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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Medical Sciences
Design And Testing Of Novel Anthrax Vaccines Utilizing A Tobacco Mosaic Virus Expression System, Ryan C. Mccomb
Design And Testing Of Novel Anthrax Vaccines Utilizing A Tobacco Mosaic Virus Expression System, Ryan C. Mccomb
KGI Theses and Dissertations
Anthrax is a potentially fatal disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis. Infection and disease occur after spores gain entry into the body, germinate into vegetative bacteria, and produce toxin. Bacillus anthracis spores have been engineered as bioweapons and have been used repeatedly in warfare and terrorism to inflict casualties in military and civilian populations. Currently, only one vaccine has been approved for prevention of anthrax in the United States. This vaccine is an undefined product that is difficult to produce, requires a long vaccination schedule, and is reactogenic. Efforts to make an improved anthrax vaccine are being pursued. …
Development Of Oral Vaccines Against Lyme Disease, Rita Raquel Dos Anjos De Carvalho E Melo
Development Of Oral Vaccines Against Lyme Disease, Rita Raquel Dos Anjos De Carvalho E Melo
Theses and Dissertations (ETD)
Lyme Disease, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States and Europe. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent damage to the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. In some cases, patients that receive the recommended antibiotic therapy develop a debilitating health condition associated with substantial health care costs. Despite current preventive measures, the incidence and the geographic distribution of Lyme Disease continues to increase. Recent estimates from CDC suggest that the true number of cases of Lyme Disease in the US is approximately 300,000 per year. Yet, there is currently no vaccine …
Genetic Control Of Survival And Weight Loss During Pneumonic Burkholderia Pseudomallei (Bp) Infection, Felicia D. Emery
Genetic Control Of Survival And Weight Loss During Pneumonic Burkholderia Pseudomallei (Bp) Infection, Felicia D. Emery
Theses and Dissertations (ETD)
Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) is a saprophytic, gram-negative aerobe and the causative agent of the disease melioidosis. Melioidosis is an infectious disease that occurs in humans and animals and is prevalent in Southeast Asia, northern Australia and other tropical areas. Transmission occurs through direct contact with the organism via ingestion, inhalation, or through open wounds and skin abrasions. Clinical presentation is extremely variable and can range from acute septicemia with bacterial dissemination to distant sites, to an isolated pulmonary infection. Treatment of melioidosis can be problematic because it is often difficult to diagnose and Bp is resistant to a diverse group …
Role Of Stat3 In Human Nk Cell Functions, Prasad V. Phatarpekar
Role Of Stat3 In Human Nk Cell Functions, Prasad V. Phatarpekar
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Natural Killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes, which play a critical role in the immune response against malignant cells and microbial infections. NK cells are equipped with activating receptors, which upon detecting ligands expressed on stressed cells induce cytolytic activity of NK cells. Stimulation of NK cell proliferation and priming of NK cytolytic capability are accomplished by cytokines, which mediate their signals mainly through JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Previously, we found that K562 cells genetically modified to express membrane bound IL-21 (mbIL-21), which predominantly activates STAT3, induce robust expansion and activation of human NK cells. Further investigations revealed role of STAT3 …
Immunomodulation Of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells By Particulate B-Glucan In Cancer., Sabrin Husein Albeituni
Immunomodulation Of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells By Particulate B-Glucan In Cancer., Sabrin Husein Albeituni
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells that promote tumor progression. In this study, we investigated the effect of dectin-1 stimulation by yeast-derived particulate β-glucan in MDSC function and differentiation in cancer. In vivo treatment of mice bearing lewis lung carcinoma and mammary cell carcinoma with particulate β-glucan decreased tumor weight and splenomegaly, and reduced the accumulation of polymorphonuclear-MDSC (PMN-MDSC) but not monocytic-MDSC (M-MDSC) in the spleen and tumor. In addition, particulate β-glucan differentially modulated the function of different MDSC subsets; it enhanced PMN-MDSC respiratory burst and apoptosis, and induced the differentiation of M-MDSC into …
The Role Of Glutaminase 1 In Hiv-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders And In Brain Development, Yi Wang
The Role Of Glutaminase 1 In Hiv-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders And In Brain Development, Yi Wang
Theses & Dissertations
Glutaminase is the enzyme that converts glutamine into glutamate, which serves as a key excitatory neurotransmitter and one of the energy providers for cellular metabolism. Glutamate is essential for proper brain functioning but at excess levels, it is neurotoxic and has a key role in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases, including HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). However, the detailed mechanism of glutamate-mediated neurotoxicity remains unclear. In part I, we identified the regulation of glutaminase 1 (GLS1) in the central nervous system (CNS) of HAND animal models including HIV-Tat transgenic (Tg) mouse and HIVE-SCID mouse, since GLS1 is the dominant …
Bacterially-Based Immune Challenges And Trauma Elicit Terminal Investment In Male Aedes Aegypti, Molly K. Schumacher
Bacterially-Based Immune Challenges And Trauma Elicit Terminal Investment In Male Aedes Aegypti, Molly K. Schumacher
Theses and Dissertations
Investment in life history traits such as immune function and reproduction is constrained by finite available resources. A cost-of-immunity trade-off may occur in response to infection when resources are diverted away from reproductive effort and into an immune response. Alternatively, an infected individual may enhance reproductive effort to maximize terminal reproductive success in response to the survival threat inherent to infection (terminal investment). We measured male Aedes aegypti reproductive behavior following inoculations with: living bacteria; killed bacteria as an immune elicitor; and a sham control. Mating competitiveness relative to naïve males was also determined through a binary mate choice experiment …
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor: Its Role In Gut-Homing Macrophage Generation And Colitis, And Production By Probiotics, Shahab Meshkibaf
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor: Its Role In Gut-Homing Macrophage Generation And Colitis, And Production By Probiotics, Shahab Meshkibaf
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The pleiotropic cytokine granulocyte-colony stimulatory factor (G-CSF) is mainly required for the generation of neutrophils, but its role in macrophage generation has also been reported. In addition, G-CSF is effective for the down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines and ameliorating gut disorders, such as colitis. However, the G-CSF function in macrophage generation and gut immunity remains unclear. The first focus of this thesis was to assess the role of G-CSF in macrophage generation and its contribution to gut immunity. G-CSF was found to promote the generation of Gr-1high/F4/80+ macrophages in macrophage (M)-CSF-treated bone marrow cells, most likely through suppressing cell death. Gr-1high …
Regulation Of Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase Iii Alpha Complex Formation In B Cells And Its Role In Autoantibody Production, Michaela M. Sangillo Ms
Regulation Of Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase Iii Alpha Complex Formation In B Cells And Its Role In Autoantibody Production, Michaela M. Sangillo Ms
All Student Scholarship
The plasma membrane protein Efr3b, the Tetratricopeptide domain repeat 7 (Ttc7), and the kinase phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase III alpha (PI4KIIIa) are found to form a complex a the plasma membrane. This complex is thought to play a role regulating the PI4P pools at the plasma membrane, which is imperative to membrane identity and vesicle transport.
