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This Review discusses the importance of galectin-glycan interactions in regulating T cell survival, activation, cytokine production and regulatory functions, as well as shaping the B cell compartment. Targeting these interactions could have important therapeutic implications for inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer. Key Points Galectins are evolutionarily conserved glycan-binding proteins with pleiotropic roles in innate and adaptive immune responses. Extracellularly, galectins can bind multiple glycosylated binding partners and translate glycan-encoded information into immune cell homeostatic programmes. Galectin–glycoprotein interactions form a multivalent 'lattice' that controls glycoprotein clustering and endocytosis to regulate receptor signalling and activation. Several members of the galectin family trigger intracellular signals that lead to the regulation of T cell survival. This process is controlled by the glycosylation pattern of cell surface glycoproteins, which can change markedly during activation and differentiation of immune cells. Galectin 1 and galectin 10 are over-represented in CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T (T Reg ) cells and contribute to their immunosuppressive activity. In addition, galectins contribute to shaping the B cell compartment during B cell development and differentiation. Emerging evidence in knockout mice indicates crucial roles for endogenous galectins in modulating chronic inflammation, autoimmunity and allergy. In addition, galectins can function as soluble mediators that are used by tumour cells to evade immune responses. The essential roles of galectin–glycan interactions in immune tolerance and homeostasis make them attractive therapeutic targets for limiting autoimmune inflammation, preventing allograft rejection and potentiating antitumour responses. The function of deciphering the biological information encoded by the glycome, which is the entire repertoire of complex sugar structures expressed by cells and tissues, is assigned in part to endogenous glycan-binding proteins or lectins. Galectins, a family of animal lectins that bind N -acetyllactosamine-containing glycans, have many roles in diverse immune cell processes, including those relevant to pathogen recognition, shaping the course of adaptive immune responses and fine-tuning the inflammatory response. How do galectins translate glycan-encoded information into tolerogenic or inflammatory cell programmes? An improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying these functions will provide further opportunities for developing new therapies based on the immunoregulatory properties of this multifaceted protein family.

Future wireless systems integrating communication and sensing will require handling an enormous amount of data with extremely low latency. Intense video streaming data traffic, pervasive-augmented and virtual reality services, advanced haptic-tactile interaction and holography-type communications, in fact, reveal a trend towards experience-based networks and multi-sense media, which require seamless connectivity and ultra-high capacity. Using current 5G technologies to take mentioned challenges, might not represent the desired solution and a completely new paradigm is needed. Recently, to support this change, scientists have been focusing on the concept of Smart Electromagnetic Environments (SEE), based on deploying a number of smart nodes, whose electromagnetic response needs to be finely adapted to the changing operative conditions. In this framework, a pivotal role is played by reconfigurable intelligent metasurfaces, allowing the implementation of smart skins, reflecting intelligent surfaces, smart repeaters, and intelligent antennas. This paper aims at offering an insightful review of the role of intelligent metasurfaces in advancing the concept of SEE. Different application domains will be illustrated: advanced signal processing at the physical layer, a new generation of smart antennas whose intelligence is enabled by the physical layer, and practical implementation of reflecting intelligent surfaces. With an in-depth analysis of these areas, this review sheds light on how intelligent metasurfaces drive innovation in wireless communication shaping the future of SEEs.

The first single crystal structure of the homoleptic copper (II) ML2 complex (M=Cu (II), L = curcumin) was obtained and its structure was elucidated by X-ray diffraction showing a square planar geometry, also confirmed by EPR. The supramolecular arrangement is supported by C-H···O interactions and the solvent (MeOH) plays an important role in stabilizing the crystal packing Crystallinity was additionally assessed by XRD patterns. The log P value of the complex (2.3 ± 0.15) was determined showing the improvement in water solubility. The cytotoxic activity of the complex against six cancer cell lines substantially surpasses that of curcumin itself, and it is particularly selective against leukemia (K562) and human glioblastoma (U251) cell lines, with similar antioxidant activity to BHT. This constitutes the first crystal structure of pristine curcumin complexed with a metal ion.

We report herein the synthesis and crystal structures of five new homoleptic copper complexes of curcuminoids. The scarcity of reports of homoleptic complex structures of curcuminoids is attributed to the lack of crystallinity of such derivatives, and therefore, their characterization by single crystal X-ray diffraction is rare. The ligand design suppressing the phenolic interaction by esterification or etherification has afforded a significant increase in the number of known crystal structures of homoleptic metal complexes of curcuminoids revealing more favorable crystallinity. The crystal structures of the present new copper complexes show four-fold coordination with a square planar geometry. Two polymorphs were found for DiBncOC-Cu when crystallized from DMF. The characterization of these new complexes was carried out using infrared radiation (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) and the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of the obtained complexes was evaluated.

We report herein the synthesis and characterization of three heterocyclic curcuminoid ligands and their homoleptic metal complexes with magnesium and copper. Thus, N-methyl-2-pyrrolecarboxaldehyde, Furan-2-carboxaldehyde, and 2-Thiophenecarboxaldehyde were condensed with 2,4-pentanedione-boron trioxide complex. The first N-methyl-2-pyrrole curcuminoid and its Mg(II) complex are reported. All curcuminoid ligands and their corresponding metal complexes were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), liquid state nuclear magnetic resonance (LSNMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), mass spectrometry (MS) and single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). The ThiopheneCurc-Cu (9) constitutes the first case of a “conformationally-heteroleptic” complex. The unique six-peaks star arrangement for the ThiopheneCurc ligand derived from the supramolecular description is reported. The metal complexes of FuranCurc-Mg (5) and ThiopheneCurc-Cu (9) have a good antioxidant effect (IC50 = 11.26 ± 1.73 and 10.30 ± 0.59 μM), three and two times higher than their free ligands respectively. Additionally, (5) shows remarkable cytotoxicity against colon cancer adenocarcinoma cell line HCT-15, comparable to that of cisplatin, with a negligible toxic effect in vitro towards a healthy monkey kidney cell line (COS-7).

