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Articles 38641 - 38670 of 45309

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

The Role Of Nr4a3 And Its Agonists In Skeletal Muscle Glucose Transport And Insulin Sensitivity, Qinglan Liu Jan 2013

The Role Of Nr4a3 And Its Agonists In Skeletal Muscle Glucose Transport And Insulin Sensitivity, Qinglan Liu

All ETDs from UAB

Insulin resistance plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and involves diminished stimulation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Improvements in insulin sensitivity are essential for both prevention and treatment of T2DM. However, the limitation of current medications highlights the need for alternative molecular regulators of insulin action and developing new insulin sensitizers. Our laboratory has initially identified roles for the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A3 in insulin-sensitization and stimulation of glucose transport. However, the cellular effect and downstream mechanisms of NR4A3 and its agonists (e.g. 6-mercaptopurine/6-MP) on insulin effector system in skeletal muscle remain unknown. …

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Investigation Of Death Receptor-5 Mediated Apoptosis And Inhibition Of Wnt/Ss-Catenin Signaling In Basal-Like Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Angelina Ix-Ik' Londono-Joshi Jan 2013

Investigation Of Death Receptor-5 Mediated Apoptosis And Inhibition Of Wnt/Ss-Catenin Signaling In Basal-Like Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Angelina Ix-Ik' Londono-Joshi

All ETDs from UAB

Basal-like breast cancers (BLBC) display aggressive clinical behavior attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). TRA-8, a monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to TRAIL death receptor 5, preferentially induces apoptosis in BLBC subtype cells; however it is unknown if TRA-8 is also cytotoxic to the CSC population. Moreover, some BLBC cell lines are resistant to TRA-8, and overcoming resistance is critical for clinical translation of this therapy. One potential approach to overcome TRA- 8 resistance is to target the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. LRP6 is a cell surface receptor that is an indispensable element of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway that …

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Intracellular Quantitation And Pharmacokinetic Modeling Of Nucleoside Analogs In The Female Genital Tract, Amanda Marie James Jan 2013

Intracellular Quantitation And Pharmacokinetic Modeling Of Nucleoside Analogs In The Female Genital Tract, Amanda Marie James

All ETDs from UAB

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the leading infectious diseases in the world. In spite of substantial progress in the advancement of antiretroviral therapy for HIV treatment, new infections outpace the number of infected persons initiating ART. Therefore, the prevention of HIV remains a crucial health issue. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, (PrEP), which involves using one or more antiretroviral agents to reduce the risk of HIV infection prior to potential exposure, has shown effectiveness at reducing HIV transmission in study volunteers with different sexual orientation around the world. The clinical pharmacology of antiretroviral drugs, specifically tenofovir (TFV) and emtricitabine (FTC), in …

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Neurocognitive Function Declines Following Migraine Headache In College Students, Marguerite Moore, T. Covassin, K.A. Pfeiffer, R.E. Norris, R.L. Jensen, C.F. Branta Jan 2013

Neurocognitive Function Declines Following Migraine Headache In College Students, Marguerite Moore, T. Covassin, K.A. Pfeiffer, R.E. Norris, R.L. Jensen, C.F. Branta

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

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Rhob Controls Coordination Of Adult Angiogenesis And Lymphangiogenesis Following Injury By Regulating Vezf1-Mediated Transcription., Damien Gerald, Irit Adini, Sharon Shechter, Carole Perruzzi, Joseph Varnau, Benjamin Hopkins, Shiva Kazerounian, Peter Kurschat, Stephanie Blachon, Santosh Khedkar, Mandrita Bagchi, David Sherris, George C Prendergast, Michael Klagsbrun, Heidi Stuhlmann, Alan C Rigby, Janice A Nagy, Laura E Benjamin Jan 2013

Rhob Controls Coordination Of Adult Angiogenesis And Lymphangiogenesis Following Injury By Regulating Vezf1-Mediated Transcription., Damien Gerald, Irit Adini, Sharon Shechter, Carole Perruzzi, Joseph Varnau, Benjamin Hopkins, Shiva Kazerounian, Peter Kurschat, Stephanie Blachon, Santosh Khedkar, Mandrita Bagchi, David Sherris, George C Prendergast, Michael Klagsbrun, Heidi Stuhlmann, Alan C Rigby, Janice A Nagy, Laura E Benjamin

