University System of Maryland

Marcelo B Sztein

Alessio Fasano

Myron M Levine

Fernando R Noriega

Ruiliang Lu

Michael K Tanner

Rosangela Mezghanni

Disclosed are methods of preparing multi-cellular three-dimensional tissue constructs, that include fibroblasts, endothelial cells, lymphocytes and epithelial cells. The present methods may include embedding fibroblasts and endothelial cells in a matrix enriched with gut basement membrane proteins to form a cell containing matrix that is then added to a bioreactor and exposed to epithelial cells and activated lymphocytes as the cell cultures. Also provided are the tissue constructs formed from such methods, a matrix enriched with gut basement membrane proteins and kits that include the same. Further provided are methods of measuring toxicity of a pathogen or commensal organisms, chemosensitivity of tissues to a toxic material and inflammatory conditions, which use the present multi-cellular three-dimensional tissue constructs.

Multicellular organotypic model of human intestinal mucosa

Methods of using Zot or zonulin as an antigen specific inhibitor of APC activity and lymphocyte proliferation, being primarily useful in the field of immunoregulation and immunotherapy as described. Specifically, Zot and zonulin inhibit antigen presenting cell-mediated antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation in a dose dependent manner. This effect is associated with the presence of a macrophage surface receptor to which Zot binds in a specific and saturable way. This down-regulation of the immune response is, at least in part, associated with a decreased uptake of antigen.

Method of using Zot to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation in an antigen-specific manner

Attenuated Salmonella mutants which constitutively express the Vi antigen are disclosed, as well as vaccines against typhoid fever containing the same, live vector vaccines containing the same, and DNA-mediated vaccines containing the same.

Growing community of inventors

Columbia, MD, United States of America

Marcelo B Sztein