g., viral vascular endothelial growth factor) and cytokine mimics (e.g., viral interleukin 10) and/or inhibitors (e.g., tumor necrosis factor) have now been identified that target central immunological response pathways. We review here current development of virus-derived immune-modulating biologics with efficacy demonstrated in pre-clinical or clinical studies, focusing on pox and herpesviruses-derived immune-modulating therapeutics.Cardiovascular disease risk is increased in survivors of testicular cancer because of exposure to treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy), as well as modification in lifestyle. Our aim was to assess the presence of subclinical arteriosclerosis in survivors of testicular cancer in comparison with a control group. This was a cross-sectional, observational, case-control study including 50 survivors of Germ Cell Tumor (GCT) (14 years of follow-up) and 53 age-matched controls with no cancer. We registered clinical data, cardiovascular risk factors, physical and Mediterranean questionnaires, intima-media thickness and plaque at carotid and femoral arteries by ultrasound, calcium score at the abdominal aorta, and liver steatosis by computed tomography, and applied analytical tests to quantify metabolic risk factors and inflammation markers. Patients showed a trend toward greater intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques than controls, as well as a higher calcium score in the abdominal aorta. Remarkably, patients had higher waist circumference, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and liver steatosis, but lower physical activity and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol than controls (all p less then 0.05). In multivariate analyses, only common vascular risk factors were associated with subclinical arteriosclerosis. As a conclusion, in our study, a higher rate of subclinical arteriosclerosis in testicular cancer survivors was associated with classical metabolic risk factors and lifestyle, but not with exposure to chemotherapy.Skeletal muscle regeneration following injury depends on the ability of satellite cells (SCs) to proliferate, self-renew, and eventually differentiate. The factors that regulate the process of self-renewal are poorly understood. In this study we examined the role of PKCθ in SC self-renewal and differentiation. We show that PKCθ is expressed in SCs, and its active form is localized to the chromosomes, centrosomes, and midbody during mitosis. Lack of PKCθ promotes SC symmetric self-renewal division by regulating Pard3 polarity protein localization, without affecting the overall proliferation rate. Genetic ablation of PKCθ or its pharmacological inhibition in vivo did not affect SC number in healthy muscle. By contrast, after induction of muscle injury, lack or inhibition of PKCθ resulted in a significant expansion of the quiescent SC pool. Finally, we show that lack of PKCθ does not alter the inflammatory milieu after acute injury in muscle, suggesting that the enhanced self-renewal ability of SCs in PKCθ-/- mice is not due to an alteration in the inflammatory milieu. Together, these results suggest that PKCθ plays an important role in SC self-renewal by stimulating their expansion through symmetric division, and it may represent a promising target to manipulate satellite cell self-renewal in pathological conditions.OBJECTIVE Reliable non-invasive biomarkers are needed to assess disease activity and prognosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Glycoprotein acetylation (GlycA), a novel biomarker for chronic inflammation, has been reported to be increased in several inflammatory diseases. We investigated the relevance of serum GlycA in SLE patients exhibiting various levels of activity and severity, especially with regards to renal involvement. METHODS Serum GlycA was measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in samples from well characterized SLE patients and from both healthy controls and patients with other kidney diseases (KD). Disease activity was evaluated using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K). Renal severity was assessed by kidney biopsy. RESULTS Serum GlycA was elevated in active (n = 105) compared to quiescent SLE patients (n = 39, p less then 10-6), healthy controls (n = 20, p = 0.009) and KD controls (n = 21, p = 0.04), despite a more severely altered renal function in the latter. GlycA level was correlated to disease activity (SLEDAI-2K, ρ = 0.37, p less then 10-4), Creactive protein, neutrophil count, triglyceride levels, proteinuria and inversely to serum albumin. In patients with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis (LN), GlycA levels were higher in proliferative (n = 26) than non-proliferative LN (n = 10) in univariate analysis (p = 0.04), and was shown to predict proliferative LN independently of renal parameters, immunological activity, neutrophil count and daily corticosteroid dosage by multivariate analysis (p less then 5 × 10-3 for all models). In LN patients with repeated longitudinal GlycA measurement (n = 11), GlycA varied over time and seemed to peak at the time of the flare. CONCLUSIONS GlycA, as a summary measure for different inflammatory processes, could be a valuable biomarker of disease activity in patients with SLE, and a non-invasive biomarker of pathological severity in the context of LN.Transgender people suffer from others’ negative attitudes in many situations. The university context is one environment where further progress has to be made to ensure the inclusion of transgender people. In this study, a sample of 376 undergraduate students was collected and their attitudes towards transgender people were analyzed. A comparison was made between number of years in university, and a sample from the general public. In addition, comparisons were made by gender, since the literature shows more negative attitudes toward transgender people in men than in women. The results show relatively positive attitudes toward transgender people among higher education students, but they have little knowledge of transgender identity. selleck chemicals In turn, researchers found significant differences between different years in the university and between genders. These results support the need to expand knowledge about transgender people in the university environment.