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Mechanisms governing the distinct temporal dynamics that characterize post-natal angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis elicited by cutaneous wounds and inflammation remain unclear. RhoB, a stress-induced small GTPase, modulates cellular responses to growth factors, genotoxic stress and neoplastic transformation. Here we show, using RhoB null mice, that loss of RhoB decreases pathological angiogenesis in the ischaemic retina and reduces angiogenesis in response to cutaneous wounding, but enhances lymphangiogenesis following both dermal wounding and inflammatory challenge. We link these unique and opposing roles of RhoB in blood versus lymphatic vasculatures to the RhoB-mediated differential regulation of sprouting and proliferation in primary human blood versus …

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Sites Of Alcohol Action At The Glun1/Glun2b Nmda Receptor M3-M4 Domain Intersubunit Interfaces, Yuanhao Zhao, M. Wu, Hong Ren, Robert W. Peoples Jan 2013

Sites Of Alcohol Action At The Glun1/Glun2b Nmda Receptor M3-M4 Domain Intersubunit Interfaces, Yuanhao Zhao, M. Wu, Hong Ren, Robert W. Peoples

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor has been shown to be one of the most important target sites of alcohol in the central nervous system. We and others have identified positions in the third and fourth membrane-associated (M) domains of both GluN1 and GluN2A subunits that influence alcohol sensitivity. In the structural model of the NMDA receptor based upon the related GluA2 receptor, the outward face of the M3 domain of one subunit type is oriented toward the M4 domain of the other subunit type. We recently reported that four pairs of alcohol-sensitive amino acid positions in GluN1/GluN2A NMDA receptors interact at …

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Optic Neuritis Due To Toxoplasmosis: First And Only Manifestation Of Newly Diagnosed Aids, Rajesh Kumar Md, Yehia Y. Mishriki Md Jan 2013

Optic Neuritis Due To Toxoplasmosis: First And Only Manifestation Of Newly Diagnosed Aids, Rajesh Kumar Md, Yehia Y. Mishriki Md

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

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Hydrodynamic Modeling Of Ns-Laser Ablation, David Autrique, Vasilios Alexiades, Harihar Khanal Jan 2013

Hydrodynamic Modeling Of Ns-Laser Ablation, David Autrique, Vasilios Alexiades, Harihar Khanal

Publications

Laser ablation is a versatile and widespread technique, applied in an increasing number of medical, industrial and analytical applications. A hydrodynamic multiphase model describing nanosecond-laser ablation (ns- LA) is outlined. The model accounts for target heating and mass removal mechanisms as well as plume expansion and plasma formation. A copper target is placed in an ambient environment consisting of helium and irradiated by a nanosecond-laser pulse. The effect of variable laser settings on the ablation process is explored in 1-D numerical simulations.

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Time-Stepping For Laser Ablation, Harihar Khanal, David Autrique, Vasilios Alexiades Jan 2013

Time-Stepping For Laser Ablation, Harihar Khanal, David Autrique, Vasilios Alexiades

Publications

Nanosecond laser ablation is a popular technique, applied in many areas of science and technology such as medicine, archaeology, chemistry, environmental and materials sciences. We outline a computational model for radiative and collisional processes occurring during ns-laser ablation, and compare the performance of various low and high order time-stepping algorithms.

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The Impact Of Transcription And Nucleoid-Associated Proteins On Dna Supercoiling In Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Typhimurium, Andrews Agbleke Jan 2013

The Impact Of Transcription And Nucleoid-Associated Proteins On Dna Supercoiling In Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Typhimurium, Andrews Agbleke

All ETDs from UAB

Bacterial chromosomes are maintained under constant negative supercoiled stress that influences almost all cellular processes including DNA replication, transcription, segregation, site-specific and homologous recombination, and other DNA transposition. The average supercoiling density of the chromosome is generated by gyrase, and supercoil equilibrium is maintained by two other topoisomerases topo I and topo IV. The supercoils generated by gyrase can diffuse over 10 kb domains. The other half of the chromosome's supercoil structure is connected to abundant nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs). My goal was to characterize factors other than gyrase that participate in generating or regulating supercoil dynamics in Escherichia coli and …

