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Il-2-Mediated Stat3 Activation Controls Effector T Regulatory Cell Development, Emma C. Dean Jan 2022

Il-2-Mediated Stat3 Activation Controls Effector T Regulatory Cell Development, Emma C. Dean

All ETDs from UAB

Heterogeneity in phenotype and function of Treg cells is becoming increasingly appreciated, especially in the context of creating potent Treg cell–based therapeutics in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. One of the barriers to developing such therapeutics is the limited understanding of the signals that play a role in the development of Treg cell subsets. Here, we found STAT3 signaling to be enriched in induced IL-10 competent Treg (iTreg) cells in the colon. Through the development of a new in vitro system, we found that STAT3 was required for proper development of IL-10 competent iTreg cells and that IL-2 regulated …


Integrated Phenotypic And Molecular Expression Circuits In End-Stage Osteoarthritis, Devin J. Drummer Jan 2022

Integrated Phenotypic And Molecular Expression Circuits In End-Stage Osteoarthritis, Devin J. Drummer

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating, inflammatory, joint degeneration disorder, and is the most common form of arthritis. Individuals reaching end-stage OA often pursue elective total hip/knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) to relieve pain and improve mobility and quality of life. However, approximately one third of THA/TKA patients suffer long-term mobility impairments following surgery, likely in part due to an inability to repair the damaged muscle surrounding the diseased joint. Mechanisms driving this impaired recovery remain poorly understood, therefore it is prudent to interrogate the molecular signatures in skeletal muscle at the time of surgery to provide candidate markers that may improve upon …


Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Of Resistance Training-Induced Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophic Response Heterogeneity In Older Adults, Margaret Bell Jan 2022

Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Of Resistance Training-Induced Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophic Response Heterogeneity In Older Adults, Margaret Bell

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Sarcopenia is a decrease in skeletal muscle (SKM) mass occurring with age. This disease is natural, so it is important to increase SKM mass to counteract. This need is seen in diseases leading to muscle atrophy (i.e., insulin resistance and diabetes). The most efficient way to promote SKM hypertrophy is resistance exercise training (RT), however there is high response heterogeneity. To investigate SKM heterogeneity and maximizing SKM hypertrophy, we conducted a double-blind two-site placebo controlled clinical trial: “Metformin to Augment Strength Training Effective Response in Seniors (MASTERS)”. Here participants > 65 years underwent RT for 14 weeks. Measurements of SKM mass …


The Role Of Mitochondrial Genetic Background In Cellular Function, Response To Cell Stress And Disease Susceptability, Jamelle A. Brown Jan 2022

The Role Of Mitochondrial Genetic Background In Cellular Function, Response To Cell Stress And Disease Susceptability, Jamelle A. Brown

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There is a differential susceptibility associated with several diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension, with Blacks being more likely to develop these conditions. Blacks are also more likely to die from these diseases. To explain the genetic etiology underlying CVD pathogenesis, the primary focus has been on nuclear genetics-environmental interactions, whereas the contribution of mitochondrial genetics is less explored. Therefore, we sought to determine whether differences exist in cellular function and response to cell stress in healthy and diseased individuals with distinct mitochondrial genetic backgrounds. To determine this, we sought first to develop a technique to detect and quantify …


Grainyhead-Like 2 (Grhl2) Has Anti-Oncogenic Potential In Glioblastoma, Rachel M. Carnes Jan 2022

Grainyhead-Like 2 (Grhl2) Has Anti-Oncogenic Potential In Glioblastoma, Rachel M. Carnes

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Grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2) is a complex transcription factor associated with roles in both development and cancer. In development, GRHL2 suppresses a series of genes associated with the mesenchymal phenotype, while actively promoting the expression of genes associated with the epithelial phenotype. Due to this GRHL2 is considered a main gatekeeper of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), playing a crucial role in epithelial morphogenesis and neural tube closure. These basic traits for GRHL2 have also been found to be similar in cancer. GRHL2 has multi-faceted functions in cancer, in which it can be considered either an oncogene or a tumor …


