International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Paulo Rodrigues-Santos

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Guest Editor

1. Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
2. Laboratory of Immunology and Oncology, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
3. Center of Investigation in Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
4. Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
5. Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
6. Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: immunology; oncology; immunogenetics; transplantation; human genetics; molecular diagnostics; molecular biology; gene expression; R&D

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lymphocytes are the most studied immune cells in both homeostatic and disease conditions. New populations of innate lymphocytes have been described recently: innate lymphoid cells, including natural killer cells, fetal lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells, and innate intraepithelial lymphocytes expressing CD3 chains. Further, innate B cells, such as B-1 cells, marginal zone B (MZB) cells, and follicular B (FOB) cells MZ, have arisen as new key players in early immunity. Similarly, different conventional and unconventional T cells have been studied for their innate-like functions. Activation, differentiation, plasticity, maturation, and effector functions of all these cells depend on the molecular mechanisms responsible for recognition receptor repertoire, balance of signals, and effector functions.

We are accepting research and review articles on the molecular mechanisms of innate and innate-like lymphoid cells in physiology, infection, auto-immunity, transplantation, cancer, and on new therapeutic strategies.

We are preparing a Special Issue with diverse, comprehensive, and complementary views of the molecular mechanisms of innate lymphoid cells.

Dr. Paulo Rodrigues-Santos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

innate lymphoid cells
innate-like
cytokines
pattern recognition receptors
danger-associated molecular patterns
pathogen-associated molecular patterns
toll-like receptors
killer immunoglobulin-like receptors
major histocompatibility complex

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 11633 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Defective Induction of IL-27-Mediated Immunoregulation by Myeloid DCs in Multiple Sclerosis

by Felipe von Glehn, Nathalie Pochet, Bibek Thapa, Radhika Raheja, Maria A. Mazzola, Sushrut Jangi, Vanessa Beynon, Junning Huang, Alessandro S. Farias, Anu Paul, Leonilda M. B. Santos, Roopali Gandhi, Gopal Murugaiyan, Howard L. Weiner and Clare M. Baecher-Allan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 8000; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24098000 - 28 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1386

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls (HCs) become similarly tolerogenic when exposed to IL-27 as this may represent a potential mechanism of autoimmune dysregulation. Our study focused on natural mDCs that were isolated from HCs and MS patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). After a 24-h treatment with IL-27 ± lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the mDCs were either harvested to identify IL-27-regulated gene expression or co-cultured with naive T-cells to measure how the treated DC affected T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion. mDCs isolated from HCs but not untreated MS patients became functionally tolerogenic after IL-27 treatment. Although IL-27 induced both HC and untreated MS mDCs to produce similar amounts of IL-10, the tolerogenic HC mDCs expressed PD-L2, IDO1, and SOCS1, while the non-tolerogenic untreated MS mDCs expressed IDO1 and IL-6R. Cytokine and RNA analyses identified two signature blocks: the first identified genes associated with mDC tolerizing responses to IL-27, while the second was associated with the presence of MS. In contrast to mDCs from untreated MS patients, mDCs from HCs and IFNb-treated MS patients became tolerogenic in response to IL-27. The genes differentially expressed in the different donor IL-27-treated mDCs may contain targets that regulate mDC tolerogenic responses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innate and Innate-Like Lymphoid Cells: New Populations and Old Tricks)

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Review

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27 pages, 1626 KiB

Open AccessReview

Natural Killer T-like Cells: Immunobiology and Role in Disease

by Jani-Sofia Almeida, José Manuel Casanova, Manuel Santos-Rosa, Raquel Tarazona, Rafael Solana and Paulo Rodrigues-Santos

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2743; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032743 - 01 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4356

Abstract

CD56+ T cells are generally recognized as a distinct population of T cells and are categorized as NKT-like cells. Although our understanding of NKT-like cells is far from satisfactory, it has been shown that aging and a number of disease situations have impacted these cells. To construct an overview of what is currently known, we reviewed the literature on human NKT-like cells. NKT-like cells are highly differentiated T cells with “CD1d-independent” antigen recognition and MHC-unrestricted cell killing. The genesis of NKT-like cells is unclear; however, it is proposed that the acquisition of innate characteristics by T cells could represent a remodeling process leading to successful aging. Additionally, it has been shown that NKT-like cells may play a significant role in several pathological conditions, making it necessary to comprehend whether these cells might function as prognostic markers. The quantification and characterization of these cells might serve as a cutting-edge indicator of individual immune health. Additionally, exploring the mechanisms that can control their killing activity in different contexts may therefore result in innovative therapeutic alternatives in a wide range of disease settings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innate and Innate-Like Lymphoid Cells: New Populations and Old Tricks)

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