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Full-Text Articles in Diseases

Her3 Functions As An Effective Therapeutic Target In Triple Negative Breast Cancer To Potentiate The Antitumor Activity Of Gefitinib And Paclitaxel, Hui Lyu, Fei Shen, Sanbao Ruan, Congcong Tan, Jundong Zhou, Ann D. Thor, Bolin Liu Sep 2023

Her3 Functions As An Effective Therapeutic Target In Triple Negative Breast Cancer To Potentiate The Antitumor Activity Of Gefitinib And Paclitaxel, Hui Lyu, Fei Shen, Sanbao Ruan, Congcong Tan, Jundong Zhou, Ann D. Thor, Bolin Liu

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a significant clinical challenge. Chemotherapy remains the mainstay for a large part of TNBC patients, whereas drug resistance and tumor recurrence frequently occur. It is in urgent need to identify novel molecular targets for TNBC and develop effective therapy against the aggressive disease. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine the expression of HER3 in TNBC samples. Western blots were used to assess protein expression and activation. Cell proliferation and viability were determined by cell growth (MTS) assays. TCGA databases were analyzed to correlate HER3 mRNA expression with the clinical outcomes of TNBC patients. …


Time Is Ticking For Cervical Cancer, Vijay Kumar, Caitlin Bauer, John H. Stewart Jun 2023

Time Is Ticking For Cervical Cancer, Vijay Kumar, Caitlin Bauer, John H. Stewart

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Cervical cancer (CC) is a major health problem among reproductive-age females and comprises a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major risk factor associated with CC incidence. However, lifestyle is also a critical factor in CC pathogenesis. Despite HPV vaccination introduction, the incidence of CC is increasing worldwide. Therefore, it becomes critical to understand the CC tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) to develop immune cell-based vaccination and immunotherapeutic approaches. The current article discusses the immune environment in the normal cervix of adult females and its role in HPV infection. The subsequent sections discuss the alteration of different …


Relative And Quantitative Characterization Of The Bovine Bacterial Ocular Surface Microbiome In The Context Of Suspected Ocular Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Hannah B. Gafen, Chin-Chi Liu, Nikole E. Ineck, Clare M. Scully, Melanie A. Mironovich, Lauren Guarneri, Christopher M. Taylor, Meng Luo, Marina L. Leis, Erin M. Scott, Renee T. Carter, Andrew C. Lewin Jun 2023

Relative And Quantitative Characterization Of The Bovine Bacterial Ocular Surface Microbiome In The Context Of Suspected Ocular Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Hannah B. Gafen, Chin-Chi Liu, Nikole E. Ineck, Clare M. Scully, Melanie A. Mironovich, Lauren Guarneri, Christopher M. Taylor, Meng Luo, Marina L. Leis, Erin M. Scott, Renee T. Carter, Andrew C. Lewin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The ocular surface microbiome is altered in certain disease states. The aim of this study was to characterize the bovine bacterial ocular surface microbiome (BBOSM) in the context of ocular squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The conjunctiva of normal (n = 28) and OSCC (n = 10) eyes of cows aged 2 to 13 years from two farms in Louisiana and Wyoming were sampled using individual sterile swabs. DNA extraction followed by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to, respectively, assess the relative and absolute BBOSM. Discriminant analysis (DA) was performed using …


Incident Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection In A High School Population, Jacques M. Nsuami, Wato Nsa, Catherine L. Cammarata, David H. Martin, Stephanie N. Taylor Sep 2022

Incident Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection In A High School Population, Jacques M. Nsuami, Wato Nsa, Catherine L. Cammarata, David H. Martin, Stephanie N. Taylor

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Prospective cohort studies of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are logistically impractical owing to time and expenses. In schools, students are readily available for school-related follow-ups and monitoring. Capitalizing on the logistics that society already commits to ensure regular attendance of adolescents in school, a school-based STI screening in New Orleans made it possible to naturally observe the occurrence of chlamydia and to determine its incidence among 14–19-year-old adolescents. Among participants screened repeatedly, we calculated incidence rates, cumulative incidence, and incidence times. Male (n = 3820) and female (n = 3501) students were observed for 6251 and 5143 person-years, respectively, during …


Active And Passive Immunization With An Anti-Methamphetamine Vaccine Attenuates The Behavioral And Cardiovascular Effects Of Methamphetamine, Colin N. Haile, Kurt J. Varner, Xia Huijing, Reetakshi Arora, Frank M. Orson, Thomas R. Kosten, Therese A. Kosten Sep 2022

