Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

Modeling Hiv Dynamics Following 3bnc117 Antibody Infusion, Samantha Erwin

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

The Role Of E-Antigen In Hepatitiv B Virus Infection, Mirjam Sarah Kadelka

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Modeling For The Transmission Dynamics Of {\It Mycobacterium Marinum} Incorporating Intra-Host Variability, Lihong Zhao

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Hepatocyte-Specific Deletion Of Tristetraprolin Family Of Rna Binding Proteins Result In The Development Of Hepatocellular Carcinomas, Sonika Patial

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

Role Of Mir-155 And Mir-146a In Mast Cell Function, Amina Abdul Qayum

Theses and Dissertations

Mast cells are resident immune cells abundantly found in the tissue at the host-environment interface, where they play a critical role in inflammatory allergic responses. Mast cell responses may be regulated by the cytokine milieu at the site of inflammation. Recent studies have revealed microRNAs to be important in altering cytokine signaling in immune cells. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that IL-10 and IL-33 induce miR-155 and miR-146a, respectively, to alter mast cell functions. We report that IL-10 enhanced IgE induced activation of mast cells. IL-10 effects are dependent on Stat3 activation, which elicits miR-155 expression, resulting in …

Orientia Tsutsugamushi Secretes Two Ankyrin Repeat-Containing Effectors Via A Type 1 Secretion System To Inhibit Host Nf-Κb Function, Sean M. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Scrub typhus is a potentially fatal infection that threatens one billion persons in the Asia-Pacific region and is caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi. How this organism facilitates its intracellular survival and pathogenesis is poorly understood. Intracellular bacterial pathogens utilize the Type 1 (T1SS) or Type 4 secretion system (T4SS) to translocate ankyrin repeat-containing proteins (Anks) into the host cell to modulate host cell processes. The O. tsutsugamushi genome encodes one of the largest known bacterial Ank libraries as well as Type 1 and Type 4 secretion systems (T1SS and T4SS), which are expressed during infection. In …

The Role Of The Nucleosome Remodeling Factor Nurf In Inhibiting T And Natural Killer Cell Mediated Antitumor Immunity By Suppressing Tumor Antigenicity And Natural Cytotoxicity Receptor Co-Ligands, Kimberly Mayes

Theses and Dissertations

Tumor immunoediting is a dynamic process in which the immune response attacks tumor cells by detecting danger signals and tumor antigens. In order to survive, tumor cells develop mechanisms to avoid detection or destruction by the immune system. To counteract this, several strategies are being developed to enhance the antitumor immune response, including the depletion of immunosuppressive cells, enhancing the activation of antitumor immune cells and increasing tumor cell immunogenicity. These therapies have seen limited success individually, however, and it is likely that combination therapy with novel targets will be necessary to see reproducible beneficial responses. Epigenetic modifications are attractive …

Modulating The Innate Immune Response To Electrospun Scaffolds And Polymer Degradative Byproducts, Daniel Abebayehu

Theses and Dissertations

Implanted biomaterials often induce inflammation that frequently leads to the foreign body response, fibrosis, and the failure of the implant. Thus, it is important to evaluate how cells interact with materials to promote a more regenerative response. It is critical to determine how to modulate the response of tissue resident innate immune cells, as they are among the first cells to interact with implanted materials. Among tissue resident innate immune cells are mast cells, which are inflammatory sentinels that degranulate and orchestrate the fate of other cell populations, such as monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes. Mast cells have also been reported to …

Characterization Of A Putative Hemolysin Expressed By Sneathia Amnii, A Preterm Birth-Associated Pathogen, Lizette Carrasco, Kimberly Jefferson

Undergraduate Research Posters

The gram-negative bacteria Sneathia amnii is a poorly-characterized commensal of the female urogenital tract frequently associated with adverse clinical outcomes such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), amnionitis, and preterm labor. To investigate its potential role in virulence, we sought to identify and characterize virulence determinants produced by S. amnii in an effort to better understand the pathogenesis of infectious preterm birth. Through sequencing of the Sn35 genome (type strain of S. amnii), we identified two genes with amino acid sequence similarity and structural similarity to the filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) protein of Bordetella pertussis and its Type Vb transporter. Because S. amnii …

Type 2 Immune Responses In The Context Of Helminth Infection, Asthma, Dendritic Cells, And Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cell Function, Sheela Ruby Damle

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 (T_H2) immune responses evolved to respond to helminth parasite infections by the production of T_H2 cytokines, which stimulate anti-helminth immunity. Macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine, which is produced by many cell types. We demonstrate that mice deficient in MIF have enhanced clearance of a helminth parasite. MIF deficiency in CD4⁺ T cells was found to be the most important for mediating parasite clearance. We mimicked MIF deficiency by administering an inhibitor of the MIF tautomerase activity, sulforaphane, and this also increased parasite clearance (Section I).

T_H2 immune …

Mast Cell Activation By Diverse Stimuli Can Be Suppressed By Steroid Therapy And Targeting The Fyn-Stat5b Cascade, Anuya Paranjape

Theses and Dissertations

Mast cells are critical effectors of allergic disease that can be activated by numerous stimuli. We have examined mast cell control by the inflammatory cytokine, IL-33, as well as IgG. In the first study reported here, we found that the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, potently and rapidly suppressed IL-33-induced cytokine production from murine bone marrow–derived and peritoneal mast cells, as well as human mast cells. Dexamethasone also antagonized IL-33-mediated enhancement of IgE-induced cytokine production and migration. Although dexamethasone had no effect on IL-33-induced phosphorylation of MAP kinases or NFκB p65 subunit, it antagonized AP-1 and NFκB-mediated transcriptional activity. Finally, intraperitoneal administration …