title: The immune modulating activity of the Helicobacter pylori HP-NAP: Friend or foe?
abstract: The Helicobacter pylori HP-NAP is a dodecameric protein with a three-dimensional structure similar to that of bacterioferritins. Originally defined as neutrophil-activating protein, because of its ability to stimulate neutrophils to produce oxygen radicals, HP-NAP is now considered a crucial factor in driving the Th1 inflammation in H. pylori infection. This review summarizes recent studies that have provided a deeper understanding of the pro-inflammatory and immune modulatory properties of HP-NAP. We first examine the role of this protein in the H. pylori-associated disease, and then we discuss recent findings that support the possibility for HP-NAP to become a new tool for therapeutic strategies aimed at redirecting Th2 into Th1 responses, for example in atopy, vaccinology and cancer immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padua, Italy. marina.debernard@unipd.it
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Bernard
authors.forename: Mario M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: D'Elios
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C092412:neutrophil-activating protein A, Helicobacter pylori