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Xenopus, a unique comparative model to explore the role of certain heat shock proteins and non-classical MHC class Ib gene products in immune surveillance

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Abstract

The heat shock proteins (HSPs) gp96 and hsp70 can elicit potent anti-tumor responses and as such have significant clinical potential. Besides cytotoxic CD8 T cell (CTLs) effectors, evidence suggests that natural killer (NK) cells and other less well-characterized cell types also play a critical role in HSP-mediated anti-tumor responses. Owing to their high degree of phylogenetic conservation, we have proposed that HSPs are ancestral agents of immune surveillance; and postulated that their immunological properties, if important, should have been conserved during evolution. We are investigating this issue using a unique non-mammalian comparative tumor-immunity model in the frog Xenopus, which allows us to focus on the relationship between HSPs, classical MHC class Ia, and non-classical MHC class Ib molecules. In addition to a transplantable lymphoid tumor in genetically defined cloned Xenopus, we are generating transgenic frogs with inducible or knocked-down (RNAi) gene expression.

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Acknowledgments

The expert animal husbandry provided by Tina Martin and David Albright is gratefully appreciated. This research was supported by NIH F31-AI068610 (A. G.), T32-AI 07285 (H. N.), and R01-CA-108982-02, R24-AI-059830 (J. R.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Jacques Robert, Ana Goyos & Hristina Nedelkovska

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  1. Jacques Robert
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  2. Ana Goyos
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  3. Hristina Nedelkovska
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Correspondence to Jacques Robert.

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Robert, J., Goyos, A. & Nedelkovska, H. Xenopus, a unique comparative model to explore the role of certain heat shock proteins and non-classical MHC class Ib gene products in immune surveillance. Immunol Res 45, 114–122 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-009-8094-9

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