FERRERA , Francesca

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by Th2 polarized immune response. Consequently, allergic patients have a defect in IFN-gamma production. So far, however, all the experimental studies have investigated only the IFN-gamma production induced by the causal allergen. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a difference in...

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Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by a Th2 polarized immune response, and specific immunotherapy modifies this arrangement, restoring a physiologic Th1 profile. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is widely prescribed. The aim of the study is to evaluate two different methods for assessing IFN-γ, namely ELISPOT and ELISA, before and after a...

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Peptide540-548, peptide611-626, peptide672-686 and peptide766-780, which are derived from human telomerase, constitute the immunogenic component of the GX301 cancer vaccine. The relative immunogenicity of these peptides is unknown, thus it is unsure whether their combined use offers real advantages over single peptide stimulation. Hence, this...

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A previous study showed that a tolerogenic gene vaccine based on a IgG1Fc-pCons chimera (here named GX101) protects NZB/NZW mice from SLE development. The present study was aimed at identifying the most effective schedule of immunization and the possible involvement of CD4(+) Foxp3(+) Treg in the mechanism of action, in view of its eventual...

Background: The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene has been shown to be involved in the genesis of autoimmunity in subjects affected by the autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), and more recently in the pathogenesis of alopecia. Considering that SSc, object of the present study, has a deep cutaneous involvement,...

The need for detecting protein biomarkers coming from extremely small samples (biopsies, laser capture microdissections, forensic microspecimens) or cell lysates and surnatants of few cells has led to the flourishing of techniques with molecular sensitivity and the miniaturization of analytical systems. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is capable...

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The therapy of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a systemic autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology, is significantly complicated by the diversity of disease manifestations and by a variety of complex immune abnormalities. Recent preclinical studies have shown the therapeutic efficacy of several drugs and/or new compounds, some of which have...

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CD39 is an ectoenzyme, present on different immune cell subsets, which mediates immunosuppressive functions catalyzing ATP degradation. It is not known whether CD39 is expressed and implicated in the activity of CD8+ regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg). In this study, CD39 expression and function was analyzed in both CD8+ and CD4+CD25(hi) Treg from...

Tumor growth is allowed by its ability to escape immune system surveillance. An important role in determining tumor evasion from immune control might be played by tumor-infiltrating regulatory lymphocytes. This study was aimed at characterizing phenotype and function of CD8(+)CD28(-) T regulatory cells infiltrating human cancer. Lymphocytes...

AIRE is involved in susceptibility to melanoma perhaps regulating T cell immunity against melanoma antigens (MA). To address this issue, AIRE and MAGEB2 expressions were measured by real time PCR in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) from two strains of C57BL/6 mice bearing either T or C allelic variant of the rs1800522 AIRE SNP....

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