Recently, studies provided a molecular signature of autoimmunity in adult (v) SAA, by showing oligoclonality based on the length of the TCR V beta CDR3 region. We investigated retrospectively the frequency and the discriminative value of TCR V beta CDR3 oligoclonality in pediatric (v) SAA and MDS patients. Peripheral blood (PB) and/or BM mononuclear cell samples
of pediatric patients with (v) SAA (n=38), refractory cytopenia (MDS-RC) (n=28) and 18 controls were analysed via TCR V beta Bleomycin datasheet heteroduplex PCR analysis of extracted RNA. A skewed TCR V beta CDR3 repertoire was found in 21/38 (v) SAA and in 17/28 RC patients in contrast to 2/18 in the control group. These data suggest an overlapping group of RC and SAA patients that may share a common immune-mediated pathogenesis. Prospective studies are required to establish the clinical value of TCR V beta CDR3 repertoire analysis to predict the clinical response in these patients.”
“The pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) involves ongoing apoptotic loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Local delivery of the trophic factors can rescue dopaminergic neurons and halt
the progression of PD. In this study we show that fetal E11 striatum-derived neurospheres and E14.5 ventral mesencephalon (VM) -derived neurospheres (NS(E11) and NSvm, respectively) are a source of factors that rescue dopaminergic neurons. First, long-term expanded NS(E11) and NSvm rescued primary dopaminergic neurons from serum-deprivation induced apoptosis and promoted
survival of dopaminergic neurons for 14 days in vitro and this effect was due to soluble Capmatinib ic50 contact-independent factor/s. Second, green fluorescent protein-expressing NS(E11) and NSvm grafted into the midbrain of mice with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-induced Parkinsonism resulted in partial rescue of the nigro-striatal system and improvement BCKDHA of the hypo-dopaminergic behavioral deficit. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis demonstrated that intact NS(E11) and NSvm expressed fibroblast growth factor-2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), pleiotrophin, neurotrophin-3, but not glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). GDNF expression was also undetectable in vivo in grafted NS(E11) and NSvm suggesting that NS-derived factor/s other than GDNF mediated the rescue of nigral dopaminergic neurons. Identification of NS-derived soluble factor(s) may lead to development of novel neuroprotective therapies for PD. An unexpected observation of the present study was the detection of the ectopic host-derived tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) -expressing cells in sham-grafted mice and NS(E11)- and NSvm -grafted mice. We speculate that injury-derived signals (such as inflammatory cytokines that are commonly released during transplantation) induce TH expression in susceptible cells. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IBRO.