Group leader:
- Dr. Szilvia Benkő, PhD
Members of the research group:
- Eduárd Bíró– PhD student
- Hala Ahmad – PhD student
- Fanni Balogh–technician
- Réka Nagy– MSc student
- Hanna Gömbös– BSc student
- Norbert Gődér - technician
A short summary of the scientific work carried out by the research group:
Our working group investigates the function of intracellular pattern recognition receptors (mainly Nod-like receptors; NLR). These receptors were first described in immune cells, but are now known to be present in almost all cell types. In case of infection and tissue damage, they are activated by recognizing microbial- and danger-associated molecular patterns and, among other things, coordinate cell division, cell death or cytokine production (e.g. IL-1β, IL-6, TNF, IFNα/β) in inflammatory processes and regeneration the functioning of participating cells. Our goal is to investigate the expression and function of pattern recognition receptors in different human macrophage subpopulations. Our further goal is to map the expression and role of pattern recognition receptors in the maintenance of skeletal muscle homeostasis, in the production of myokines, and in the development of inflammatory reactions affecting the muscle and subsequent regeneration. Among other things, we use primary mouse bone marrow macrophages, human peripheral blood-derived monocytes and their differentiated macrophage subpopulations, immortalized cells (cell lines), mouse-derived skeletal muscle cell line (C2C12) and skeletal muscle tissue for our tests. The expression of the examined genes is determined by qPCR and Western blot techniques. The amount of secreted proteins is measured using the ELISA method. Immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry methods are available for protein localization studies.
List of the most important publications related to the research work:
Microglial Inflammatory Mechanisms in Stroke: The Jury Is Still Out.
Benkő S, Dénes Á.
Neuroscience, 2024 Feb 15:S0306-4522(24)00057-5. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.02.07. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 38364965 Free article.
Early suppression of antiviral host response and protocadherins by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in THP-1-derived macrophage-like cells.
Miltner N, Linkner TR, Ambrus V, Al-Muffti AS, Ahmad H, Mótyán JA, Benkő S, Tőzsér J, Mahdi M.
Front Immunol 2022 Oct 20;13:999233. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.999233. eCollection 2022.
PMID: 36341352 Free PMC article.
The NKCC1 ion transporter modulates microglial phenotype and inflammatory response to brain injury in a cell-autonomous manner.
Tóth K, Lénárt N, Berki P, Fekete R, Szabadits E, Pósfai B, Cserép C, Alatshan A, Benkő S, Kiss D, Hübner CA, Gulyás A, Kaila K, Környei Z, Dénes Á.
PLoS Biol 2022 Jan 27;20(1):e3001526. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001526. eCollection 2022 Jan.
PMID: 35085235 Free PMC article.
Autoinflammation and autoimmunity across rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
Szekanecz Z, McInnes IB, Schett G, Szamosi S, Benkő S, Szűcs G.
Nat Rev Rheumatol 2021 Oct;17(10):585-595. doi: 10.1038/s41584-021-00652-9. Epub 2021 Aug 2.
PMID: 34341562 Review.
Caffeine Has Different Immunomodulatory Effect on the Cytokine Expression and NLRP3 Inflammasome Function in Various Human Macrophage Subpopulations.
Kovács EG, Alatshan A, Budai MM, Czimmerer Z, Bíró E, Benkő S.
Nutrients 2021 Jul 14;13(7):2409. doi: 10.3390/nu13072409.
PMID: 34371919 Free PMC article.
Nuclear Receptors as Multiple Regulators of NLRP3 Inflammasome Function.
Alatshan A, Benkő S.
Front Immunol (IF: 7.56; Q1). 2021 Feb 26;12:630569. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.630569. eCollection 2021.
PMID: 33717162 Free PMC article. Review.
All-Trans Retinoic Acid Enhances both the Signaling for Priming and the Glycolysis for Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Human Macrophage.
Alatshan A, Kovács GE, Aladdin A, Czimmerer Z, Tar K, Benkő S.
Cells 2020 Jul 1;9(7):1591. doi: 10.3390/cells9071591.
PMID: 32630207 Free PMC article.
The Transcription Factor STAT6 Mediates Direct Repression of Inflammatory Enhancers and Limits Activation of Alternatively Polarized Macrophages.
Czimmerer Z, Daniel B, Horvath A, Rückerl D, Nagy G, Kiss M, Peloquin M, Budai MM, Cuaranta-Monroy I, Simandi Z, Steiner L, Nagy B Jr, Poliska S, Banko C, Bacso Z, Schulman IG, Sauer S, Deleuze JF, Allen JE, Benko S, Nagy L.
Immunity 2018 Jan 16;48(1):75-90.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.12.010.
PMID: 29343442 Free PMC article.
Different dynamics of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated IL‑1β production in GM-CSF- and M-CSF-differentiated human macrophages.
Budai MM, Tőzsér J, Benkő S.
J Leukoc Biol 2017 Jun;101(6):1335-1347. doi: 10.1189/jlb.3A0716-300RR. Epub 2017 Feb 23.
PMID: 28232386
NLRC5 Functions beyond MHC I Regulation-What Do We Know So Far?
Benkő S, Kovács EG, Hezel F, Kufer TA.
Front Immunol. 2017 Feb 17;8:150. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00150. eCollection 2017.