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Cancer - Immunotherapy. --- Biological response modifiers. --- Biological products - Therapeutic use.

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The innate immune system has evolved means to recognize and react suitably to foreign entities such as infectious agents. In many cases infectious microorganisms threaten the integrity and function of the target organs or tissues; therefore, consequent to their recognition the immune system becomes activated to ensure their elimination. Toll-like receptors (TLR) constitute a family of receptors specialized in the recognition of molecular patterns typically associated with infectious agents. Different TLRs exist, each selective for molecular entities and motifs belonging to a specific pathogen group. Consequently, it is thought that the molecular nature of invading microorganisms activates specific TLRs to drive adequate anti-infectious immunity. For instance, nucleic acid-specific, intracellular receptors (TLR3/7/8/9) are used to sense viruses and drive antiviral immunity, while other receptors (such as TLR2 and TLR4) recognize and promote immunity against bacteria, yeast, and fungi. Yet, it is becoming evident that activation of TLR pathways trigger mechanisms that not only stimulate but also regulate the immune system. For instance, TLR stimulation by viruses will drive antiviral interferon but also immunoregulatory cytokine production and regulatory T cell activation. Stimulation of TLRs by bacteria or using molecular agonists can also trigger both immune stimulatory and regulatory responses. TLR stimulation by infectious agents likely serves to activate but also control anti-infectious immunity, for instance prevent potential immunopathological tissue damage which can be caused by acute immune defense mechanisms. Previous work by us and others has shown that the immunoregulatory arm of TLR stimulation can additionally help control autoreactive processes in autoimmune disease. Hence, it is becoming established that gut commensals, which also play a crucial part in the control of autoimmune disease, establish immune regulatory mechanisms through activation of particular TLRs. In sum, it appears that TLRs are key immune players that not only stimulate but also regulate immune processes in health and disease. In this Research Topic, we wish to review the dual role of TLRs as activators and regulators of immune responses. We aim to motivate data-driven opinions as to the importance of context of TLR agonism for determining immune activation vs. regulation. The presentation of ongoing original works, as well as data and opinions around other innate immune receptors pertaining to this topic, are also encouraged.

Infection --- Toll-Like Receptors --- Probiotics --- Immune stimulation --- Immunoregulation --- Autoimmune Diseases --- cancer immunotherapy --- Inflammation --- microbiome --- tolerance

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Gamma/delta (γδ) T-cells are a small subset of T-lymphocytes in the peripheral circulation but constitute a major T-cell population at other anatomical localizations such as the epithelial tissues. In contrast to conventional a/ß T-cells, the available number of germline genes coding for T-cell receptor (TCR) variable elements of γδ T-cells is very small. Moreover, there is a prefential localization of γδ T-cells expressing given Vgamma and Vdelta genes in certain tissues. In humans, γδ T-cells expressing the Vg9Vd2-encoded TCR account for anywhere between 50 and >95% of peripheral blood γδ T-cells, whereas cells expressing non-Vd2 genes dominate in mucosal tissues. In mice, there is an ordered appearance of γδ T-cell „waves“ during embryonic development, resulting in preferential localization of γδ T-cells expressing distinct VgammaVdelta genes in the skin, the reproductive organs, or gut epithelia. The major function of γδ T-cells resides in local immunosurveillance and immune defense against infection and malignancy. This is supported by the identification of ligands that are selectively recognized by the γδ TCR. As an example, human Vgamma9Vdelta2 T-cells recognize phosphorylated metabolites („phosphoantigens“) that are secreted by many pathogens but can also be overproduced by tumor cells, providing a basis for a role of these γδ T-cells in both anti-infective and anti-tumor immunity. Similarly, the recognition of endothelial protein C receptor by human non-Vdelta2 γδ T-cells has recently been identified to provide a link for the role for such γδ T-cells in immunity against epithelial tumor cells and cytomegalovirus-infected endothelial cells. In addition to „classical“ functions such as cytokine production and cytotoxicity, recent studies suggest that subsets of γδ T-cells can exert additional functions such as regulatory activity and – quite surpisingly – „professional“ antigen-presenting capacity. It is currently not well known how this tremendous extent of functional plasticity is regulated and what is the extent of γδ TCR ligand diversity. Due to their non-MHC-restricted recognition of unusual stress-associated ligands, γδ T-cells have raised great interest as to their potential translational application in cell-based immunotherapy. Topics of this Research Focus include: Molecular insights into the activation and differentiation requirements of γδ T-cells, role of pyrophosphates and butyrophilin molecules for the activation of human γδ T-cells, role of γδ T-cells in tumor immunity and in other infectious and non-infectious diseases, and many others. We are most grateful to all colleagues who agreed to write a manuscript. Thanks to their contributions, this E-book presents an up-to-date overview on many facets of the still exciting γδ T-cells.

