Medical Immunology Commons^™

Dawn-To-Dusk Dry Fasting Decreases Circulating Inflammatory Cytokines In Subjects With Increased Body Mass Index, Zahraa Al Lami, Miray Kurtca, Moin Uddin Atique, Antone R Opekun, Mohamad S Siam, Prasun K Jalal, Bijan Najafi, Sridevi Devaraj, Ayse L Mindikoglu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background

The circadian rhythm involves numerous metabolic processes, including sleep/awakening, body temperature regulation, hormone secretion, hepatic function, cellular plasticity, and cytokine release (inflammation), that appear to have a dynamic relationship with all the processes above. Studies have linked various cytokines to the chronic state of low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress in obesity. Dawn-to-dusk dry fasting (DDDF) could alleviate the adverse effects of obesity by decreasing inflammation. This study examined the effects of DDDF on circulating inflammatory cytokines in subjects with increased body mass index (BMI).

Methods

The current observational prospective study included adult subjects with a BMI equal to or …

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus And Lupus Nephritis Presenting As Severe Constitutional Symptoms, Ton La, Sahifah Ansari, Ethan Ha, Matthew Novakovic

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a remitting-relapsing systemic autoantibody and immune complex disease with a similar clinical presentation to that of malignancy and infection. The authors report a case of newly diagnosed SLE and lupus nephritis in a 48-year-old woman with constitutional symptoms and unintentional weight loss. Her presentation was further complicated by pericardial effusion and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) facial cellulitis and bacteremia. In the context of nonspecific symptoms and a wide initial differential diagnosis, the early consideration of rheumatologic etiologies and the involvement of consultant services led to appropriate diagnostic testing and a timely diagnosis.

Genomic Data In The All Of Us Research Program, All Of Us Research Program Genomics Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Comprehensively mapping the genetic basis of human disease across diverse individuals is a long-standing goal for the field of human genetics1–4. The All of Us Research Program is a longitudinal cohort study aiming to enrol a diverse group of at least one million individuals across the USA to accelerate biomedical research and improve human health5,6. Here we describe the programme’s genomics data release of 245,388 clinical-grade genome sequences. This resource is unique in its diversity as 77% of participants are from communities that are historically under-represented in biomedical research and 46% are …

Tailoring T Fh Profiles Enhances Antibody Persistence To A Clade C Hiv-1 Vaccine In Rhesus Macaques, Anil Verma, Chase E. Hawes, Sonny R. Elizaldi, Justin C. Smith, Dhivyaa Rajasundaram, Gabriel Kristian Pedersen, Xiaoying Shen, La Tonya D. Williams, Georgia D. Tomaras, Pamela A. Kozlowski, Rama R. Amara, Smita S. Iyer

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

CD4 T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are essential for establishing serological memory and have distinct helper attributes that impact both the quantity and quality of the antibody response. Insights into Tfh subsets that promote antibody persistence and functional capacity can critically inform vaccine design. Based on the Tfh profiles evoked by the live attenuated measles virus vaccine, renowned for its ability to establish durable humoral immunity, we investigated the potential of a Tfh1/17 recall response during the boost phase to enhance persistence of HIV-1 Envelope (Env) antibodies in rhesus macaques. Using a DNA-prime encoding gp160 antigen and Tfh polarizing cytokines …

Antibody Profiling And Predictive Modeling Discriminate Between Kaposi Sarcoma And Asymptomatic Kshv Infection, Sydney J. Bennett, Dicle Yalcin, Sara R. Privatt, Owen Ngalamika, Salum J. Lidenge, John T. West, Charles Wood

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Protein-level immunodominance patterns against Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the aetiologic agent of Kaposi sarcoma (KS), have been revealed from serological probing of whole protein arrays, however, the epitopes that underlie these patterns have not been defined. We recently demonstrated the utility of phage display in high-resolution linear epitope mapping of the KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA/ORF73). Here, a VirScan phage immunoprecipitation and sequencing approach, employing a library of 1,988 KSHV proteome-derived peptides, was used to quantify the breadth and magnitude of responses of 59 sub-Saharan African KS patients and 22 KSHV-infected asymptomatic individuals (ASY), and ultimately to support an application …

New Onset Positive Autoantibodies Following Covid-19 Infection, David Hernandez, Adnaan Sheikh, Shakira Laing, Mariana Adieb, Omar Siddiqui, Rohail Baig, Annabel Antonini, James Vienneau, Camden Burns

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since the original outbreak in December 2019, over 100 million people have been confirmed to have been infected by COVID-19 and over two million people have died. The presentation seen in patients may vary widely based on multiple factors. Fever has been reported in up to 99% of patients, while other common symptoms seen are dyspnea, fatigue, anosmia, and myalgia. Around 80% of COVID-19 patients present with a mild respiratory illness that can be managed at home, while around 15% need basic …

