Publications by authors named "Constanza Rodriguez"

Neuroblastoma is a highly aggressive childhood solid tumor with poor outcomes. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown limited efficacy in neuroblastoma, with the best outcomes reported in patients with a low tumor burden, highlighting the need for further CAR optimization. One approach to addressing the high tumor burden involves engineering CAR T cells to release or express transgenic cytokines.

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Tissue-repair regulatory T cells (trTregs) comprise a specialized cell subset essential for tissue homeostasis and repair. While well-studied in sterile injury models, their role in infection-induced tissue damage and antimicrobial immunity is less understood. We investigated trTreg dynamics during acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection, marked by extensive tissue damage and strong CD8+ immunity.

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Purpose: Different deep-learning models have been employed to aid in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal pathologies. The diagnosis of tendon pathologies could particularly benefit from applying these technologies. The objective of this study is to assess the performance of deep learning models in diagnosing tendon pathologies using various imaging modalities.

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An imbalance between suppressor and effector immune responses may preclude cure in chronic parasitic diseases. In the case of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, specialized regulatory Foxp3+ T (Treg) cells suppress protective type-1 effector responses. Herein, we investigated the kinetics and underlying mechanisms behind the regulation of protective parasite-specific CD8+ T cell immunity during acute T.

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Purpose: The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiology has revolutionized diagnostics, optimizing precision and decision-making. Specifically in musculoskeletal imaging, AI tools can improve accuracy for upper extremity pathologies. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of AI models in detecting musculoskeletal pathologies of the upper extremity using different imaging modalities.

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Article Synopsis
  • Conventional CD4 T lymphocytes, particularly those expressing CD39, play a critical, yet not fully understood, role in fighting tumors, showing distinct characteristics in cancer environments.
  • In mouse cancer models, these CD39 Tconv cells displayed traits of exhaustion, high cytotoxic potential, and specific protein expressions, differentiating them from their counterparts in lymphoid organs.
  • In breast cancer patients, CD39 Tconv cells were less common in non-tumoral tissues and linked to improved survival rates, highlighting CD39 as a potential biomarker for assessing immune responses in tumors.
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IL-17 immune responses in cancer are controversial, with both tumor-promoting and tumor-repressing effects observed. To clarify the role of IL-17 signaling in cancer progression, we used syngeneic tumor models from different tissue origins. We found that deficiencies in host IL-17RA or IL-17A/F expression had varying effects on the growth of different solid tumors including melanoma, sarcoma, lymphoma, and leukemia.

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An imbalance between suppressor and effector immune responses may preclude cure in chronic parasitic diseases. In the case of infection, specialized regulatory Foxp3+ T (Treg) cells suppress protective type-1 effector responses. Herein, we investigated the kinetics and underlying mechanisms behind the regulation of protective parasite-specific CD8+ T cell immunity during acute infection.

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This study aimed to investigate controlled fermentation of cocoa beans with selected yeasts as starter cultures via integrating microbiological, biochemical, and chromatographic analyses. The steps involved in the yeast starter culture test were of the following order: 1) counting, isolation, purification, and biochemical identification of yeasts, 2) selection of ethanol-producing yeasts, 3) selection of thermotolerant yeasts, and 4) evaluation of physicochemical parameters of the selected yeasts in controlled fermentation of cocoa (F1 - ssp. and ssp.

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Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The success rate of conventional anticancer therapeutic approaches such as chemotherapy is limited by the non-specific toxicity and low specificity towards specific tumors, which are highly dependent on the mutational burden present on each patient. Similarly, targeted therapies have proven to induce resistance in numerous malignancies.

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Host resistance during infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, and other protozoans, is dependent on a balanced immune response. Robust immunity against these pathogens requires of the concerted action of many innate and adaptive cell populations including macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, CD4, and CD8 T cells and B cells among others. Indeed, during most protozoan infections only a balanced production of inflammatory (T1) and anti-inflammatory (T2/regulatory) cytokines will allow the control of parasite spreading without compromising host tissue integrity.

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While it is now acknowledged that CD4 T cells expressing CD25 and Foxp3 (Treg cells) regulate immune responses and, consequently, influence the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, the regulatory response mediated by Treg cells upon infection by was still poorly characterized. In order to understand the role of Treg cells during infection by this protozoan parasite, we determined in time and space the magnitude of the regulatory response and the phenotypic, functional and transcriptional features of the Treg cell population in infected mice. Contrary to the accumulation of Treg cells reported in most chronic infections in mice and humans, experimental infection was characterized by sustained numbers but decreased relative frequency of Treg cells.

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The IL-17 family contributes to host defense against many intracellular pathogens by mechanisms that are not fully understood. CD8+ T lymphocytes are key elements against intracellular microbes, and their survival and ability to mount cytotoxic responses are orchestrated by several cytokines. Here, we demonstrated that IL-17RA-signaling cytokines sustain pathogen-specific CD8+ T cell immunity.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the periodontal status and the presence and concentration of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass against P. gingivalis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and its association with rheumatic clinical activity parameters.

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