| 1. |
- Nilsson, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Longitudinal In Vivo Imaging and Quantification of Human Pancreatic Islet Grafting and Contributing Host Cells in the Anterior Eye Chamber
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. - : MyJove Corporation. - 1940-087X. ; :160
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Imaging beta cells is a key step towards understanding islet transplantation. Although different imaging platforms for the recording of beta cell biology have been developed and utilized in vivo, they are limited in terms of allowing single cell resolution and continuous longitudinal recordings. Because of the transparency of the cornea, the anterior chamber of the eye (ACE) in mice is well suited to study human and mouse pancreatic islet cell biology. Here is a description of how this approach can be used to perform continuous longitudinal recordings of grafting and revascularization of individual human islet grafts. Human islet grafts are inserted into the ACE, using NOD.(Cg)-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm4-Rag2-/-mice as recipients. This allows for the investigation of the expansion of recipient versus donor cells and the contribution of recipient cells in promoting the encapsulation and vascularization of the graft. Further, a step-by-step approach for image analysis and quantification of the islet volume or segmented vasculature and islet capsule forming recipient cells is outlined.
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| 2. |
- Nilsson, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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NKT cells promote both type 1 and type 2 inflammatory responses in a mouse model of liver fibrosis
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Research. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sterile liver inflammation and fibrosis are associated with many liver disorders of different etiologies. Both type 1 and type 2 inflammatory responses have been reported to contribute to liver pathology. However, the mechanisms controlling the balance between these responses are largely unknown. Natural killer T (NKT) cells can be activated to rapidly secrete cytokines and chemokines associated with both type 1 and type 2 inflammatory responses. As these proteins have been reported to accumulate in different types of sterile liver inflammation, we hypothesized that these cells may play a role in this pathological process. We have found that a transgenic NKT (tgNKT) cell population produced in the immunodeficient 2,4αβNOD.Rag2−/− mice, but not in 2,4αβNOD.Rag2+/− control mice, promoted a type 1 inflammatory response with engagement of the NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. The induction of the type 1 inflammatory response was followed by an altered cytokine profile of the tgNKT cell population with a biased production of anti-inflammatory/profibrotic cytokines and development of liver fibrosis. These findings illustrate how the plasticity of NKT cells modulates the inflammatory response, suggesting a key role for the NKT cell population in the control of sterile liver inflammation.
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| 3. |
- Nilsson, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Recruited fibroblasts reconstitute the peri-islet membrane : a longitudinal imaging study of human islet grafting and revascularisation
- 2020
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Ingår i: Diabetologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0012-186X .- 1432-0428. ; 63:1, s. 137-148
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims/hypothesis: Rapid and adequate islet revascularisation and restoration of the islet–extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction are significant factors influencing islet survival and function of the transplanted islets in individuals with type 1 diabetes. Because the ECM encapsulating the islets is degraded during islet isolation, understanding the process of revascularisation and engraftment after transplantation is essential and needs further investigation. Methods: Here we apply a longitudinal and high-resolution imaging approach to investigate the dynamics of the pancreatic islet engraftment process up to 11 months after transplantation. Human and mouse islet grafts were inserted into the anterior chamber of the mouse eye, using a NOD.ROSA-tomato.Rag2−/− or B6.ROSA-tomato host allowing the investigation of the expansion of host vs donor cells and the contribution of host cells to aspects such as promoting the encapsulation and vascularisation of the graft. Results: A fibroblast-like stromal cell population of host origin rapidly migrates to ensheath the transplanted islet and aid in the formation of a basement membrane-like structure. Moreover, we show that the vessel network, while reconstituted by host endothelial cells, still retains the overall architecture of the donor islets. Conclusions/interpretation: In this transplantation situation the fibroblast-like stromal cells appear to take over as main producers of ECM or act as a scaffold for other ECM-producing cells to reconstitute a peri-islet-like basement membrane. This may have implications for our understanding of long-term graft rejection and for the design of novel strategies to interfere with this process.
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| 4. |
- Putrianti, Elyzana Dewi, et al.
(författare)
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A plasmodium cysteine protease required for efficient transition from the liver infection stage
- 2020
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Ingår i: PLoS Pathogens. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7366 .- 1553-7374. ; 16:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The transitions between developmental stages are critical points in the Plasmodium life cycle. The development of Plasmodium in the livers of their mammalian hosts bridges malaria transmission and the onset of clinical symptoms elicited by red blood cell infection. The egress of Plasmodium parasites from the liver must be a carefully orchestrated process to ensure a successful switch to the blood stage of infection. Cysteine protease activity is known to be required for liver-stage Plasmodium egress, but the crucial cysteine protease (s) remained unidentified. Here, we characterize a member of the papain-like cysteine protease family, Plasmodium berghei serine repeat antigen 4 (PbSERA4), that is required for efficient initiation of blood-stage infection. Through the generation PbSERA4-specific antisera and the creation of transgenic parasites expressing fluorescently tagged protein, we show that PbSERA4 is expressed and proteolytically processed in the liver and blood stages of infection. Targeted disruption of PbSERA4 results in viable and virulent blood-stage parasites. However, upon transmission from mosquitoes to mice, Pbsera4(-) parasites displayed a reduced capacity to initiate a new round of asexual blood-stage replication. Our results from cultured cells indicate that this defect results from an inability of the PbSERA4-deficient parasites to egress efficiently from infected cells at the culmination of liver-stage development. Protection against infection with wildtype P. berghei could be generated in animals in which Pbsera4(-) parasites failed to establish infection. Our findings confirm that liver-stage merozoite release is an active process and demonstrate that this parasite-encoded cysteine protease contributes to parasite escape from the liver.
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