Biological Sciences and Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad&nbsp;(IIT Palakkad or IIT PKD) is a public autonomous&nbsp;engineering&nbsp;and&nbsp;research&nbsp;institute located in&nbsp;Palakkad,&nbsp;Kerala. It was&nbsp;one of the five new&nbsp;IITs&nbsp;proposed in the&nbsp;2014 Union budget of India. The campus was inaugurated on 3 August 2015. The institute has 94 faculty, 978 students, and 63 non-teaching staffs.

IT Palakkad currently offers four-year Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and two years MS programmes in 8 different engineering disciplines including&nbsp;Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil among others.

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IIT Palakkad

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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology

Impact of gp120 on dendritic cell-derived chemokines: Relevance for the efficacy of gp120-based vaccines for HIV-1

Nature

Government: More credit due to India's scientists

Journal of Rheumatology

Intravenous immunoglobulin expands regulatory T cells in autoimmune rheumatic disease

Blood

Regulation of human dendritic cells by B cells depends on the signals they receive

Th17 cells that secrete the cytokines IL-17A and IL-17F and express lineage-specific transcription factor RORC (RORγt in mice) represent a distinct lineage of CD4 + T cells. Transforming growth factor-β and inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-21, IL-1β, and IL-23, play central roles in the generation of Th17 cells. Th17 cells are critical for the clearance of extracellular pathogens, including Candida and Klebsiella. However, under certain conditions, these cells and their effector molecules, such as IL-17, IL-21, IL-22, GM-CSF, and CCL20, are associated with the pathogenesis of several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and allergy and asthma. This review discusses these disease states and the various therapeutic strategies under investigation to target Th17 cells, which include blocking the differentiation and amplification of Th17 cells, inhibiting or neutralizing the cytokines of Th17 cells, and suppressing the transcription factors specific for Th17 cells. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

American Journal of Pathology

Th17 cells: Biology, pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and therapeutic strategies

Natural IgM Abs are the constitutively secreted products of B1 cells (CD5 + in mice and CD20 +CD27 +CD43 +CD70 - in humans) that have important and diverse roles in health and disease. Whereas the role of natural IgM as the first line of defense for protection against invading microbes has been extensively investigated, more recent reports have highlighted their potential roles in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis via clearance of apoptotic and altered cells through complement-dependent mechanisms, inhibition of inflammation, removal of misfolded proteins, and regulation of pathogenic autoreactive IgG Abs and auto-antibody- producing B cells. These observations have provided the theoretical underpinnings for efforts that currently seek to harness the untapped therapeutic potential of natural IgM either by boosting in vivo natural IgM production or via therapeutic infusions of monoclonal and polyclonal IgM preparations. Copyright © 2012 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Journal of Immunology

Natural IgM in immune equilibrium and harnessing their therapeutic potential

There is evidence that dendritic cells (DCs) induce peripheral tolerance. Nevertheless, it is not known whether immature DCs in general are able to tolerize CD4+ T cells or if this is a prerogative of specialized subtypes. Here we show that, when autoantigen presentation is extended to all conventional mouse DCs, immature lymphoid tissue resident DCs are unable to induce autoantigen-specific regulatory T (iTreg) cell conversion. In contrast, this is an exclusive prerogative of steady-state migratory DCs. Because only lymph nodes host migratory DCs, iTreg cells develop and are retained solely in lymph nodes, and not in the spleen. Mechanistically, in cutaneous lymph nodes, DC-derived CCL22 contributes to the retention of iTreg cells. The importance of the local generation of iTreg cells is emphasized by their essential role in preventing autoimmunity. © 2012 by The American Society of Hematology.

Migratory, and not lymphoid-resident, dendritic cells maintain peripheral self-tolerance and prevent autoimmunity via induction of iTreg cells

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) can exert beneficial effects in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases via several mutually non-exclusive mechanisms. While, IVIg can directly modulate the functions of both innate and adaptive immune cells such as dendritic cells (DC), macrophages, B and T cells, several reports have also highlighted that the regulation of immune responses by IVIg can be indirect. In view of these results, we aimed at exploring whether indirect regulation of immune cells by 'IVIg-educated' innate cells is a universal phenomenon. We addressed this question by deciphering the modulation of B cell functions by 'IVIg-educated' DC. Our results indicate that human B cells are resistant to immunomodulation by 'IVIg-educated' DC. However, IVIg at therapeutic concentrations can directly inhibit B cell activation and proliferation. These results thus suggest that, indirect modulation of immune cells by IVIg is not a universal phenomenon. © 2011 Elsevier B.V..

Autoimmunity Reviews

B cells are resistant to immunomodulation by 'IVIg-educated' dendritic cells

Prepared from the collective plasma of several thousand people, therapeutic intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) consists mostly of human polyspecific IgG. In addition to its use in primary and secondary immune deficiencies, IVIg is used in the treatment of several rheumatic conditions, including Kawasaki disease, dermatomyositis and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-positive vasculitis. In these diseases, IVIg therapy generally involves the use of 2 g/kg administered over either 2 or 5 consecutive days. However, dosage regimens have not been thoroughly explored, and indications for IVIg in most rheumatic diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis and catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome, derive from its off-label usage. Randomized clinical trials are warranted to support the evidence-based use of IVIg, and to identify the ideal administration protocols to maximize the benefits of what is a limited resource. Further research to improve the therapeutic application of IVIg relies essentially on the conception of next-generation immunoglobulin preparations and optimization of combined therapies with immunomodulatory drugs and biologic agents. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.