The Role Of Dock3 In Normal Skeletal Muscle Function And Metabolism, Adrienne Samani Jan 2022

The Role Of Dock3 In Normal Skeletal Muscle Function And Metabolism, Adrienne Samani

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DOCK (dedicator of cytokinesis) are proteins of an 11-member family of typical guanine exchange factors (GEFs) expressed almost exclusively in the brain and spinal cord. Human pathogenic DOCK3 variants have been identified to cause debilitating neuromuscular phenotypes such as muscle hypotonia, ataxia, and intellectual disability. Our lab identified DOCK3 as being strongly upregulated in Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD), specifically in the skeletal muscles of DMD patient and mouse skeletal muscles. Global Dock3 KO mice on the dystrophin-deficient background exacerbated skeletal muscle and cardiac phenotypes. Similarly, DOCK3 KO mice appeared to have poor muscle architecture, locomotive activity, reduced myogenic fusion, impaired …


Alterations In Synaptic Structure And Tau Phosphorylation In Alheimer's Disease, Courtney K. Walker Jan 2022

Alterations In Synaptic Structure And Tau Phosphorylation In Alheimer's Disease, Courtney K. Walker

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in individuals over the age of 65. Of the two hallmark pathologies of AD, tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) correlate more strongly with cognitive decline than do Aβ plaques. NFTs form in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and appear in anatomically connected regions over time as disease progresses. This tau spreading may occur via synaptic connections. Most excitatory synapses occur on dendritic spines, which house the postsynaptic machinery. Spines are actin-rich, plastic structures that change their size and shape in response to synaptic activity in a process that is dependent on actin …


The Requirement Of Transcriptional Lim Complex Co-Regulators For Pancreatic Endocrine Cell Development And Function, Eliana Davi Toren Jan 2022

The Requirement Of Transcriptional Lim Complex Co-Regulators For Pancreatic Endocrine Cell Development And Function, Eliana Davi Toren

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The prevalence and tremendous impact of diabetes mellitus has made glucose regulation of the insulin-producing -cell and surrounding pancreatic islet of Langerhans a center of public and research interests alike. A comprehensive understanding of these hormone-producing cells begins with their developmental origins. What are the genetic cues and participants in the tightly orchestrated process of their formation? Investigating the earliest determinants of islet-cell fate not only allows us to deeply understand mature - and islet-cell function, but also produces a data-driven template for how these cells can be reproduced in future stem-cell based diabetes therapies. LIM transcriptional complexes are indispensable …


Synergy Between Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia And Pseudomonas Aeruginosa During Polymicrobial Airway Infections, Melissa Skye Mcdaniel Jan 2022

Synergy Between Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia And Pseudomonas Aeruginosa During Polymicrobial Airway Infections, Melissa Skye Mcdaniel

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Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative bacillus that can act as an opportunistic pathogen in patients with respiratory diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF) and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Infection with S. maltophilia is associated with worse lung function, but it remains unclear if this organism contributes directly to lung function decline. Lung infections are often polymicrobial, and S. maltophilia can be isolated from the lung with the key pulmonary pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In the first half of this work, we investigated the pathogenicity of S. maltophilia alone and during polymicrobial infection with P. aeruginosa. We used respiratory infections in mice to assess persistence …


Impact Of Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae And Pseudo Aeruginosa Polymicrobial Infections On The Cystic Fibrosis Lung, Natalie R. Lindgren Jan 2022

Impact Of Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae And Pseudo Aeruginosa Polymicrobial Infections On The Cystic Fibrosis Lung, Natalie R. Lindgren

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Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a Gram-negative commensal of the healthy nasopharynx; however, this organism can function as an opportunistic pathogen as a result of disruptions to the microbiome, as is the case in cystic fibrosis (CF) disease. People with CF experience changes in microbial residents of the respiratory tract over the course of their lifespan, seen in shifts from early-life pathogens, such as NTHi, to late-stage pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, that accompany a decrease in organismal diversity of the microbiome. In this work, we characterized the pathogenicity of NTHi alone and in polymicrobial respiratory infections. Using CF specific …


