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Specifics of the use of opioids as important immunomodulators in the treatment of pain
Švubová, Veronika ; Hejnová, Lucie (advisor) ; Vašek, Daniel (referee)
This work deals with the specifics associated with the use of opioid analgesics in pain relief. In terms of antinociceptive effects, opioids have not yet been surpassed by other available drugs. However the use of these analgesics is quite problematic in many respects. For over 30 years, studies have shown that opioids can adversely affect components of the immune system (IS) and thus the overall condition of the patient. To understand the relationship between opioids and IS, it is necessary to know the mechanisms leading to immunomodulatory processes. Contact with opioids occurs at the cellular interface through interactions with opioid receptors (ORs). Within IS, we encounter all three basic types of OR - μ (MOR), δ (DOR), κ (KOR) and non-classical nociceptin receptors (NOP). Stimulation of these receptors induces activation of signaling cascades in target cells which can lead to dysregulation of cellular processes, thus modulating the immune response. However, the effect of opioids on IS cells may not be exclusively direct. More complex regulatory pathways have been found, involving parts of the central nervous system (CNS), the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and endocrine-active tissues. Activation of these pathways then affects the activity of whole lymphoid organs. Each cell type within an...
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Pathologic STAT3 signalling pathway activation in cancer and viral diseases.
Podestátová, Barbora ; Reiniš, Milan (advisor) ; Škarková, Aneta (referee)
STAT3, one of the seven members of STAT protein family, is able to transduce signal into the nucleus, where it binds to specific DNA sequences and acts as a transcription factor. Under physiological conditions, STAT3 regulates genes associated with number of functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis or immune response. In the case of pathological conditions, STAT3 can be dysregulated or constitutively activated, which may result in cancerogenesis. During this process, STAT3 is frequently activated directly in tumor cells where it acts tumorigenically. STAT3 is also associated with inflammatory reactions mediated by immune cells, which along with tumor and stromal cells are involved in the formation of the tumor microenvironment. The role of STAT3 is also important in the fight against viral infections, and when STAT3 activated aberrantly, it can lead to chronic diseases, including cancer. Due to these serious roles during pathogenesis, STAT3 is the subject of research of various inhibitors that either directly inhibit the STAT3 molecule function or indirectly any of the components of its signaling pathway.
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Modelovanie ochorenia a štúdium regeneračných procesov v Huntingtonovej chorobe a ALS in vivo
Hruška-Plocháň, Marián
Neurological disorders affect more than 14% of the population worldwide and together with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries represent major health, public and economic burden of the society. Incidence of inherited and idiopathic neurodegenerative disorders and acute CNS injuries is growing globally while neuroscience society is being challenged by numerous unanswered questions. Therefore, research of the CNS disorders is essential. Since animal models of the CNS diseases and injuries represent the key step in the conversion of the basic research to the clinics, we focused our work on generation of new animal models and on their use in pre-clinical research. We generated and characterized transgenic minipig model of Huntington's disease (HD) which represents the only successful establishment of a transgenic model of HD in minipig which should be valuable for testing of long term safety of HD therapeutics. Next, we crossed the well characterized R6/2 mouse HD model with the gad mouse model which lacks the expression of UCHL1 which led to results that support the theory of "protective" role of mutant huntingtin aggregates and suggest that UCHL1 function(s) may be affected in HD disturbing certain branches of Ubiquitin Proteasome System. Traumatic spinal cord injury and Amyotrophic Lateral...
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Pathophysiologic aspects of myelodysplastics syndromes in relation to the effect of targeted imunomodulation and demetylation therapy
Jonášová, Anna ; Stopka, Tomáš (advisor) ; Maisnar, Vladimír (referee) ; Faber, Edgar (referee)
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a group of clonal stem cell disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, peripheral cytopenia, morphological dysplasia and the risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MDS belongs to one of the most common hematological diseases in patients over 60 years old. MDS incidence is still increasing. Appropriate therapy of MDS remains challenging. There is no curative approach besides peripheral stem cells transplantation, which is regretfully appropriate only for a small group of patients due to a higher median age of the MDS population. This is why the search for therapeutic alternatives remains paramount. MDS treatment was rather frustrating until the recent introduction of two new therapeutic approaches: immunomodulation therapy with lenalidomide and epigenetic or demethylating therapy with 5-azacytidine. Both new drugs have significantly higher effect than standard therapy. However, the precise mechanism of this effect remains unknown. As a result, we decided to initiate several research projects while introducing this promising treatment to our patients. Our aim is to investigate the mechanism of both agents in relation to disease pathogenesis by examining changes of certain occurrences and factors prior to and during the course of...
