regenerative treatment of heart failure
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature reviews. Drug discovery. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1474-1784 .- 1474-1776. ; 21:1, s. 79-80
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 12. |
- Collen, J, et al.
(författare)
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Farming and physiology of the red algae Eucheuma: Growing commercial importance in East Africa
- 1995
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Ingår i: AMBIO. - : ROYAL SWEDISH ACAD SCIENCES. - 0044-7447. ; 24:7-8, s. 497-501
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Red marine macroalgae of the genus Eucheuma were introduced from the Philippines to Zanzibar in 1989. Their cultivation is of growing importance, especially on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. The algae are cultivated for the production of carrageenan,
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| 13. |
- Descheemaeker, K A, et al.
(författare)
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Interaction of AP-1-, AP-2-, and Sp1-like proteins with two distinct sites in the upstream regulatory region of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene mediates the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate response.
- 1992
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Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 267:21, s. 15086-91
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induces a 3- and 10-fold induction of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity in HT1080 and HeLa cells, respectively, following transient transfection of a 336-base pair plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) promoter fragment linked to a CAT reporter gene. Substitution mutations in the regions encompassing nucleotides -78 to -69 (TGGGTGGGGC) or -61 to -54 (TGAGTTCA), but not in the regions -155 to -149 (TGCCTCA) or -84 to -76 (AGTGAGTGG) reduced this induction. Gel electrophoresis of double-stranded -65 to -50 oligonucleotides of the PAI-1 promoter region and nuclear extracts from Hela cells produced a gel shift pattern similar to that obtained with a AP-1 consensus oligomer, and excess unlabeled AP-1 oligomer reverted binding, suggesting that this region of the PAI-1 promoter is an AP-1-like binding site. Gel electrophoresis of double-stranded -82 to -65 oligonucleotides with HeLa nuclear extracts revealed a gel shift pattern of three bands; Sp1 consensus oligomer competed with the binding to two of these bands and AP-2 consensus sequence oligomer with the binding to the third band. The -82 to -65 oligomer also bound to purified AP-2 and Sp1 proteins. Southwestern blotting of HeLa nuclear extracts revealed that the labeled oligomer spanning region -82 to -65 bound to proteins with molecular masses of 52 and 72 kDa. Consensus AP-2 oligonucleotides competed for binding of the labeled -82 to -65 oligonucleotide to the 52-kDa protein, but consensus Sp-1 oligonucleotides did not compete for binding to the 72-kDa compound. The 72-kDa component binding to the -82 to -65 region may represent a new protein involved in transcriptional regulation.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Dolby, Viveka, et al.
(författare)
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Overexpression and functional characterisation of the human melanocortin 4 receptor in Sf9 cells
- 2004
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Ingår i: Protein Expression and Purification. - : Elsevier BV. - 1046-5928. ; 37:2, s. 455-461
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The human melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4r) was successfully expressed in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus infection system. N- and C-terminally His-tagged receptors generated B-max values of 14 and 23 pmol receptor/mg membrane protein, respectively. The highest expression level obtained with the C-terminally His-tagged MC4r corresponded to 0.25 mg active receptor/litre culture volume. Addition of a viral signal peptide at the N-terminus of the His-tagged MC4r did not improve the expression level. Confocal laser microscopy studies revealed that both the N- and C-terminally tagged MC4r did not accumulate intracellularly and were mainly located in the plasma membrane. The recombinant receptors showed similar affinity for the agonist NDP-MSH (K-d = 11 nM) as to MC4r expressed in mammalian cells. Functional coupling of the highest expressed C-terminal tagged receptor to endogenous Galpha protein was demonstrated through 6TPgammaS binding upon agonist stimulation of the receptor. K-i values for the ligands MTII, HS014, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-MSH are comparable to the values obtained for MC4r expressed in mammalian cells. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 16. |
- Mtolera, MSP, et al.
(författare)
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Stress-induced production of volatile halogenated organic compounds in Eucheuma denticulatum (Rhodophyta) caused by elevated pH and high light intensities
- 1996
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Ingår i: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY. - : CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS. - 0967-0262. ; 31:1, s. 89-95
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Eucheuma denticulatum has been shown to release bromoform, diiodomethane, dibromochloromethane, perchloroethylene, chloroiodomethane, chloroform, sec-butyl iodide, methyl iodide, methylchloroform, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and butyl iodide i
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| 17. |
- Olsen, Jeanine L, et al.
