Hemic and Immune Systems Commons^™

Excess Fructose In High-Fructose Corn Syrup Reduces Cell Viability & Promotes Nitric Oxide Release In Raw 264.7 Macrophages, Renzo F. Galarza, Edward L. Villegas

Research and Creativity Symposium

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial sweetener that contains slightly higher concentrations of fructose compared to standard sucrose. It has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease. While both HFCS and sucrose are widely used sweeteners, growing evidence suggests they may differ in their inflammatory potential. We sought to understand the effects of elevated fructose on RAW 264.7 macrophages. To investigate these effects, we treated the cells with either a sucrose solution or a
solution designed to mimic high-fructose corn syrup. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation was used to model innate …

5-Fluorouracil Induced Oxidative Stress Is Variable Across Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines, Rachel L. Walker

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with treatment limited to chemotherapy. However, not all patient tumors respond to chemotherapy. The variable cytotoxic effects of chemotherapies may be due to how cancer cells regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we examined two mouse breast cancer cell lines: 4T1 and EO771, vary when treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and 5-Fluorouracil (5FU), known ROS-inducing substances. In 4T1 cells H2O2 increased oxidized DNA but caused minimal cell death. While in EO771 cells that same amount of H2O2 caused complete apoptosis. Cell number, ROS, and cell death showed …

Csf1r Inhibition Depletes Brain Macrophages And Reduces Brain Virus Burden In Siv-Infected Macaques, Diana G. Bohannon, Laurent D. Zablocki-Thomas, Evan S. Leung, Jinbum K. Dupont, Julian B. Hattler, Jolanta Kowalewska, Miaoyun Zhao, Jiangtao Luo, Marco Salemi, Angela M. Amedee, Qingsheng Li, Marcelo J. Kuroda, Woong-Ki Kim

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Perivascular macrophages (PVMs) and, to a lesser degree, microglia are targets and reservoirs of HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in the brain. Previously, we demonstrated that colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) in PVMs was upregulated and activated in chronically SIV-infected rhesus macaques with encephalitis, correlating with SIV infection of PVMs. Herein, we investigated the role of CSF1R in the brain during acute SIV infection using BLZ945, a brain-penetrant CSF1R kinase inhibitor. Apart from three uninfected historic controls, nine Indian rhesus macaques were infected acutely with SIVmac251 and divided into three groups (n = 3 each): an untreated control and …

Avaren-Fc, A Novel Immunotherapeutic, Recruits Nk Cells In B16f10 Melanoma Tumor Tissue, Sreevatsa Vemuri, Katarina Mayer, Nobuyuki Matoba

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the US, with limited effective immunotherapeutic options available for patients. Avaren-Fc (AvFc) is a novel experimental immunotherapeutic agent with a unique “lectibody” property. It is capable of targeting cancer cells through the selective recognition of high mannose glycans, which are aberrantly overrepresented on the surface of malignant cells. AvFc can interact with circulating effector immune cells equipped with Fc receptors, such as natural killer (NK) cells to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and kill cancer cells. Previous work has shown that AvFc effectively induces ADCC activity against B16F10 cancer cells in vitro …

Tim/Tam Receptors: A Potential Biomarker For Predicting Sensitivity To Zika Virus-Induced Oncolysis In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers, Shankari Somasekar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) constitute 80-85% of lung cancers and are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. The most common cause is prolonged smoking. Current treatment options for NSCLC include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy. Although these medications are effective in the short term, patients often face issues of drug resistance and debilitating side effects with prolonged use. Currently, the use of Zika virus (ZIKV) is being researched as a possible alternative treatment for cancer, which minimizes side effects and the risk of drug resistance. TIM/TAM proteins are identified as the putative ZIKV receptors on …

Real-World Third Covid-19 Vaccine Dosing And Antibody Response In Patients With Hematologic Malignancies, Michael A. Thompson, Sigrun Hallmeyer, Veronica E. Fitzpatrick, Yunqi Liao, Michael P. Mullane, Stephen C. Medlin, Kenneth Copeland, James L. Weese

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: This study sought to describe the changes in immune response to a third dose of either Pfizer’s or Moderna’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (3V) among patients with hematologic malignancies, as well as associated characteristics

Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed pre-3V and post-3V data on 493 patients diagnosed with hematologic malignancies across a large Midwestern health system between August 28, 2021, and November 1, 2021. For antibody testing, S1 spike antigen of the SARS-CoV-2 virus titer was used to determine serostatus.

Results: Among 493 participants, 274 (55.6%) were seropositive both pre- and post-3V (+/+) while 115 (23.3%) seroconverted to positive …

The Systemic Quantification Of Immune Cell Populations In Various Murine Models: How Age, Tumor Burden, And Immunotherapy Affect The Immune Response, Kavita Sinha

Honors Scholar Theses

Immunotherapy as a form of cancer treatment has become increasingly popular in the past few decades. Researchers have worked to figure out how to best use the body’s natural defense mechanism, the immune system, to fight off and destroy cancer cells. In particular, the goal has been to manipulate checkpoint blockades such as CTLA-4 and PD-1 in order to take the breaks off of the immune system, allowing for a prolonged immune response to the cancer. This work has led to the development of human versions of anti-CTLA4 antibodies (ipilimumab, tremelimumab) and anti-PD1 antibodies (pembrolizumab and Nivolumab) that are currently …

Wnt Secretion Proteins Modulate Rankl-Induced Expression Of Aire In Thymic Epithelial Cells, Daniel Pollack

Dissertations and Theses

Thymic epithelial cells (TEC) are essential for a proper adaptive immune response by regulating thymocyte development and establishing central tolerance. In the thymus, TECs differentially express Wnt proteins, which activate canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways. Wnt signaling is thought to regulate cell survival, proliferation, and development although the direct molecular mechanisms in TECs have yet to be elucidated. The inducible inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling with Dkk1 leads to a rapid loss of TEC progenitors as well as a decline in mature Aire-expressing mTECs. Therefore, we explore the role of Wnt ligands potentially responsible for stimulating and/or regulating Wnt …