Molecular Imaging Of Cancer For Detection And Monitoring Of Response To Combination Therapy, Tiara S. Napier Jan 2022

Molecular Imaging Of Cancer For Detection And Monitoring Of Response To Combination Therapy, Tiara S. Napier

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Imaging is a primary component of cancer care and aids in diagnosing, response assessment, and monitoring. Molecular imaging techniques provide visualization of unique tumor biology that can be used to personalize treatment. Key features of an effective biomarker are sensitivity, specificity, and ability to provide clinical value beyond that of other types of information already available at the time of diagnosis. For particularly heterogeneous cancer subtypes, such as glioblastoma (GBM) and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), reliable biomarkers can be challenging to identify and there are few tar-getable receptors for therapy. Our findings demonstrate that quantifying tumor EGFR (panitumumab-IRDye800CW), granzyme …


Restoring The Sphingolipid Balance In Glioblastoma, Cyntanna C. Hawkins Jan 2022

Restoring The Sphingolipid Balance In Glioblastoma, Cyntanna C. Hawkins

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with a median survival of 15 months even with standard of care—surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Two of the key characteristics contributing to this malignancy are its highly invasive phenotype and resistance to the chemotherapy, temozolomide (TMZ). We, and others, have identified the sphingolipid balance as a driver of these phenotypes with dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism seen in GBM patient samples. The ceramidases, specifically acid ceramidase (ASAH1), mediate the balance between ceramides and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). ASAH1 breaks down ceramides ultimately forming S1P. While ceramides induce cell death, S1P promotes migration and cell survival. …


Cell Type-Specific Diurnal Variation In Hippocampus Physiology, Lacy Kathryn Goode Jan 2022

Cell Type-Specific Diurnal Variation In Hippocampus Physiology, Lacy Kathryn Goode

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Circadian rhythms are biological processes that cycle across 24 hours. Driven endogenously by widely expressed and highly conserved clock genes that compose the circadian molecular clock, circadian rhythms are exhibited in numerous facets of physiology across nearly every tissue throughout the body. Diurnal rhythms in cognition, long-term potentiation (LTP), and the expression of clock genes in hippocampus subfields support a role for circadian regulation of hippocampus physiology. However, little is known regarding the circadian molecular clock and diurnal rhythms in neurophysiology at the cellular level. Here, we characterized diurnal differences in spatial memory, LTP, excitability of and synaptic transmission onto …


Three Heads Are Better Than One: A Structural Look At Staphylococcal Bacteriophage Capsids, N'Toia Chivon Hawkins Jan 2022

Three Heads Are Better Than One: A Structural Look At Staphylococcal Bacteriophage Capsids, N'Toia Chivon Hawkins

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Staphylococcal species such as S. aureus and S. epidermidis are opportunistic pathogens that are the leading causes of nosocomial infections. They have become of growing concern due to the virulence factors that they have acquired as well as their inability to be treated due to resistance to antibiotics. Bacteriophages have increasingly become a popular contender for eliminating these pathogens, however not every phage is suitable for the job. Size of the genome, life cycle, the ability to mobilize genomic material, and host range all factor into how well-suited a phage is to be used as a therapeutic. In this dissertation …


Hedgehog Signaling Rewires M2 Macrophage And Regulatory T Cell Metabolism Within The Tumor Microenvironment Of Breast Cancer, Dominique C. Hinshaw Jan 2022

Hedgehog Signaling Rewires M2 Macrophage And Regulatory T Cell Metabolism Within The Tumor Microenvironment Of Breast Cancer, Dominique C. Hinshaw

