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Content archived on 2024-05-29

Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) and Innate Immune responses to Gram negative Bacteria

Objective

Several studies support the interaction between the endocrine and the immune systems during inflammation and have demonstrated the critical role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in this process.

We have demonstrated proinflammatory effects of Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) in vivo and we have confirmed these findings by the compromised inflammatory responses of the Crh-deficient (Crh-/-) mice to a variety of stimuli.

We have also shown reduced proinflammatory cytokine expression and lower NF-B activation in Crh-/- splenocytes exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and induction of NF-B activity by CRH in mouse thymocytes.

Although the above findings indicate a pathway mediating the proinflammatory effects of CRH, the signalling pathways involved in the CRH-induced NF-B activation and up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines remain elusive.

Our working hypotheses are that the proinflammatory effects of CRH during Gram-negative infection are mediated by the I-B/NF-B and the MAP kinases systems and that CRH plays a role in the molecular regulation of the expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, that is critical in the transduction of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) signalling inside the cells.

Mouse and human macrophage cell lines, and primary cells from Crh-/- mice will be used to address the following:

- Does CRH play a role in the regulation of TLR4 or its effects are exerted at the level of the adapter proteins and/or transcription factors activated by this receptor? What is the biological significance of the CRH-induced TLR4 regulation on the transcriptional activation of proinflammatory mediators of Gram negative infections?

- What is the effect of Crh-deficiency on the molecular regulation of TLR4 expression? The overall significance of this proposal is related to our understanding on the participation of CRH, a representative neuropeptide with immunomodulatory properties, in the regulation of the innate responses to Gram-negative bacteria the cause of infections associated wit h high morbidity.

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Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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FP6-2002-MOBILITY-12
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

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IRG - Marie Curie actions-International re-integration grants

Coordinator

FOUNDATION FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH OF THE ACADEMY OF ATHENS
EU contribution
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Total cost

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