(författare)
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The genome of the seagrass Zostera marina reveals angiosperm adaptation to the sea.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 530:7590, s. 331-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seagrasses colonized the sea on at least three independent occasions to form the basis of one of the most productive and widespread coastal ecosystems on the planet. Here we report the genome of Zostera marina (L.), the first, to our knowledge, marine angiosperm to be fully sequenced. This reveals unique insights into the genomic losses and gains involved in achieving the structural and physiological adaptations required for its marine lifestyle, arguably the most severe habitat shift ever accomplished by flowering plants. Key angiosperm innovations that were lost include the entire repertoire of stomatal genes, genes involved in the synthesis of terpenoids and ethylene signalling, and genes for ultraviolet protection and phytochromes for far-red sensing. Seagrasses have also regained functions enabling them to adjust to full salinity. Their cell walls contain all of the polysaccharides typical of land plants, but also contain polyanionic, low-methylated pectins and sulfated galactans, a feature shared with the cell walls of all macroalgae and that is important for ion homoeostasis, nutrient uptake and O2/CO2 exchange through leaf epidermal cells. The Z. marina genome resource will markedly advance a wide range of functional ecological studies from adaptation of marine ecosystems under climate warming, to unravelling the mechanisms of osmoregulation under high salinities that may further inform our understanding of the evolution of salt tolerance in crop plants.
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| 18. |
- Pedersen, M, et al.
(författare)
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Production of halocarbons from seaweeds: An oxidative stress reaction?
- 1996
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Ingår i: SCIENTIA MARINA. - : INST CIENCIAS MAR BARCELONA. - 0214-8358. ; 60, s. 257-263
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The production of various volatile halogenated compounds by marine algae was investigated during light and darkness. The amounts of halocarbon formed were measured with a GC-ECD. Production of the volatile halocarbons was also measured with addition of 1
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| 19. |
- Van de Veire, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Further pharmacological and genetic evidence for the efficacy of PlGF inhibition in cancer and eye disease
- 2010
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Ingår i: Cell. - : Elsevier BV. - 0092-8674 .- 1097-4172. ; 141:1, s. 178-190
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our findings that PlGF is a cancer target and anti-PlGF is useful for anticancer treatment have been challenged by Bais et al. Here we take advantage of carcinogen-induced and transgenic tumor models as well as ocular neovascularization to report further evidence in support of our original findings of PlGF as a promising target for anticancer therapies. We present evidence for the efficacy of additional anti-PlGF antibodies and their ability to phenocopy genetic deficiency or silencing of PlGF in cancer and ocular disease but also show that not all anti-PlGF antibodies are effective. We also provide additional evidence for the specificity of our anti-PlGF antibody and experiments to suggest that anti-PlGF treatment will not be effective for all tumors and why. Further, we show that PlGF blockage inhibits vessel abnormalization rather than density in certain tumors while enhancing VEGF-targeted inhibition in ocular disease. Our findings warrant further testing of anti-PlGF therapies.
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| 20. |
- Van de Wouwer, M., et al.
(författare)
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The lectin-like domain of thrombomodulin interferes with complement activation and protects against arthritis
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. - : Elsevier BV. - 1538-7933 .- 1538-7836. ; 4:8, s. 1813-1824
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Thrombomodulin (TM) is predominantly a vascular endothelial cell plasma membrane glycoprotein that, via distinct structural domains, interacts with multiple ligands, thereby modulating coagulation, fibrinolysis, complement activation, inflammation and cell proliferation. We previously reported that by mediating signals that interfere with mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor kappa B pathways, the amino-terminal C-type lectin-like domain of TM has direct anti-inflammatory properties. Methods: In the current study, we use murine models of acute inflammatory arthritis and biochemical approaches to assess the mechanism by which the lectin-like domain of TM modifies disease progression. Results: Mice lacking the lectin-like domain of TM (TM(LeD/LeD)mice) develop inflammatory arthritis that is more rapid in onset and more severe than that developed in their wildtype counterparts. In two models of arthritis, treatment of mice with recombinant soluble lectin-like domain of TM significantly suppresses clinical evidence of disease and diminishes monocyte/macrophage infiltration into the synovium, with weaker expression of the pro-inflammatory high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1. While thrombin-TM mediated activation of thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor inactivates complement factors C3a and C5a, we show that TM has a second independent mechanism to regulate complement: the lectin-like domain of TM directly interferes with complement activation via the classical and lectin pathways. Conclusions: These data extend previous insights into the mechanisms by which TM modulates innate immunity, and highlight its potential as a therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases.
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