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Adap1 And Arf6 Mediate Regulated Secretory Trafficing In Neurosecretory Cells And Neurons, Sharday Ewell Jan 2013

Adap1 And Arf6 Mediate Regulated Secretory Trafficing In Neurosecretory Cells And Neurons, Sharday Ewell

All ETDs from UAB

ADP ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) is a member of the Arf family of small GTPases known to function in vesicular membrane trafficking and cytoskeletal organization. Arf6 cycles between its GTP and GDP bound states, facilitated by GTP exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase activating proteins (GAPs), respectively. In my dissertation studies I have investigated the neuronal functions of Arf6 and ADAP1, an Arf6 GAP and candidate PI 3-kinase target required for dendritic differentiation in developing neurons. I demonstrated that in neurosecretory PC12 cells and neurons, ADAP1 and Arf6 colocalize with regulated secretory granules (SGs) that traffic chromogranin B and brain-derived neurotrophic …

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The Development Of An In Vitro Surrogate Assay For Screening Protective Antibodies Against Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (Pspa), Kristopher Ruben Genschmer Jan 2013

The Development Of An In Vitro Surrogate Assay For Screening Protective Antibodies Against Pneumococcal Surface Protein A (Pspa), Kristopher Ruben Genschmer

All ETDs from UAB

PCV13 is the current pneumococcal protein conjugated vaccine made up of the 13 most clinically relevant capsular polysaccharides. While protective, it is limited to a small portion of the overall serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The possibility of "serotype replacement" by serotypes not covered by the vaccine and the high cost of producing this conjugated polysaccharide vaccine stress the need for a protein based vaccine, one that is more broad in its protection. Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) has been shown to be both immunogenic and protective in mice and is a promising protein vaccine candidate. However, there are no current …

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Experience-Dependent Synaptic Integration Of Adult-Generated Dentate Granule Cells, Jessica Hotard Chancey Jan 2013

Experience-Dependent Synaptic Integration Of Adult-Generated Dentate Granule Cells, Jessica Hotard Chancey

All ETDs from UAB

The dentate gyrus (DG) contains neural stem cells that continually generate new neurons throughout life. The contribution of adult neurogenesis to hippocampal function is not well understood, but ablation or silencing of adult-generated neurons in the DG disrupts learning and memory, and neurogenesis is altered in many pathologies associated with impaired cognition including Alzheimer's Disease, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. Neurogenesis in the DG is a stepwise process in which neural stem cells leave the cell cycle and undergo an approximately two month long maturation process to form fully functional dentate granule cells (GCs) that are indistinguishable from those formed during development. …

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The Role Of Il-21 And Il-17 In Regulating Follicular T Helper Cells In Germinal Center Response Of Autoimmunity, Yanna Ding Jan 2013

The Role Of Il-21 And Il-17 In Regulating Follicular T Helper Cells In Germinal Center Response Of Autoimmunity, Yanna Ding

All ETDs from UAB

Overreactivity of the germinal center (GC) is a central feature of autoantibody-mediated autoimmune diseases. Follicular T helper (Tfh) cells are the primary T helper subset that migrates to the incipient GC and forms close contacts with GC-B cells to promote GC formation and help GC-B cell differentiation, resulting in high-affinity antibody production. Increased levels of interleukin (IL)-21 and aberrant accumulation or function of Tfh cells have been associated with autoimmune disease severity in humans and lupus-prone mice. Follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells are the regulatory T cell subset that also localizes in the GC and inhibits GC B cell differentiation. …

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The Role Of Gadd45b In Hippocampus-Dependent Cognition, Synaptic Plasticity And Activity-Associated Transcriptional Dynamics, Faraz Sultan Jan 2013

The Role Of Gadd45b In Hippocampus-Dependent Cognition, Synaptic Plasticity And Activity-Associated Transcriptional Dynamics, Faraz Sultan