Regulated glycosylation controls T cell processes, including activation, differentiation and homing by creating or masking ligands for endogenous lectins. Here we show that stimuli promoting T helper type 1 (T H 1), T H 2 or interleukin 17–producing T helper (T H -17) differentiation can differentially regulate the glycosylation pattern of T helper cells and modulate their susceptibility to galectin-1, a glycan-binding protein with anti-inflammatory activity. Although T H 1- and T H -17–differentiated cells expressed the repertoire of cell surface glycans critical for galectin-1–induced cell death, T H 2 cells were protected from galectin-1 through differential sialylation of cell surface glycoproteins. Consistent with those findings, galectin-1–deficient mice developed greater T H 1 and T H -17 responses and enhanced susceptibility to autoimmune neuroinflammation. Our findings identify a molecular link among differential glycosylation of T helper cells, susceptibility to cell death and termination of the inflammatory response.

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare and heterogeneous acquired sensory-motor polyneuropathy with autoimmune pathogenesis. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) are a well-established therapy for CIDP: it is well known that at least two-thirds of these patients need these infusions for several years. More recently, Subcutaneous Immunoglobulins (SCIg) have been proved to be effective: this finding has been confirmed either in isolated cases or in few randomized trials. However, it appeared that the longest SCIg treatment follow up lasted no longer than 48 months. We report herein the results of a long-term SCIg treatment with a follow up period up to 7 years (84 months), considering safety, tolerability and patients’ perception of SCIg treatment in a CIDP population. We studied 17 patients (10 M; 7 F) with a diagnosis of CIDP, defined according to the EFNS/PNS criteria, successfully treated with IVIG every 4/6 weeks before being switched to SCIg treatment. Clinical follow-up included, apart from a routinely clinical assessment, the administration of Medical Research Council (MRC) sum-score, the Overall Neuropathy Limitation Scale (ONLS) and the Life Quality Index questionnaire (LQI). The results showed that, in the majority of this pre-selected group of CIDP patients (16/17), SCIg were well tolerated and were preferred over IVIG. Strength and motor functions remained stable or even improved during the long term follow-up (up to 84 months) with benefits on walking capability and resistance, manual activity performances and fatigue reduction.

HIGHLIGHTS SBM replacement with a AP-based nucleus had minor effects on the DM and nutrients apparent digestibility Apparent digestibility of DM and CP of AP averaged 861 and 848 g/kg, respectively, while its ME and NE contents averaged 16.2 and 10.3 MJ/kg DM. SBM replacement with AP in growing pigs appears feasible in terms of nutritional attributes

Background There has been a recent upsurge of interest in complementary medicine, especially dietary supplements and foods functional in delaying the onset of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. Mushrooms have long been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, being now increasingly recognized as antitumor, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial and hepatoprotective agent also capable to stimulate host immune responses. Results Here we provide evidence of neuroprotective action of Hericium Herinaceus when administered orally to rat. Expression of Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) was measured in different brain regions after oral administration of a biomass Hericium preparation, given for 3 month. LXA4 up-regulation was associated with an increased content of redox sensitive proteins involved in cellular stress response, such as Hsp72, Heme oxygenase −1 and Thioredoxin. In the brain of rats receiving Hericium , maximum induction of LXA4 was observed in cortex, and hippocampus followed by substantia Nigra, striatum and cerebellum. Increasing evidence supports the notion that oxidative stress-driven neuroinflammation is a fundamental cause in neurodegenerative diseases. As prominent intracellular redox system involved in neuroprotection, the vitagene system is emerging as a neurohormetic potential target for novel cytoprotective interventions. Vitagenes encode for cytoprotective heat shock proteins 70, heme oxygenase-1, thioredoxin and Lipoxin A4. Emerging interest is now focussing on molecules capable of activating the vitagene system as novel therapeutic target to minimize deleterious consequences associated with free radical-induced cell damage, such as in neurodegeneration. LXA4 is an emerging endogenous eicosanoid able to promote resolution of inflammation, acting as an endogenous “braking signal” in the inflammatory process. In addition, Hsp system is emerging as key pathway for modulation to prevent neuronal dysfunction, caused by protein misfolding. Conclusions Conceivably, activation of LXA4 signaling and modulation of stress responsive vitagene proteins could serve as a potential therapeutic target for AD-related inflammation and neurodegenerative damage.

The objective of this review is to identify the bioactive compounds present in tropical fruits such as Tamarindus indica L., Annona muricata, Mangifera indica, and Psidium guajava and their biological activities. The identification of these compounds shows their potential as a food ingredient in the development of products, providing added value to them, because not only the pulp of the fruit is used, but also the shell and its other parts, such as the leaves, are used, being viable sources to obtain some compounds that benefit human health. Implementing fruits that have certain bioactive compounds such as carotenoids (β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin), antioxidants (vitamins A and C), and phenolic compounds (ellagic acid, gallic acid, citric acid) in the production process in the food industry, allows them to become functional foodstuffs. The results obtained show the need to implement the operational processes that allow obtaining different compounds, which ensure their stability and precision, applying different extraction methods such as maceration, Soxhlet, supercritical fluids, and ultrasound.