Some weekend reading of interest and to keep track of:
"2-26-16/Dr.Ray.Birge article: “Phosphatidylserine is a Global Immunosuppressive Signal...” - Cell Death & Differentiation, online pub. 2-26-16.
2-26-16: “Phosphatidylserine is a Global Immunosuppressive Signal in Efferocytosis, Infectious Disease, and Cancer” 'Cell Death & Differentiation Jrnl' online pub. 2-26-16 (rec.10-31-15; acc.1-7-16) Raymond Birge 1; S Boeltz 2; S Kumar 1; J Carlson 3; J Wanderley 4; D Calianese 1; M Barcinski5; Rolf Brekken 6,7; Xianming Huang 6,7; Jeff Hutchins 3; Bruce Freimark 3; C Empig 3; J Mercer 8; A J Schroit 9; G Schett 2; Martin Herrmann 2 1. Dept of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, CC, Rutgers NJ Medical School, Newark, NJ 2. Dept of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology & Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Univ., Erlangen, Germany 3. Peregrine Pharma., Tustin, CA 4. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 5. Lab de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6. Div. of Surgical Oncology, Hamon Ctr for Therapeutic Oncology Res., UTSW-MC/Dallas 7. Dept of Pharmacology, UTSW-MC/Dallas 8. Medical Research Council Lab for Molecular Cell Biology, Univ. College London 9. Simmons Cancer Center & Dept of Immunology, UTSW-MC/Dallas ABSTRACT Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved and tightly regulated cell death modality. It serves important roles in physiology by sculpting complex tissues during embryogenesis and by removing effete cells that have reached advanced age or whose genomes have been irreparably damaged. Apoptosis culminates in the rapid and decisive removal of cell corpses by efferocytosis, a term used to distinguish the engulfment of apoptotic cells from other phagocytic processes. Over the past decades, the molecular and cell biological events associated with efferocytosis have been rigorously studied, and many eat-me signals and receptors have been identified. The externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS) is arguably the most emblematic eat-me signal that is in turn bound by a large number of serum proteins and opsonins that facilitate efferocytosis. Under physiological conditions, externalized PS functions as a dominant and evolutionarily conserved immunosuppressive signal that promotes tolerance and prevents local and systemic immune activation. Pathologically, the innate immunosuppressive effect of externalized PS has been hijacked by numerous viruses, microorganisms, and parasites to facilitate infection, and in many cases, establish infection latency. PS is also profoundly dysregulated in the tumor microenvironment and antagonizes the development of tumor immunity. In this review, we discuss the biology of PS with respect to its role as a global immunosuppressive signal and how PS is exploited to drive diverse pathological processes such as infection and cancer. Finally, we outline the rationale that agents targeting PS could have significant value in cancer & infectious disease therapeutics. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/cdd201611a.html
= = = = = = = = = =UPCOMING: June2-4: ICDS 2016: Translational Implications in Cell Death", Cork Ireland http://tinyurl.com/h2gvyld ...Dr. Rolf Brekken (USA, UTSE, PPHM SAB): ”Blockade of PS & Immune Activation in Cancer” (Chair: Dr. Raymond Birge/Rutgers – see http://tinyurl.com/j3whbx3 )
= = = = = = = = = = = = =PREV: June2015: DR RAYMOND BIRGE & Dr. Xianming Huang (Dr.Rolf.Brekken-Lab) at Gordon Res. Conference in Maine on 6-15-15 – speaking next to each other in “Consequences of Lipid Alterations” Session. Peregrine was the only corp. contributor to this conference, specified as, “In Memory of Dr. Philip E. Thorpe.”...
June 14-19, 2015: “Apoptotic Cell Recognition & Clearance”, Gordon Research Conference, Biddeford, ME Chair: David S. Ucker, Vice Chairs: Peter Henson & Kirsten Lauber http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=13127 ”Moreover, apoptotic cells are potently immunosuppressive, and their clearance occurs in the absence of inflammation. Recognition & inflammatory modulation represent key elements of an innate immunity that discriminates live from effete cells.” **The only Corp. Sponsor: PEREGRINE PHARM, “Generous financial support from Peregrine Pharmaceuticals is in memory of Dr. Philip E. Thorpe.” - - - - - - - - SESSION: “Consequences of Lipid Alterations for Apoptotic Cell Clearance Discussion Leader: Christopher Gregory (Univ. of Edinburgh, UK) 7:30pm: Ian Dransfield (Univ. of Edinburgh, UK), “Protein S Binding to Apoptotic Cells...” 8:10pm: Dr. Raymond Birge (Rutgers NJMS), “Apoptotic Cell Recognition Receptors, Tyro3/Axl/Mer...” 8:50pm: Dr. Xianming Huang** (UTSW-MC/Dallas, Brekken Lab), “PS-Targeting Antibodies Overcome Tumor Immunosuppression and Synergize with Immune Checkpoint Blockade" **Dr. Xianming Huang: formerly in Dr. Philip Thorpe's Lab (RIP, Dr. Thorpe, 1951-2013 http://tinyurl.com/l9gqmt5 ), now in Dr. Rolf Brekken's (PPHM SAB) Lab. http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/labs/brekken/
Dr. Raymond Birge spoke at Peregrine's 11-2015 “Sci. Session” at SITC'15/Maryland ( http://tinyurl.com/pbof95w ); will be the chair in June 2016 of the ICDS'16/Ireland session where Dr. Rolf Brekken (PPHM SAB) is speaking on “Blockade of PS & Immune Activation in Cancer”; and now also speaking in late June'16 at ICHC'16/Istanbul on, “Phosphatidylserine is a Global Immunosuppressive Signal in Cell Death & Cancer”.
3-1-14/Youtube: “Cancer Research” - Dr. Raymond Birge Laboratory, Rutgers http://birgelab.org
Dr. Ray Birge/2:54: "The immune system is very complex and if it can recognize tumors as being foreign to the body, then it can reactivate & eliminate these tumors to treat as a chronic disease, or in some cases eliminate the tumors. One of the projects that our lab is interested in is how to reactivate the immune system toward particular cancers, and we believe that the type of cell death that cancer cells undergo will determine whether or not they'll be an immune reaction against the cancer. If cells die, through a process called apoptosis, in a certain way, they can reactivate / activate the immune system and give a durable, anti-tumor response. The problem that we're trying to understand is how the tumor cells evade the immune system and therefore block these immune-suppressing signals to reactivate the immune system against cancer..."
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