All ETDs from UAB

An expanding body of literature argues for a pivotal role of molecular epigenetic mechanisms in memory. Defined as mechanisms that regulate gene expression in the absence of DNA sequence modifications, these regulate various stages of memory-associated transcription. These phenomena are present at diverse anatomical subregions of the central nervous system (CNS) and regulate corresponding behaviors. Epigenetic mechanisms comprise a unique category of behavioral and physiological modulators because of their potential to modify the cellular phenotype in a stable manner. Hence, epigenetics offers a novel potential solution to a central paradox in memory retention: the finding that most putative molecular substrates …

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The Role Of O-Glcnacylation In Synaptic Function, Erica Wynette Taylor Jan 2013

The Role Of O-Glcnacylation In Synaptic Function, Erica Wynette Taylor

All ETDs from UAB

O-GlcNAcylation is a dynamic protein posttranslational modification that adds the monosaccharide ß-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to specific serine and threonine residues on nucleocytoplasmic proteins. The hippocampus is a part of brain that has been shown to play a crucial role in learning and memory. Hippocampal neurons have high expression of O-GlcNAc transferase and O-GlcNAcase, which catalyze the addition and removal of GlcNAc from proteins respectively. Moreover, synaptic plasticity which is the strengthening or weakening of synaptic function on short- and long-term time scales is believed to be a cellular correlate of learning and memory. Several forms of synaptic plasticity have been characterized …

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Role Of Kca3.1, A Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel, In Cell Migration In The Adult Brain, Kathryn L. Turner Jan 2013

Role Of Kca3.1, A Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel, In Cell Migration In The Adult Brain, Kathryn L. Turner

All ETDs from UAB

A limited amount of migration occurs in the adult brain, including migration of neuroblasts during adult neurogenesis and pathological migration of primary brain tumors. Ion channels are commonly utilized during migration to allow shape and volume changes required for cell movement, and we specifically examine the role of KCa3.1 in the adult brain. These channels are well-suited to facilitate movement because they respond to common migration signals, i.e. intracellular Ca2+ changes, and efflux K+, allowing the outflow of water and cell volume regulation. Our findings suggest that KCa3.1 is highly expressed in migratory cells, adult neuroblasts and glioma cells, but …

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The Role Of Pneumococcal Choline-Binding Protein A (Pcpa) In The Mechanism Of Virulence And Protective Immunity, Melissa Marie Walker Jan 2013

The Role Of Pneumococcal Choline-Binding Protein A (Pcpa) In The Mechanism Of Virulence And Protective Immunity, Melissa Marie Walker

All ETDs from UAB

pcpA is under control of the Mn 2-dependent repressor PsaR. In the high manganese environment of mucosal sites pcpA gene expression is repressed and at the low manganese environment of the lung and blood derepression of pcpA gene expressionis observed. Previous data has shown that immunization of mice with rPcpA elicits protection against pneumonia and sepsis but had no effect on nasal colonization. We and others have shown that pcpA expression significantly enhances adherence of pneumococci to lung epithelial cell lines and although it is a virulence factor for pneumonia in mice there is no biologically relevant role for PcpA …

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Anti-Group B Streptococci Monoclonal Antibodies Protect Against Invasive Aspergillosis, Rebekah Wharton Jan 2013

Anti-Group B Streptococci Monoclonal Antibodies Protect Against Invasive Aspergillosis, Rebekah Wharton

All ETDs from UAB

Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophytic fungus which can potentially cause life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. Although a serious threat, current treatments are largely ineffective at reducing morbidity and mortality. To this end, we have characterized a monoclonal antibody generated against Group B Streptococci, type Ib, which also recognizes Aspergillus fumigatus conidia and hyphae. We show that this antibody appears to bind a similar epitope on both pathogens and provides a significant degree of protection in a murine model of invasive aspergillosis via a mechanism that appears to be dependent on complement. The studies we performed using this antibody should …

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Genetic And Biochemical Characterizations Of The Capsular Glycosyltransferases In Streptococcus Pneumoniae Serotype 2, David Boyd Anthony James Jan 2013

Genetic And Biochemical Characterizations Of The Capsular Glycosyltransferases In Streptococcus Pneumoniae Serotype 2, David Boyd Anthony James

All ETDs from UAB

The principle objective of this dissertation is to develop a thorough understanding of the genetics and biochemistry of capsule synthesis. Specifically, it involves the identification and characterization of the capsular glycosyltransferases in Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 2, with investigations into their regulation. S. pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a significant human pathogen that has the ability to persist as a commensal and then transition to a virulent state, the latter of which is a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality. The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of S. pneumoniae is a protective surface structure that plays an integral role in this disease process. …

