Medical Biotechnology Commons^™

Targeting Brd4 In The Treatment Of Pleural Fibrosis, Joy Adewumi

Biotechnology Theses

Pleural fibrosis (PF) is a respiratory disorder that refers to the thickening and scarring of the pleura. Currently, there is a lack of pharmaceutic treatment options for PF. Pleural mesothelial to mesenchymal transition (MesoMT) is a critical process that contributes to the development of PF. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), a transcriptional and epigenetic regulator, has recently been implicated in a wide range of lung injuries. However, whether BRD4 is involved in regulating MesoMT and the development of PF remains unclear and was explored in this study. Primary human pleural mesothelial cells (HPMCs) were used to test the role of BRD4 …

Effects Of Interleukin-22 (Il-22) On Necroptosis, Inflammatory Responses, And Metabolism Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Stimulated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Mouse Macrophages, Bismark Owusu-Afriyie

Biotechnology Theses

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infects one-third of the world’s population and causes nearly 1.3 million deaths per year. Limited information is available about the immune responses during Mtb infection in type 2 diabetic hosts. Our laboratory developed an experimentally induced type 2 diabetes (T2DM) model in wild-type C57BL/6 mice and found that IL-22 and type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) reduce inflammation and mortality of Mtb-infected T2DM mice. Our laboratory also found that Mtb-infected alveolar macrophages (AMs) from T2DM mice undergo necroptosis compared to Mtb-infected AMs of non-T2DM mice. In the current study, we determined whether …

Functional Impact Of Ethyl-Β-D-Glucuronide On Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Stimulated Lung Macrophages, Charles Inaku

Biotechnology Theses

Chronic alcohol abuse has been shown to alter immune defense mechanisms in humans and mice which makes the host susceptible to infections, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. However, limited information is available on the mechanisms involved in alcohol-mediated host immune system dysfunction.

In this study, we determined the effects of ethyl-β-d-glucuronide (EtG), an alcohol-derived metabolite, on immune response of mice lung macrophages. We measured cytokine and chemokine production by gamma-irradiated mtb (γ-mtb) stimulated mice lung macrophages in the presence or absence of EtG. We also determined the effect of EtG on the metabolic state of γ-mtb stimulated mice lung macrophages. …

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Regulation Of Induction Of Inflammatory Mediators By Organic Dust Extract In Lung Epithelial Cells, Maxine Stenhouse

Biotechnology Theses

Previous studies have indicated a link between respiratory symptoms and diseases and organic dust exposure in agricultural workers. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a transcription factor activated by a wide variety of exogenous and endogenous compounds, is known to be involved in the metabolism of toxic chemicals and recently in the modulation of immune and inflammatory responses. To better understand mechanisms of pathogenesis of respiratory symptoms and diseases, the role of AhR in the regulation of induction of inflammatory mediators by poultry organic dust extract in airway epithelial cells was studied. The role of AhR was studied by investigating the …