Active And Passive Immunization With An Anti-Methamphetamine Vaccine Attenuates The Behavioral And Cardiovascular Effects Of Methamphetamine, Colin N. Haile, Kurt J. Varner, Xia Huijing, Reetakshi Arora, Frank M. Orson, Thomas R. Kosten, Therese A. Kosten

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is a growing health concern with no FDA-approved treatment. The present series of studies build upon our previous work developing an anti-methamphetamine (MA) vaccine for MUD. We determined the effects of a formulation that included tetanus-toxoid (TT) conjugated to succinyl-methamphetamine (TT-SMA) adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide (alum) in combination with the novel Toll-Like Receptor-5 agonist, entolimod. Methods: Mice were vaccinated (0, 3, 6 weeks) with TT-SMA+alum and various doses of entolimod to determine an optimal dose for enhancing immunogenicity against MA. Functional effects were then assessed using MA-induced locomotor activation in mice. Experiments using passive immunization …


Sars-Cov-2 Invasion And Pathological Links To Prion Disease, Walter J. Lukiw, Vivian R. Jaber, Aileen I. Pogue, Yuhai Zhao Sep 2022

Sars-Cov-2 Invasion And Pathological Links To Prion Disease, Walter J. Lukiw, Vivian R. Jaber, Aileen I. Pogue, Yuhai Zhao

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the COVID-19 disease, is a highly infectious and transmissible viral pathogen that continues to impact human health globally. Nearly ~600 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and about half exhibit some degree of continuing health complication, generically referred to as long COVID. Lingering and often serious neurological problems for patients in the post-COVID-19 recovery period include brain fog, behavioral changes, confusion, delirium, deficits in intellect, cognition and memory issues, loss of balance and coordination, problems with vision, visual processing and hallucinations, encephalopathy, encephalitis, neurovascular or cerebrovascular insufficiency, and/or …


Increased Inflammatory Low-Density Neutrophils In Severe Obesity And Effect Of Bariatric Surgery: Results From Case-Control And Prospective Cohort Studies, Maria Dulfary Sanchez-Pino, William S. Richardson, Jovanny Zabaleta, Ramesh Thylur Puttalingaiah, Andrew G. Chapple, Jiao Liu, Yonghyan Kim, Michelle Ponder, Randi Dearmitt, Lyndsey Buckner Baiamonte, Dorota Wyczechowska, Liqin Zheng, Amir A. Al-Khami, Jone Garai, Rachel Martini, Melissa Davis, Jessica Koller Gorham, James B. Wooldridge, Paulo C. Rodriguez, Lucio Miele, Augusto C. Ochoa Mar 2022

Increased Inflammatory Low-Density Neutrophils In Severe Obesity And Effect Of Bariatric Surgery: Results From Case-Control And Prospective Cohort Studies, Maria Dulfary Sanchez-Pino, William S. Richardson, Jovanny Zabaleta, Ramesh Thylur Puttalingaiah, Andrew G. Chapple, Jiao Liu, Yonghyan Kim, Michelle Ponder, Randi Dearmitt, Lyndsey Buckner Baiamonte, Dorota Wyczechowska, Liqin Zheng, Amir A. Al-Khami, Jone Garai, Rachel Martini, Melissa Davis, Jessica Koller Gorham, James B. Wooldridge, Paulo C. Rodriguez, Lucio Miele, Augusto C. Ochoa