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Marcks Is A Regulator Of Growth, Radiation Sensitivity And Is A Novel Prognostic Factor For Glioblastoma Multiforme, John Jarboe Jan 2013

Marcks Is A Regulator Of Growth, Radiation Sensitivity And Is A Novel Prognostic Factor For Glioblastoma Multiforme, John Jarboe

All ETDs from UAB

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and deadly primary brain malignancy necessitating improved understanding of GBM biology. In this study, we explore the role of Myristoylated Alanine Rich C-Kinase Substrate (MARCKS) in the context of GBM. We have discovered that the MARCKS protein regulates GBM growth as well as response to radiation therapy through its effects on proliferation, senescence, and DNA repair based on our studies in cell culture and in patient-derived xenograft tumors implanted in mice. Importantly, our analysis of clinical patient data demonstrates that MARCKS is an independent predictor for outcome in GBM patients. Indeed, high MARCKS …

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Usp49 And H2b Deubiquitination In Chromatin And Cellular Function, Amanda E. Jones Jan 2013

Usp49 And H2b Deubiquitination In Chromatin And Cellular Function, Amanda E. Jones

All ETDs from UAB

Histones are globular proteins which help package and organize DNA in the eukaryotic nucleus. The four core histones, H2A, H2B, H3 and H4, combine with approximately 146 base pairs of DNA to form a nucleosome, the fundamental unit of chromatin. Post-translational modifications to the C-terminal and N-terminal histone tails regulate chromatin structure and function, and play important roles in transcriptional regulation, replication, DNA damage response, and mRNA processing. Histone H2B ubiquitination is an evolutionarily conserved modification with roles in gene expression and DNA damage repair. In addition, H2B ubiquitination may also regulate mRNA splicing. Here, we identify USP49, a cysteine …

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The Role Of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors In Ameliorating Memory Dysfunction Of An Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model, Mark Kilgore Jan 2013

The Role Of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors In Ameliorating Memory Dysfunction Of An Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model, Mark Kilgore

All ETDs from UAB

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, along with cognitive impairments that progress to dementia and eventually death. The development of drug treatments that rescue memory deficits could be a promising therapy given in the early stages of AD. In the following studies, we tested the potential for systemic treatment with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors to ameliorate cognitive deficits in a mouse model of AD. Using the APPSwe/PS1dE9 mouse model of AD, we showed that giving HDAC inhibitors systemically for 3 weeks reversed contextual memory deficits, stably maintained memories over a 2-week …

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Cyclic Gmp Phosphodiesterase As A Novel Target For Colorectal Cancer Chemoprevention, Nan Li Jan 2013

Cyclic Gmp Phosphodiesterase As A Novel Target For Colorectal Cancer Chemoprevention, Nan Li

All ETDs from UAB

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) display promising antineoplastic activity for colorectal and other cancers, but toxicity from cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition limits their long-term use for chemoprevention. However, many investigators have concluded that COX-independent mechanisms are responsible for their antineoplastic activity. We previously reported that cyclic guanosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase (cGMP PDE) is a non-COX target of sulindac sulfide (SS). However, the specific isozyme families involved have not been well studied. Here we demonstrate that SS inhibits the growth of colon tumor cells through a novel mechanism involving inhibition of two cGMP degrading isozymes, PDE5 and PDE10, to activate cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). …

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Surveying The Serum Proteome For Biomarkers Of Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer, Michael Robert Ludwig Jan 2013

Surveying The Serum Proteome For Biomarkers Of Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer, Michael Robert Ludwig

All ETDs from UAB

SURVEYING THE SERUM PROTEOME FOR BIOMARKERS OF EARLY STAGE PANCREATIC CANCER MICHAEL ROBERT LUDWIG MICROBIOLOGY ABSTRACT Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a uniformly fatal disease due to its refractory nature to conventional therapies at the time of initial diagnosis. In order to in-crease the curative potential of surgical resection, early detection of organ-confined neoplasia is needed. Currently, no effective diagnostic tools are available to detect early-stage pancreatic ductal lesions termed pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) or lo-cally invasive, organ-confined disease. One way to identify biomarkers that may be use-ful for the early detection of PDAC is through the study of the …

