ABSTRACT
The production of dendritic cells, both in-vivo and in-vitro, has become the intense focus of research activities. Common to many of these production protocols is the use of cytokines, typically granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor and either interleukin 4 or tumor necrosis factor alpha or a combination of all three. Herein, we report our findings that a proprietary pinecone extract is capable of in a dose-dependent manner, and in the absence of exogenous cytokines, the rapid differentiation from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of mature CD1a-negative dendritic cells.
Subject(s)
Antigens, CD1/analysis , Dendritic Cells/cytology , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/cytology , Pinus/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Animals , Cell Adhesion/drug effects , Cell Differentiation , Cells, Cultured , Endotoxins/pharmacology , Female , Gene Expression/drug effects , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Lipopolysaccharide Receptors/analysis , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Inbred C3H , Oligodeoxyribonucleotides/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Self-assembly provides the basis for a procedure used to organize millimeter-scale objects into regular, three-dimensional arrays ("crystals") with open structures. The individual components are designed and fabricated of polyurethane by molding; selected faces are coated with a thin film of liquid, metallic alloy. Under mild agitation in warm, aqueous potassium bromide solution, capillary forces between the films of alloy cause self-assembly. The structures of the resulting, self-assembled arrays are determined by structural features of the component parts: the three-dimensional shape of the components, the pattern of alloy on their surfaces, and the shape of the alloy-coated surfaces. Self-assembly of appropriately designed chiral pieces generates helices.