Infection --- Butyrophilin 3A1 --- Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes --- cancer immunotherapy --- IL-17 --- Pyrophosphates

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Interest in understanding the biological role of carbohydrates has increased significantly over the last 20 years. The use of structural techniques to understand carbohydrate-protein recognition is still a relatively young area, but one that is of emerging importance. The high flexibility of carbohydrates significantly complicates the determination of high quality structures of their complexes with proteins. Specialized techniques are often required to understand the complexity of carbohydrate recognition by proteins. In this Research Topic, we will focus on structural and computational approaches to understanding carbohydrate recognition by proteins involved in immunity and infection. Particular areas of focus include cancer immunotherapeutics, carbohydrate-lectin interactions, glycosylation and glycosyltransferases.

Glycomics. --- infection --- signaling --- molecular modeling --- cancer immunotherapy --- lectins --- molecular recognition --- structural biology --- glycobiology

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The innate immune system has evolved means to recognize and react suitably to foreign entities such as infectious agents. In many cases infectious microorganisms threaten the integrity and function of the target organs or tissues; therefore, consequent to their recognition the immune system becomes activated to ensure their elimination. Toll-like receptors (TLR) constitute a family of receptors specialized in the recognition of molecular patterns typically associated with infectious agents. Different TLRs exist, each selective for molecular entities and motifs belonging to a specific pathogen group. Consequently, it is thought that the molecular nature of invading microorganisms activates specific TLRs to drive adequate anti-infectious immunity. For instance, nucleic acid-specific, intracellular receptors (TLR3/7/8/9) are used to sense viruses and drive antiviral immunity, while other receptors (such as TLR2 and TLR4) recognize and promote immunity against bacteria, yeast, and fungi. Yet, it is becoming evident that activation of TLR pathways trigger mechanisms that not only stimulate but also regulate the immune system. For instance, TLR stimulation by viruses will drive antiviral interferon but also immunoregulatory cytokine production and regulatory T cell activation. Stimulation of TLRs by bacteria or using molecular agonists can also trigger both immune stimulatory and regulatory responses. TLR stimulation by infectious agents likely serves to activate but also control anti-infectious immunity, for instance prevent potential immunopathological tissue damage which can be caused by acute immune defense mechanisms. Previous work by us and others has shown that the immunoregulatory arm of TLR stimulation can additionally help control autoreactive processes in autoimmune disease. Hence, it is becoming established that gut commensals, which also play a crucial part in the control of autoimmune disease, establish immune regulatory mechanisms through activation of particular TLRs. In sum, it appears that TLRs are key immune players that not only stimulate but also regulate immune processes in health and disease. In this Research Topic, we wish to review the dual role of TLRs as activators and regulators of immune responses. We aim to motivate data-driven opinions as to the importance of context of TLR agonism for determining immune activation vs. regulation. The presentation of ongoing original works, as well as data and opinions around other innate immune receptors pertaining to this topic, are also encouraged.

Infection --- Toll-Like Receptors --- Probiotics --- Immune stimulation --- Immunoregulation --- Autoimmune Diseases --- cancer immunotherapy --- Inflammation --- microbiome --- tolerance