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The Role Of Palmitoylation And Other Post-Translational Modifications In Cftr Biogenesis, Michelle Mcclure Jan 2013

The Role Of Palmitoylation And Other Post-Translational Modifications In Cftr Biogenesis, Michelle Mcclure

All ETDs from UAB

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important contributors to protein bio-genesis and function. CFTR in particular is known to be regulated by multiple PTMs, in-cluding glycosylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. The functional significance and specific CFTR residues responsible for the majority of PTMs within CFTR are not known. The goal of this dissertation was to identify and characterize novel PTMs that influence wild-type and F508del CFTR. The study employed a combination of tandem and multiple reaction ion monitoring mass spectrometry to identify covalent side chain attachments. Analysis revealed the specific locations of numerous phosphorylated resi-dues, several sites of methylation, and more than twenty-five …

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Characterizing The Roles Of Il-11 And Cd68 In Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis, Erin Mills Mccoy Jan 2013

Characterizing The Roles Of Il-11 And Cd68 In Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis, Erin Mills Mccoy

All ETDs from UAB

The molecular mechanisms regulating the preferential metastasis of breast cancer to bone have not been fully elucidated, but it is hypothesized that local conditions in the bone create an environment conducive to colonization by breast cancer cells and that the breast cancer cells interact directly with cells in the bone. In this dissertation, two goals were pursued: (1) to explore breast cancer secreted interleukin (IL)-11's role on osteoclast function and (2) investigate the expression and potential role of CD68 in breast cancer adhesion to bone. Higher rates of bone metastasis occur in human breast cancer tumors expressing IL-11, a cytokine …

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Microevolution Of Capsule Synthesis Genes Contributes To Pneumococcal Capsule Diversity, Melissa Beth Oliver Jan 2013

Microevolution Of Capsule Synthesis Genes Contributes To Pneumococcal Capsule Diversity, Melissa Beth Oliver

All ETDs from UAB

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an important human pathogen that expresses a capsular polysaccharide (PS) to shield underlying antigenic structures from complement-mediated opsonophagocytosis. Thus, capsular PS is the major virulence factor, the target of primary immune responses to pneumococcal infections, and the antigenic component of pneumococcal vaccines. Pneumococci have diverse capsular PS synthesis (cps) loci and express over 90 different capsule types. Such diversity helps pneumococci escape immune detection and adapt to changing environments. Recombination of cps genes has been recognized as the main driver of capsule diversity. However, we show point mutations in cps genes encoding glycosyltransferases can broaden enzymes' …

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The Genetic Complexity Of The Human Fc-Gamma Receptor 1q23 Locus And Its Relationship To Autoimmunity, Travis Samuel Ptacek Jan 2013

The Genetic Complexity Of The Human Fc-Gamma Receptor 1q23 Locus And Its Relationship To Autoimmunity, Travis Samuel Ptacek

All ETDs from UAB

The human immune system must be able to adapt to a wide spectrum of invading pathogens in order to keep the human body alive. This variation includes directed recombination and mutation at the level of the individual and genetic variation and natural selection at the population level. A direct consequence of the adaptability of the immune system is autoimmunity: as the immune system adapts to a shifting spectrum of antigens, it can shift to self-antigens, and therefore attack the body and cause disease. Since genetic factors are part of this adaptability, they are also connected with autoimmune disease. SLE is …

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The Role Of Complement In Experimental Cerebral Malaria, Theresa N. Ramos Jan 2013

The Role Of Complement In Experimental Cerebral Malaria, Theresa N. Ramos

All ETDs from UAB

Cerebral malaria (CM) is one of the most severe clinical complications of P. falciparum malaria with a fatality rate of 15-30%, and 10% of CM survivors have permanent neurological sequelae. Since inflammation is a central pathophysiological tenet of CM, we began examining the role of the complement system in pathogenesis of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) using Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) model. Previous studies using this model indicated that mice naturally deficient in complement component C5 were protected from cerebral complications, and wild type mice treated with anti-C5aR antibody were also protected. To determine the protective mechanism of naturally-C5 deficient mice, …

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