A Cohort Study Investigating Autoantibody Levels During And After Infection With Influenza A Virus, Michelle Collins
A Cohort Study Investigating Autoantibody Levels During And After Infection With Influenza A Virus, Michelle Collins
All NMU Master's Theses
Antinuclear autoantibodies (ANAs) are present in all individuals. In those with autoimmune diseases they are routinely present in elevated levels. Although the nature and development of autoimmune diseases are not fully understood there are many hypotheses as to possible causes of an autoimmune disorder. One possible cause is viral infections. The scope of this thesis study was to examine if autoantibodies levels in individuals without autoimmune disorders increase during or after infection with influenza A virus. Blood was collected from volunteers (n=11) at time intervals of 0, 7, 42 and 63 days, respectively. Antibody levels were measured using ELISA assays …
Killer Cell Activation By A Novel Multifunctional Protein: An Immuno/Gene Therapy For Cancer, Ashlee Tietje
Killer Cell Activation By A Novel Multifunctional Protein: An Immuno/Gene Therapy For Cancer, Ashlee Tietje
All Dissertations
One of the characteristics of advanced tumors is the evasion of the immune system. There are multiple methods that tumor cells employ to achieve this including reducing the expression of activating ligands on the cell surface and a shift in the tumor microenvironment toward pro-tumor cytokines. The purpose of this research is to develop a novel bifunctional fusion protein that will target these two deficiencies in the tumor microenvironment and activate killer cells that are already present. The proposed protein combines the extracellular domain of a ligand for the killer cell activating receptor NKG2D and Interleukin-12 (IL-12). It is hypothesized …
Tcr Alpha Lcr And Non-Lcr Cis-Elements Contributing To Tissue Specific Expression Of The Tcr Alpha Gene In Thymic And Peripheral T Cells, Martina Kucerova-Levisohn
Tcr Alpha Lcr And Non-Lcr Cis-Elements Contributing To Tissue Specific Expression Of The Tcr Alpha Gene In Thymic And Peripheral T Cells, Martina Kucerova-Levisohn
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Orchestrated expression of multiple genes residing in the complex TCRα/δ/Dad1 locus requires tight control from multiple cis-acting elements. The TCRα locus control region (LCR), is positioned between TCRα and Dad1 gene, and has been implicated in the differential expression of both genes. In this study, we focus our work on the hypersensitive site (HS)1 prime (HS1'), located 3' of the classical Eα enhancer, within the TCRα LCR. We investigated its non- redundant role in TCRα expression in thymic and peripheral T cells as assayed by in vivo and in vitro studies. Furthermore, formation of HS1' in both lymphoid and …
Acceptance And Uptake Of Influenza Vaccination By Health Care Workers, Leshonda Wallace
Acceptance And Uptake Of Influenza Vaccination By Health Care Workers, Leshonda Wallace
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Influenza is a preventable infectious disease, against which vaccination is the primary means of protection. Health care workers (HCW) are among the most vulnerable to the illness and are likely to be sources of infection transmission while caring for patients. Circumstantial evidence suggests higher rates of vaccination coverage by HCW will coincide with a lower incidence of influenza transmission, yet a gap remains in the literature regarding governing health agencies' (i.e., licensing boards, medical and nursing associations) influence on the influenza vaccination practices of their constituents. Moreover, discrepancies exist between governing health agencies' and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee's recommendations …
The Effect Of Statins On Il-33 Mediated Mast Cell Function, Marcela Taruselli
The Effect Of Statins On Il-33 Mediated Mast Cell Function, Marcela Taruselli
Theses and Dissertations
This study demonstrates original findings of statin effects on IL-33 stimulated mast cells. Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol production by targeting HMG CoA reductase. These commonly prescribed drugs have been shown to be immunomodulatory. In this study, we have found that pretreatment with statins has a variety of effects on IL-33 stimulated mast cells. Atorvastatin suppresses TNF and IL-6 production, while fluvastatin significantly enhances release of these proinflammatory cytokines in BMMCs. Although they have differing effects on cytokine production, both statins lowered ST2 expression on the cell surface, decreased cell viability, and enhanced expression of …