Microbes and infection
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Microbes and infection · Jun 2013
Dectin-1 plays a redundant role in the immunomodulatory activities of β-glucan-rich ligands in vivo.
β-Glucans are known for their ability to trigger both protective and damaging immune responses. Here we have explored the role of the beta-glucan receptor Dectin-1 in archetypical models of protective and non-protective immunomodulation induced by beta-glucan rich ligands. ⋯ In the second model, we explored the role of Dectin-1 in zymosan induced multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. In both cases, these β-glucan rich compounds had marked effects in vivo which were unaltered by Dectin-1 deficiency, suggesting that this receptor has a redundant role in these murine models.
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Microbes and infection · Jun 2013
EditorialBirds of ill omen--is H7N9 the harbinger of the next pandemic?
In February 2013, a novel avian virus appeared in Humans in China and caused several fatalities since. The rapidity and efficiency of the organizations in charge led to the quick identification of H7N9 and the triggering of preventive measures. However, the sequencing of the viral genome holds good and bad news and it is not clear yet if we face an emerging pandemic.