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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Natural Autoantibodies: Origin, Function And Utility For Diagnosis Of Disease, Abhirup Sarkar
Natural Autoantibodies: Origin, Function And Utility For Diagnosis Of Disease, Abhirup Sarkar
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Autoantibodies (aAbs) by the simplest definitions have been described as antibodies against self-antigens and were exclusively associated with autoimmune diseases. Eventually, studies demonstrated that they are abundant in the blood of all human sera, regardless of age, gender, or the presence or absence of disease, and were thus named as ‘natural autoantibodies’. The underlying reason for their ubiquity has remained elusive, but we have hypothesized that they are responsible for clearing blood-borne cell and tissue debris generated under conditions of health and disease. To test this, we chose to use two widely different disease model systems, namely neurodegenerative diseases and …
Development Of Cellular Assays To Monitor Enzymatic And Biological Activity Of Cd73: A Key Modulator Of Anti-Tumor Immune Response, Alexandra Fanuka
Development Of Cellular Assays To Monitor Enzymatic And Biological Activity Of Cd73: A Key Modulator Of Anti-Tumor Immune Response, Alexandra Fanuka
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Ecto-5’-nucleotidase, known as CD73, is an extracellular enzyme that converts adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to adenosine and has recently been identified as a potential drug target for cancer immunotherapy. Its immunosuppressive effects, mediated by the activity of adenosine, are associated with higher rates of tumor invasion and metastasis, as well as poorer prognoses overall in many cancer types. CD73 is often co-expressed with ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (CD39), which catalyzes the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and ADP to AMP on the surface of tumor cells. Dual expression further propagates immunosuppressive effects of adenosine in the tumor microenvironment. …