Journal of Cellular Immunology

Approximately 1.6-3.8 million people sustain a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in the US annually. This amounts to the hospitalization of 100-300 per 100,000 young adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that around 5.3 million people live with a permanent disability after mTBI, and there are currently no known restorative therapies.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research has long been dominated with communications regarding the amyloid hypothesis and targeting amyloid clearance through pharmacological therapies from the brain [1]. 

New globally circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains are causing concern about evolution of virus transmissibility, fitness and immune evasion mechanisms. A variant emerging from the United Kingdom called SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01, or B.1.1.7, is thought to exhibit increased transmissibility that results from replication 4-10 times faster than the original Wuhan virus (Wuhan-Hu-1). 

The maturation of the immune system is a complex process that undergoes major transitions during fetal and neonatal development [1]. Throughout this developmental window, the response to liver injury is dependent on the nature and timing of the insult [2].

Neuroblastoma is derived from the developing sympathetic nervous system and is the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood.

Currently, there is a growing need for culturing hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) ex vivo for various clinical applications such as HSPC transplantation and gene therapy. For many patients with hematologic, genetic, and immune diseases, HSPC transplants can be a life-saving treatment. There are over 20,000 patients in the US receiving HSPC transplantation yearly [1].

Macrophages are important cells of the innate immune system and play a crucial role in host immune defense against infection and injury [1-3]. Macrophages form the first line of defense against airborne particles and microbes through multiple functions including phagocytosis, production of cytokines and chemokines, and antigen presentation.

Calcium (Ca²⁺) is an intracellular universal second messenger that regulates a variety of cellular processes. Many biological processes, including gene transcription, cell cycle, migration, and apoptosis, are affected by changes in intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling. Disruption of normal Ca²⁺ signaling can cause tumorigenic phenotypes.