Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência

Discovery and characterization of outer membrane vesicles produced by the bee gut microbiota

Bacteria use diverse mechanisms to interact with each other and with eukaryotic hosts, thereby shaping microbiome composition and influencing host health. One of these mechanisms is the production of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), nanoscale structures that bud off from bacterial...

Molecular mechanism of complement interference by Streptococcus pyogenes nuclease A

Abstract Bacteria deploy virulence factors to subvert host immunity; yet the molecular details of these interactions often remain limited. Here, we reveal the structure and host interactome of the Streptococcus pyogenes nuclease A (SpnA). We characterize the structure and dynamic...

Bifunctional Phagocytic Synapse Enhancers Remodel the Tumor Microenvironment to Overcome Immunosuppression

Abstract Current immunotherapies often fail in immunologically “cold”, macrophage-rich tumor microenvironments (TMEs). Multi-targeting approaches that modulate innate-adaptive immune activation represent a promising frontier in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we developed phagocytic...

Adenosine 2A receptor drives microglial efferocytosis to accelerate white matter repair and functional recovery after stroke

Although reperfusion therapy effectively restores blood flow to occluded brain arteries after ischemic stroke, many patients develop persistent white matter injury, a major contributor to long-term neurological disability. Currently, there are few approved clinical therapies that...