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Low-density neutrophils (LDN) are increased in several inflammatory diseases and may also play a role in the low-grade chronic inflammation associated with obesity. Here we explored their role in obesity, determined their gene signatures, and assessed the effect of bariatric surgery. Methods: We compared the number, function, and gene expression profiles of circulating LDN in morbidly obese patients (MOP, n=27; body mass index (BMI) > 40 Kg/m2) and normal-weight controls (NWC, n=20; BMI < 25 Kg/m2) in a case-control study. Additionally, in a prospective longitudinal study, we measured changes in the frequency of LDN after bariatric surgery (n=36) and tested for associations with metabolic and inflammatory parameters. Findings: LDN and inflammatory markers were significantly increased in MOP compared to NWC. Transcriptome analysis showed increased neutrophil-related gene expression signatures associated with inflammation, neutrophil activation, and immunosuppressive function. However, LDN did not suppress T cells proliferation and produced low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Circulating LDN in MOP significantly decreased after bariatric surgery in parallel with BMI, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory markers. Interpretation: Obesity increases LDN displaying an inflammatory gene signature. Our results suggest that LDN may represent a neutrophil subset associated with chronic inflammation, a feature of obesity that has been previously associated with the appearance and progression of co-morbidities. Furthermore, bariatric surgery, as an efficient therapy for severe obesity, reduces LDN in circulation and improves several components of the metabolic syndrome supporting its recognized anti-inflammatory and beneficial metabolic effects. Funding: This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH; 5P30GM114732-02, P20CA233374 – A. Ochoa and L. Miele), Pennington Biomedical NORC (P30DK072476 – E. Ravussin & LSU-NO Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center and Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LACaTS; U54-GM104940 – J. Kirwan).


Fulminant Eosinophilic Myocarditis And Vt Storm, Kyle R. Hoppens, Hamid R. Alai, Jelena Surla, Hina O. Khokhar, Robert C. Hendel Mar 2021

Fulminant Eosinophilic Myocarditis And Vt Storm, Kyle R. Hoppens, Hamid R. Alai, Jelena Surla, Hina O. Khokhar, Robert C. Hendel

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Eosinophilic myocarditis is a rare and frequently fatal disease that is often undiagnosed until autopsy. We report a case of eosinophilic myocarditis with an unusual initial presentation of palpitations that subsequently evolved into ventricular tachycardia storm and death within 4 days.


Chain-Selective Isotopic Labeling Of The Heterodimeric Type Iii Secretion Chaperone, Scc4:Scc1, Reveals The Total Structural Rearrangement Of The Chlamydia Trachomatis Bi-Functional Protein, Scc4, Thilini O. Ukwaththage, Samantha M. Keane, Li Shen, Megan A. Macnaughtan Oct 2020

Chain-Selective Isotopic Labeling Of The Heterodimeric Type Iii Secretion Chaperone, Scc4:Scc1, Reveals The Total Structural Rearrangement Of The Chlamydia Trachomatis Bi-Functional Protein, Scc4, Thilini O. Ukwaththage, Samantha M. Keane, Li Shen, Megan A. Macnaughtan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Scc4 is an unusual bi-functional protein from Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) that functions as a type III secretion system (T3SS) chaperone and an RNA polymerase (RNAP)-binding protein. Both functions require interactions with protein partners during specific stages of the CT developmental cycle. As a T3SS chaperone, Scc4 binds Scc1 during the late stage of development to form a heterodimer complex, which chaperones the essential virulence effector, CopN. During the early-middle stage of development, Scc4 regulates T3SS gene expression by binding the σ66-containing RNAP holoenzyme. In order to study the structure and association mechanism of the Scc4:Scc1 T3SS chaperone complex using nuclear …


Targeting Parp-1 With Metronomic Therapy As A New Approach To Modulate Mdsc Function And Enhance Anti-Pd1 Immunotherapy In Colon Cancer, Salome Valentina Ibba, Mohamed Ghonim, Abdelmetalab Tarhuni, Matthew Dean, Hamid Boulares, Augusto Ochoa, Youssef Errami, Ali Elbahraway, Ilyes Benslimane, Dorota Wyczechowska, Luis Del Valle, Amir Al-Khami, Hanh Luu Nov 2019

Targeting Parp-1 With Metronomic Therapy As A New Approach To Modulate Mdsc Function And Enhance Anti-Pd1 Immunotherapy In Colon Cancer, Salome Valentina Ibba, Mohamed Ghonim, Abdelmetalab Tarhuni, Matthew Dean, Hamid Boulares, Augusto Ochoa, Youssef Errami, Ali Elbahraway, Ilyes Benslimane, Dorota Wyczechowska, Luis Del Valle, Amir Al-Khami, Hanh Luu

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

34th Annual Meeting and Pre-Conference Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer - Part 1, November 6 - 10, 2019, National Harbor, MD


Role Of Eif4g1 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Pathogenesis And Targeted Therapy, Zhiqiang Qin, Lu Dai, Luis Del Valle Jul 2019

Role Of Eif4g1 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Pathogenesis And Targeted Therapy, Zhiqiang Qin, Lu Dai, Luis Del Valle

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019, March 29 - April 3, 2019, Atlanta, GA