26,464 research outputs found

    A new look at the pathogenesis of asthma

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    Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the conducting airways that has strong association with allergic sensitization. The disease is characterized by a polarized Th-2 (T-helper-2)-type T-cell response, but in general targeting this component of the disease with selective therapies has been disappointing and most therapy still relies on bronchodilators and corticosteroids rather than treating underlying disease mechanisms. With the disappointing outcomes of targeting individual Th-2 cytokines or manipulating T-cells, the time has come to re-evaluate the direction of research in this disease. A case is made that asthma has its origins in the airways themselves involving defective structural and functional behaviour of the epithelium in relation to environmental insults. Specifically, a defect in barrier function and an impaired innate immune response to viral infection may provide the substrate upon which allergic sensitization takes place. Once sensitized, the repeated allergen exposure will lead to disease persistence. These mechanisms could also be used to explain airway wall remodelling and the susceptibility of the asthmatic lung to exacerbations provoked by respiratory viruses, air pollution episodes and exposure to biologically active allergens. Variable activation of this epithelial-mesenchymal trophic unit could also lead to the emergence of different asthma phenotypes and a more targeted approach to the treatment of these. It also raises the possibility of developing treatments that increase the lung's resistance to the inhaled environment rather than concentrating all efforts on trying to suppress inflammation once it has become established.<br/

    Author Peter FitzSimons speaking at the National Library of Australia, Canberra, 13 November 2012 /

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    Title from acquisitions documentation.; Part of the collection: Portraits of author Peter FitzSimons speaking at the National Library of Australia, Canberra, 13 November 2012.; Acquired in digital format; access copy available online.; Mode of access: Online.; Photographed by a staff member of the National Library of Australia

    Moral Good, the Beatific Vision, and God’s Kingdom Writings by Germain Grisez and Peter Ryan, S.J.. Edited by Peter J. Weigel

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    For close to half a century, the work of Germain Grisez has been highly influential, and his writings continue to receive considerable attention from philosophers and theologians of diverse viewpoints. His co-author for this work is the professor and noted moral theologian Fr. Peter Ryan, S.J., currently the executive director of the Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). These two eminent scholars explore fundamental questions about Christian eschatology, moral theory, the purpose of human life, and the promise of human fulfilment. The authors examine Christian teaching on the final destiny of persons, investigating the meaning of God's kingdom, the hope of the beatific vision, and the centrality of moral goodness and divine grace in one's final end. This work is an ideal source for students, scholars, ministers and lay persons interested in basic questions of Christian theology, the philosophy of religion, ethical theory, and Catholic doctrin

    Murder on the mountain: author talk with Peter J. Wosh

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    Author talk by Peter J. Wosh on May 5th, 2022, on his book, "Murder on the Mountain: crime, passion, and punishment in gilded age New Jersey.

    Lunchtime Talk with Author and Attorney Peter Godwin

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    Author and attorney Peter Godwin gave a lunchtime talk about the topics discussed in his book, The Fear, which focuses on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe under the rule of Robert Mugabe

    An essay about the Francis Paudras Collection on Bud Powell by Peter Pullman

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    This is an essay about the Francis Paudras Collection on Bud Powell written by Peter Pullman, a jazz scholar and author of Wail: The Life of Bud Powell (Brooklyn: Bop Changes, 2012).One image file (pdf)This project was supported by a Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

    Professor Peter Singer speaking at the National Press Club Canberra, 11 February 2009 [picture] /

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    Title devised by cataloguer based on information from acquisitions documentation.; Part of the collection: Humanitarian author Professor Peter Singer at the National Press Club, Canberra, 11 February 2009.; Acquired in digital format; access copy available online.; Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.; Photographed by a staff member of the National Library of Australia, 2009

    TGF-? isoform release and activation during in vitro bronchial epithelial wound repair

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    Restitution of an epithelial layer after environmental or biological damage is important to maintain the normal function of the respiratory tract. We have investigated the role of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta isoforms in the repair of layers of 16HBE 14o- bronchial epithelial-derived cells after damage by multiple scoring. ELISA showed that both latent TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 were converted to their active forms 2 h after wounding. Time-lapse microscopy showed that the addition of TGF-beta 1, but not TGF-beta 2, progressively increased the rate of migration of damaged monolayers at concentrations down to 250 pg/ml. This increase was blocked by addition of a neutralizing TGF-beta 1 antibody. Phase-contrast microscopy and inhibition of proliferation with mitomycin C showed that proliferation was not required for migration. These results demonstrate that conversion of latent to active TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 during in vitro epithelial wound repair occurs quickly and that TGF-beta 1 speeds epithelial repair. A faster repair may be advantageous in preventing access of environmental agents to the internal milieu of the lung although the production of active TGF-beta molecules may augment subepithelial fibrosis

    Inflammatory cytokines can enhance CD44-mediated airway epithelial cell adhesion independently of CD44 expression

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    In airways, the cell surface molecule CD44 is upregulated on bronchial epithelial cells in areas of damage. We have shown that a blocking standard CD44 (CD44s) antibody caused a 77% (± 19%) inhibition of cell migration at 3 h after mechanical damage and decreased epithelial cell repair of cells grown on cell culture filter inserts. With the use of primary human bronchial epithelial cells and the bronchial epithelial cell line 16HBE 14o-, a CD44s antibody inhibited &gt;95% (P &lt; 0.01) of cell binding to hyaluronic acid (HA). The cytokines TNF-?, IFN-?, IL-1?, and IL-4 stimulated a 2- to 3.5-fold increase in CD44-dependent cell binding to HA. IFN-? treatment did not increase CD44 expression as assessed by flow cytometry, although phorbol myristate acetate treatment did. This indicates that IFN-?-induced cell binding to HA did not require increased CD44 expression. These data indicate that CD44 is important for bronchial epithelial cell binding to HA and that cytokines known to be expressed in inflammation can increase HA binding independently of the level of CD44 expression
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