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Current treatments for breast cancer offer little relief to patients with metastatic disease. A contributory factor to tumor growth and metastasis is aberrant up-regulation of developmental signaling pathways such as the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. This pathway is aberrantly activated in breast cancer and contributes to tumor progression and metastasis. The success of these events is highly influenced by the surrounding immune microenvironment. Macrophages exist along a spectrum of M1 (tumor-eradicating) to M2 (tumor-promoting), while regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an immunosuppressive cell type. The predominant functions of M2 macrophages and Tregs include dampening the immune response and promoting wound …


Comprehensive Characterization Of Structural Variations Using Long-Read Sequencing Data, Yu Chen Jan 2022

Comprehensive Characterization Of Structural Variations Using Long-Read Sequencing Data, Yu Chen

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Structural variants (SVs) contribute to genomic diversity and play pathogenic roles in a wide range of genetic disorders. Accurate characterization of SVs is critical for genomic research and studies of disease mechanisms. The rapid development of Third-Generation Sequencing (TGS) technologies has largely increased sequencing read length compared to Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), bringing both great potentials and challenges in SV discovery through alignment-based and assembly-based approaches. In order to take full advantage of TGS data, I have developed a suite of bioinformatics tools focusing on comprehensive characterization of SVs. For the alignment-based SV discovery, I have developed DeBreak to identify SVs …


Defining Genetic Underpinnings Of Cellular Diversity And Vulnerability In The Context Of Parkinson's Disease, Stephanie M. Boas Jan 2022

Defining Genetic Underpinnings Of Cellular Diversity And Vulnerability In The Context Of Parkinson's Disease, Stephanie M. Boas

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of ALL survivors are at risk for reduced functional outcomes, and these outcomes may be more strongly related to executive functioning than neighborhood-specific variables or IEP support. Long-term goals include translating findings into practice to remediate adaptive or academic difficulties in ALL survivors.


Distinct Clinical Manifestations Associated With Autoantibodies And Cytokines In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Fatima K. Alduraibi Jan 2022

Distinct Clinical Manifestations Associated With Autoantibodies And Cytokines In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Fatima K. Alduraibi

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Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by production of autoantibodies (autoAbs) and cytokines. Moreover, lupus nephritis (LN) occurs in approximately 50% of SLE patients. AutoAb and cytokine levels produced by B and T cells are high in LN patients, although their relationship with histological patterns requires investigation. Methods: We analyzed the relationship between B cell cytokines and major T cell cyto-kines, including their association with autoAbs, and the clinical manifestations of SLE, especially LN. We also analyzed endogenous intracellular interferon beta (IFNβ) expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum circulating nephritogenic autoAbs from …


Characterizing The Role Of Necroptosis Of Airway Epithelial Cells In The Immune Response To Respiratory Pathogens, Ashleigh Nichole Riegler Jan 2021

Characterizing The Role Of Necroptosis Of Airway Epithelial Cells In The Immune Response To Respiratory Pathogens, Ashleigh Nichole Riegler

All ETDs from UAB

Necroptosis, a programmed form of lytic cell death, is initiated by various viral and bacterial pathogens through irreparable ion dysregulation and energy depletion. This cellular damage results in the activation of the cellular kinases RIPK1 and RIPK3, consecutively, and the activation and membrane targeting of MLKL, the latter responsible for lysis. Here we have demonstrated that necroptosis of airway epithelial cells is key in the development of the adaptive immune response to asymptomatic colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn). Briefly, necroptotic deficient animals or wildtype animals colonized with Spn lacking the necroptosis-triggering pneumolysin toxin, failed to recruit CD11c+ leukocytes to the …


Cns Antigen Presentation And Immune Cell Infiltration In An Α-Syn Model Of Parkinson Disease, Aubrey Michelle Schonhoff Jan 2021

Cns Antigen Presentation And Immune Cell Infiltration In An Α-Syn Model Of Parkinson Disease, Aubrey Michelle Schonhoff

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Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder that is characterized by aggregated alpha-synuclein (a-syn), loss of dopaminergic neurons, and neuroinflammation. This neuroinflammation includes the activation of immune cells that reside in the CNS, such as microglia and border associated macrophages (BAMs), in addition to the infiltration of peripheral leukocytes and increased cytokine and chemokine production. Because of the involvement of both the innate and adaptive immune systems, we sought to investigate their interaction through antigen presentation and determine what role this played in disease progression. Using an a-syn based mouse model of PD, our studies have provided evidence via …


