Regulatory T cells play a key role in immune tolerance to self-antigens, thereby preventing autoimmune diseases. However, no drugs targeting Treg cells have been approved for clinical trials yet. Here, a chimeric peptide is generated by conjugation of the cytoplasmic domain of CTLA-4 (ctCTLA-4) with dNP2 for intracellular delivery, dNP2-ctCTLA-4, and evaluated Foxp3 expression during Th0, Th1, Treg, and Th17 differentiation dependent on TGF-. The lysine motif of ctCTLA-4, not tyrosine motif, is required for Foxp3 expression for Treg induction and amelioration of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Transcriptome analysis reveals that dNP2-ctCTLA-4-treated T cells express Treg transcriptomic patterns with properties of suppressive functions. In addition, the molecular interaction between the lysine motif of ctCTLA-4 and PKC-is critical for Foxp3 expression. Although both CTLA-4-Ig and dNP2-ctCTLA-4 treatment in vivo ameliorated EAE progression, only dNP2-ctCTLA-4 requires Treg cells for inhibition of disease progression and prevention of relapse. Furthermore, the CTLA-4 signaling peptide is able to induce human Tregs in vitro and in vivo as well as from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of multiple sclerosis patients. These results collectively suggest that the chimeric CTLA-4 signaling peptide can be used for successful induction of regulatory T cells in vivo to control autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
In this study washing efficiency and desorption isotherms for heavy petroleum oil (HPO), Zn, and Pb bound to complex contaminated soils were examined using various soil flushing agents. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), methanol, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), and citric acid were selected as soil flushing agents. 3% (w/v) and 4% SDS showed the highest removal efficiency for HPO, but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Thus, 3% SDS was chosen as the best soil flushing agent for HPO. In the case of heavy metals, 0.1-M EDTA showed the highest removal efficiencies. But 0.05-M citric acid was selected due to its economic and eco-friendly strengths. The desorption isotherms obtained using Freundlich and Langmuir models indicated that the maximum desorption characteristics (K F and Q max ) of HPO with 4% SDS and 90% methanol and heavy metals with 0.1-M EDTA and 0.1-M citric acid, respectively, were markedly lower than in other cases. In addition, when 4% SDS and 90% methanol were used for HPO in the range of C e higher than 600 mg/L, and when 0.1 M citric acid and 0.1 M EDTA were used for Zn and Pb in the range of C e higher than 300 and 100 mg/L, respectively, the distribution constant converged to certain levels. Thus, constant values of K U and K L were determined. It was found that these constants represent the maximum desorption capacity and they can be used as distribution coefficients of desorption equilibrium for the flushing agents. The results of this study provided fundamental information for the selection of the best agents as well as for the process design and operation of soil washing/soil flushing of complex contaminated soils.
How the alignment and optical properties of liquid crystal polymer (LCP) film, formed by photo-polymerization of reactive LCs, are affected by the alignment layer (AL) structure, the LCaligning method, and the polymerization conditions has been investigated. It has turned out that the alignment characteristics of LCP film greatly depend on the nature of AL and the polymerization condition and that its optical properties are governed by the degree of the in-plane alignment of LC molecules. In the case of in-air photo-polymerization, a higher intensity of UV irradiation at a fixed exposure dosage has induced the higher degree of polymerization of LCP film and thus the better thermal stability than a lower intensity. The rubbed AL has induced the higher degree of the in-plane alignment, with the tilted optic axis, and subsequently produced the better optical properties. On the other hand, photoalignment has generated the inferior LC alignment, with no tilt of the optic axis, indicating its low capability for aligning LC molecules. PI-Ci CBDA-ODA PICH 3 SID 07 DIGEST • 645 ISSN/007-0966X/07/3801-0645-$1.00 © 2007 SID
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