An ever increasing demand for new lead compounds in the pharmaceutical industry has led scientists to search for natural bioactive products. Based on this extensive research, marine invertebrates now represent a rich source of novel substances with significant anti-neoplastic activities. As the current approach of synthesizing new and chemically modifying old drugs seems to have slowed down, and the identification of new anticancer drugs is not too promising, a new approach is clearly needed. The objective of this review is to present up-to-date data on these newer compounds. Based on the data summarized in this short review, it is clear that marine invertebrates represent an extremely important source of compounds with potential anti-cancer effects. Considering that we tested only a tiny number of Porifera and Coelenterata, the best is yet to come.

• Keywords
• Cancer, Coelenterata, Invertebrates, Porifera,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Innate immunity is shaped by a complex of redundant and pleiotropic factors that ensure recognition, alert and suppression of pathogens. Innate immune responses in the gut are complicated by the requirement of parallel tolerance to commensal microflora predominating in cell numbers and species. In normal individuals, the intestinal mucosa together with relevant lymph nodes represents a robust barrier against systemic spread of non-typhoid Salmonella. Contemporary insights into these defense mechanisms are reviewed.

• MeSH
• Gastrointestinal Tract immunology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Immunity, Innate * MeSH
• Salmonella immunology   MeSH
• Salmonella Infections immunology   MeSH
• Immunity, Mucosal * MeSH
• Intestinal Mucosa immunology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH

Probiotics modulate production of both cytokine and antimicrobial peptides. This effect can be regarded as a part of complex interplay between them and the host.

• MeSH
• Bifidobacterium immunology   MeSH
• Cytokines metabolism   MeSH
• Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides metabolism   MeSH
• Lactobacillus immunology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Probiotics pharmacology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Cytokines MeSH
• Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides MeSH

The pig amnion was in vivo intraamniotically infected with E. coli for 10 h at 80-85 d of gestation either with the nonpathogenic O86 strain or enteropathogenic O55 strain. TNF-alpha, IL-10, IL-1beta and IFN-gamma were determined in amniotic fluids by ELISA, the expression of cytokines and some other inflammatory markers was determined by immunohistochemistry. Intraamniotic infection induced high levels of TNF-alpha in amniotic fluids which correlated with bacterial virulence whereas IL-10 was induced only by O86. The IL-1beta level did not increase significantly and was expressed in all infected membranes. IFN-gamma was negligible or absent. TNF-alpha, IL-12p40, calprotectin, HSP65 and gp91phox were found by immunohistochemistry only in amnion membranes infected with the enteropathogenic strain 055.

• MeSH
• Amnion immunology   microbiology   MeSH
• Biomarkers metabolism   MeSH
• Cytokines metabolism   MeSH
• Escherichia coli immunology   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Escherichia coli Infections immunology   microbiology   veterinary   MeSH
• Pregnancy Complications, Infectious immunology   microbiology   veterinary   MeSH
• Interferon-gamma metabolism   MeSH
• Interleukin-1 metabolism   MeSH
• Interleukin-10 metabolism   MeSH
• Swine Diseases immunology   microbiology   MeSH
• Swine MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha metabolism   MeSH
• Inflammation immunology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Biomarkers MeSH
• Cytokines MeSH
• Interferon-gamma MeSH
• Interleukin-1 MeSH
• Interleukin-10 MeSH
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha MeSH

With the exception of cyclostomes, all vertebrates share the common immune strategy of adaptive, highly specific immunity, based on the products of recombination-activating genes and recombined noninherited receptors for antigens. In addition, they have retained ancient vectors of innate immunity, such as antimicrobial peptides, which are widespread in all eukaryotic organisms and show a high degree of structural homology across most animal taxa. Recently, these substances have become the objects of intensive study for their outstanding bioactive properties with the aim to be applied as very efficient antibiotics, antimicrobials, and even cancerostatics in clinical practice.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents immunology   MeSH
• Vertebrates immunology   MeSH
• Peptides immunology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anti-Bacterial Agents MeSH
• Peptides MeSH