Assesing The Degree Of Intereron Gamma Induced Stat1 Activation On Peripheral Lymphocytes In Patietns With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Vishal Sharma Jan 2021

Assesing The Degree Of Intereron Gamma Induced Stat1 Activation On Peripheral Lymphocytes In Patietns With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Vishal Sharma

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Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with debilitating side effects, from joint swelling to bone erosion and bone deformation. Geographically, RA affect 0.5 – 1% of the worldwide populations, affecting women more than men. Studies have shown that CD4 T cells infiltrate RA synovium and are key to the pathogenesis of RA. Furthermore, drugs targeting co-stimulatory T cell molecules such as abatacept can be beneficial in controlling RA disease activity.Interferon gamma (IFN) is a pleotropic cytokine that contributes to inflammation by aiding in CD4 T cell differentiation into Th1 subtype, enhancing MHC class II presentation, supplementing lymphocyte trafficking, …


Mechanism Of Stat3 Mediated Drug Persistence In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells, Sweta B. Patel Jan 2021

Mechanism Of Stat3 Mediated Drug Persistence In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells, Sweta B. Patel

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Drug persistence is one of the major impediments for cancer therapeutics. There are two known evolutionary models for tumor drug persistence. First, a pre-existing sub-population is inherently resistant to treatment; and second, a sub-population acquires resistance by drug-induced molecular reprograming. One ideal model to study the mechanism of drug persistence is chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) disorder. HSCs acquire a single translocation between chromosome 9 and 22, forming BCR-ABL, a constitutively active tyrosine kinase. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), the standard regimen, have been able to efficaciously control CML and yet many patients relapse upon treatment discontinuation …


The Psychological, Social, And Bioinformatic Considerations For The Return Of Continental Genetic Ancestry Estimates And Other Secondary Sequencing Results, Jaimie Leighan Richards Jan 2021

The Psychological, Social, And Bioinformatic Considerations For The Return Of Continental Genetic Ancestry Estimates And Other Secondary Sequencing Results, Jaimie Leighan Richards

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With recent advances in sequencing technologies, large scale genome wide sequencing has advanced our understanding of disease risk and etiology. These tests, however, often provide secondary data beyond the scope of the original sequencing objectives, and our understanding of how and if participants want to receive these secondary results is important as clinical and research-based sequencing becomes commonplace. To address this, we completed a systematic review of quantitative research that measures attitudes and preferences on the return of genomic sequencing results. Based on that review, we studied the return of genetic ancestry since these results, popularized in direct-to-consumer sequencing companies …


Biomarker And Target Discovery In Cancer, Alyncia Dominique Robinson Jan 2021

Biomarker And Target Discovery In Cancer, Alyncia Dominique Robinson

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Cancer is a complex disease characterized by uncontrolled growth of transformed cells that can arise in many tissue types throughout the body (e.g., breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, lymph nodes) and is a major cause of death worldwide. Cancer progression resulting in aggressive or metastatic disease accounts for one of the leading causes of death worldwide, second only to heart disease in the US. Incidentally, cancer-related mortality has been on a steady decline, dropping 25% over the last 25 years [1]. This could be attributed to improved and earlier diagnoses and better treatment options being developed over the past few decades. …


Suppressing Islet Graft Rejection With Antioxidant-Based Encapsulation Materials, Jessie Marie Barra Jan 2021

Suppressing Islet Graft Rejection With Antioxidant-Based Encapsulation Materials, Jessie Marie Barra

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A hallmark of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. Once the β-cells are lost, patients are reliant on less efficient exogenous insulin therapies to maintain glycemic control, leaving them at risk for secondary complications. Islet transplantation can restore the ability to regulate glucose levels without the need for exogenous insulin, however long-term islet graft survival has proven challenging in part due to ongoing immune-mediated destruction. Systemic immunosuppression strategies have proven somewhat effective at preventing rejection, but chronic use leaves the patient susceptible to opportunistic infections and organ toxicity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as …