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The effect of immunosupression on cell therapy in mouse model of Alzeimer's disease
Gajdoš, Roman ; Jendelová, Pavla (advisor) ; Chmelová, Martina (referee)
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. It belongs to the most common type of dementia and worldwide it is statistically the fifth cause of mortality. The most common morphological markers are insoluble β amyloid plaques, hyperphosforylated tau proteins and formation of neurofibrilar tangles. Among the manifestations of the disease is amyloid angiopathy, synaptic transmission disorders and subsequent apoptosis, deterioration of cognitive functions and brain atrophy. Studies have shown that administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) has an immunomodulatory effects and it can reduce the production and storage of β amyloid and thus improve cognitive functions. In preclinical studies, which are conducted in transgenic mice and often use xenografts, administration of immunosuppresion may lead to variety of positive or negative effects which can affect the results of the experiment. The subject of the master's thesis was to determine the effect of immunosuppression on experimental therapy with MSC in various time windows of AD progression (model 3xTg). At which scale and combination of immunosupression will influence the cell therapy's effects, the length of graft survival, mortality of experimental animals and changes at the cellular level. We have also assessed...
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Interaction of transmembrane proteins ASCT1 and ASCT2 with retroviral envelope glycoproteins
Trávníček, Martin ; Trejbalová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Mělková, Zora (referee)
Transmembrane proteins ASCT1 and ASCT2 are ubiquitous neutral amino acid transporters. Apart from their transporter function in metabolically active cells, they also serve as receptors for a wide group of retroviruses. All retroviruses recognizing the transmembrane receptor ASCT2/ASCT1 share a similar env gene, encoding the envelope glycoprotein. Syncytin-1 is the envelope glycoprotein, encoded by human endogenous retrovirus type W, produced in placental cytotrophoblasts of primates, including human. Interaction of receptor binding domain of Syncytin-1 and specific extracellular region of ASCT2 is responsible for fusion of neighbouring cells and formation of multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast. The importance of syncytiotrophoblast lies in higher efficiency of feto-maternal exchange of nutrients and simultaneously in modulation of immune response of mother towards fetus. Defect in syncytiotrophoblast differentiation often leads to complications during pregnancy and impairs the proper development of embryo. Characterization of protein domains responsible for the interaction between Syncytin-1 and its receptors is important to uncover genetic causes of these pathologies. Furthermore, understanding the interaction helps us to clarify the mechanism of cell entry and explains the molecular basis of host...
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Adenosin a nádorová imunoterapie
FREJLACHOVÁ, Andrea
The aim of this bachelor thesis was to study the immunosuppressive effects of adenosine and the use this knowledges in cancer immunotherapy. The impact of enzymatic removal of adenosine on efficacy of cancer immunotherapy was examined using murine pancreatic model Panc02.
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Immunosuppression in active multiple sclerosis: combination treatment with interferon beta and azathioprine and fingolimod monotherapy
Tichá, Veronika ; Kubala Havrdová, Eva (advisor) ; Vymazal, Josef (referee) ; Laczó, Jan (referee)
Introduction: Addition of a second drug used to be a strategy to achieve clinical stabilization of multiple sclerosis in many patients with on-going activity despite monotherapy. Modern immunosuppressive drugs used in monotherapy exert more specific mode of action. Methods: This retrospective observational study evaluated 5-year data from 85 patients with active multiple sclerosis despite monotherapy with either interferon beta or azathioprine, who received add-on azathioprine or interferon beta, respectively. In a subgroup of 23 patients 10- year data were analysed. In a second part of the study, a group of 126 patients switched either from interferon beta or glatiramer acetate to fingolimod was followed-up for one after the change of their treatment and a in a subgroup of 53 patients the 2-year data were assessed. Clinical (relapse frequency, disability) parameters were compared preceding and following the addition of second drug or the switch of treatment. Laboratory results and potential serious adverse events were evaluated in a group of patients with combination therapy. Results: The add-on treatment triggered a drop in annualised relapse rate by approximately 1.5 points sustained over 5 and 10 years. No effect on disability was observed. Simultaneously, white blood cell and lymphocyte counts...
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