Mohammad Karimi

© 2015 by The American Society of Hematology.In allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, controlling graft-versus-host disease while maintaining graft-versus-tumor responses is of critical importance. Using a mouse model of allogeneic HSCT, we hereby demonstrate that NKG2D expression by CD8 + T cells plays a major role in mediating GVHD and GVT effects by promoting the survival and cytotoxic function of CD8 + T cells. The expression of NKG2D ligands was not induced persistently on normal tissues of allogeneic HSCT-recipient mice treated with anti-NKG2D antibody, suggesting that transient NKG2D blockade might be sufficient to attenuate GVHD and allow CD8 + T cells to regain their GVT function. Indeed, short-term treatment with anti-NKG2D antibody restored GVT effects while maintaining an attenuated GVHD state. NKG2D expression was also detected on CD8 + T cells from allogeneic HSCT patients and trended to be higher in those with active GVHD. Together, these data support a novel role for NKG2D expression by CD8 + T cells during allogeneic HSCT, which could be potentially therapeutically exploited to separate GVHD from GVT effects.

Ethanol produced from renewable biomass, such as lignocellulosic feedstock, is one of the alternative energy resources that can be environmentally friendly. However, physical and chemical barriers caused by the close association of the main components of lignocellulosic biomass, as well as starch, hinder the hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose in lignocellulose as well as amylase and amylopectin in starch to fermentable sugars. One of the main goals of pretreatment for enzymatic hydrolysis is to increase the enzyme accessibility for improving digestibility of cellulose and starch. Ultrasound irradiation applied to cellulosic materials and starch-based feedstock was found to enhance the efficiency of hydrolysis and subsequently increase the sugar yield. Prior research conducted on applying ultrasonic technology for cellulose and starch pretreatment has considered a variety of effects on physical and chemical characteristics, hydrolysis efficiency and ethanol yield. This paper reviews the application of ultrasound irradiation to cellulose and starch prior to and during hydrolysis in terms of sugar and ethanol yields. It also addresses characteristics such as accessibility, crystallinity, degree of polymerization, morphological structure, swelling power, particle size and viscosity as influenced by ultrasonic treatment. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.