Neonatal Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection Disrupts Synapse Remodeling During Development, Jerome Moulden Jan 2021

Neonatal Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection Disrupts Synapse Remodeling During Development, Jerome Moulden

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Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a complex double stranded DNA betaherpesvirus. Its linear DNA in enclosed in an icosahedral capsid, and has a genome size of about 230kb and encodes about 170 genes. Primary infection with HCMV lead to a lifelong persistent infection. HCMV can also be transmitted across the placenta and infect the developing fetus leading to infection of the newborn infant, an infection which is commonly described as congenital HCMV infection. In the United States, the prevalence of congenital HCMV infection is between 0.2-1.2%. Approximately 5-15% of these newborn infants will develop long-term neurological damage resulting, motor disorder, cognition …


Studies On Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Biofilm Persistence & Redox Homeostasis In Chronic Bacterial Diseases, Benjamin C. Hunt Jan 2021

Studies On Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Biofilm Persistence & Redox Homeostasis In Chronic Bacterial Diseases, Benjamin C. Hunt

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Bacterial biofilms, or surface-adherent bacterial communities surrounded by a self-produced extracellular polymeric matrix, are ubiquitous. They are found throughout Earth’s ecosystems, in the soil and waterways, and more pressingly for the medical community, they are found within humans. Bacterial biofilms are associated with a multitude of diseases and their involvement significantly complicates treatment given that bacteria growing within a biofilm are extremely more resistant to antibiotics and immune effectors. Thus, the need to better understand biofilm biology and find ways to disrupt and/or sensitize biofilms to medical treatment is significant. The goal of the research presented herein was to investigate …


Diurnal Variation In Hippocampal Neurophysiology And Pathophysiology, Allison R. Fusilier Jan 2021

Diurnal Variation In Hippocampal Neurophysiology And Pathophysiology, Allison R. Fusilier

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Circadian rhythms are ~24-hour cycles in biological processes that are endogenously generated, entrained to light, and synchronized by the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. One process that is influenced by circadian rhythms is cognitive function, which varies over the course of the day and is likely influenced by changes in neuronal physiology over the course of the day. Dysfunction in circadian rhythms has been documented in many diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is a neurodegenerative disease most notably characterized by dementia, amyloid beta plaques, and tau tangles. There is currently no cure for AD, and treatments only slow disease …


Tau-Sh3 Interactions And Alzheimer's Disease, Jonathan Roth Jan 2021

Tau-Sh3 Interactions And Alzheimer's Disease, Jonathan Roth

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, and its impact will increase with an aging population. It is characterized by dementia associated with accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, intracellular hyperphosphorylated Tau tangles, and neurodegeneration. Additionally, network hyperexcitability occurs early in AD and likely contributes to disease pathogenesis. Current therapies provide minor delay of disease progression at best, so it is imperative to develop novel therapeutic approaches to prevent and treat AD. As Tau pathology correlates better with cognitive function than Aβ pathology and Tau reduction prevents Aβ-induced dysfunction in preclinical models, targeting Tau is a growing …


Characterization Of Cellular And Viral Factors That Define The Stability Of The Latent Hiv-1 Reservoir, Eric Carlin Jan 2021

Characterization Of Cellular And Viral Factors That Define The Stability Of The Latent Hiv-1 Reservoir, Eric Carlin

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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a chronic viral illness that requires lifelong management due to the early formation of a latent viral reservoir within the patient’s CD4+ T cells. These latent infection events lay dormant within infected cells and reactivate stochastically or during periods of T cell activation presenting a major hurdle to the development of an HIV cure. As our understanding of the factors that contribute to HIV latency has evolved, we have started to appreciate latency as more than a chromatin regulation phenotype, due to the vast number of cellular factors that have been described to impact …