Chromatin Pattern Quantification For The Differentiation Of White Blood Cells, Paul Young, Ryan Cordner, Abigail Gordhamer

Annual Research Symposium

Nuclear chromatin patterns have been used historically to distinguish between different developmental stages and lineages of white blood cells. While it is common to characterize cells based on arbitrary ‘open’ or ‘closed’ chromatin patterns, quantification of chromatin data is lacking. By extracting nuclei from a database of white blood cells and running fractal analyses using TWOMBLI, we were able to produce meaningful data quantifying chromatin patterns. Our data were put through a random forest algorithm which grouped each point based on relationship probability. The algorithm compared immature and mature cell types as well as cells of similar maturity and differing …

Probiotic Limosilactobacillus Reuteri Dsm 17938 Changes Foxp3 Deficiency-Induced Dyslipidemia And Chronic Hepatitis In Mice, Erini Nessim Kostandy, Ji Ho Suh, Xiangjun Tian, Beanna Okeugo, Erin Rubin, Sara Shirai, Meng Luo, Christopher M. Taylor, Kang Ho Kim, J. Marc Rhoads, Yuying Liu

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The probiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 produces anti-inflammatory effects in scurfy (SF) mice, a model characterized by immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, and X-linked inheritance (called IPEX syndrome in humans), caused by regulatory T cell (Treg) deficiency and is due to a Foxp3 gene mutation. Considering the pivotal role of lipids in autoimmune inflammatory processes, we investigated alterations in the relative abundance of lipid profiles in SF mice (± treatment with DSM 17938) compared to normal WT mice. We also examined the correlation between plasma lipids and gut microbiota and circulating inflammatory markers. We noted a significant upregulation of plasma lipids …

Microbial Interactions Among Gardnerella, Prevotella And Fannyhessea Prior To Incident Bacterial Vaginosis: Protocol For A Prospective, Observational Study, Christina A. Muzny, Jacob H. Elnaggar, Lúcia G.V. Sousa, Ângela Lima, Kristal J. Aaron, Isaac C. Eastlund, Keonte J. Graves, Chaoling Dong, Olivia T. Van Gerwen, Meng Luo, Ashutosh Tamhane, Dustin Long, Nuno Cerca, Christopher M. Taylor

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction The aetiology of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a biofilm-associated vaginal infection, remains unknown. Epidemiologic data suggest that it is sexually transmitted. BV is characterised by loss of lactic acid-producing lactobacilli and an increase in facultative and strict anaerobic bacteria. Gardnerella spp are present in 95%–100% of cases; Gardnerella vaginalis has been found to be more virulent than other BV-associated bacteria (BVAB) in vitro. However, G. vaginalis is found in women with normal vaginal microbiota and colonisation is not sufficient for BV development. We hypothesise that Gardnerella spp initiate BV biofilm formation, but incident BV (iBV) requires incorporation of other key …

Delayed Presentation Of Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (Fpies) To Okra In A Toddler, Hunter Hall, Sara Anvari, Fallon Schultz, Olubukola Ojuola, Nicholas L Rider

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a non-immunoglobulin E (IgE) -mediated food allergy predominantly observed in infants and characterized by the delayed onset of vomiting following ingestion of a trigger food. An increase in research and clinical consideration of FPIES has led to the discovery of unique deviations from the standard FPIES triggers and presentations.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-month-old female patient with a history of consuming okra daily presented to medical attention after developing classic FPIES symptoms to okra beginning at 14-months of age.

CONCLUSIONS: Recently, awareness about the varied nature of FPIES clinical presentation has come to light. …

Txnrd1 Drives The Innate Immune Response In Senescent Cells With Implications For Age-Associated Inflammation, Xue Hao, Bo Zhao, Martina Towers, Liping Liao, Edgar Luzete Monteiro, Xin Xu, Christina Freeman, Hongzhuang Peng, Hsin-Yao Tang, Aaron Havas, Andrew V Kossenkov, Shelley L Berger, Peter D Adams, David W Speicher, David Schultz, Ronen Marmorstein, Kenneth S Zaret, Rugang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sterile inflammation, also known as 'inflammaging', is a hallmark of tissue aging. Cellular senescence contributes to tissue aging, in part, through the secretion of proinflammatory factors collectively known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The genetic variability of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) is associated with aging and age-associated phenotypes such as late-life survival, activity of daily living and physical performance in old age. TXNRD1's role in regulating tissue aging has been attributed to its enzymatic role in cellular redox regulation. Here, we show that TXNRD1 drives the SASP and inflammaging through the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) …

The Curious Case Of A Painful Leg Ulcer, Jay R Patel, Rubi Montejano, Christina Hopkins, Hanna Siatecka, Theodore Rosen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Sickle cell disease is a condition that can involve numerous organ systems secondary to vascular occlusion. Herein, we present a case of a 21-year-old male with sickle cell disease requiring long-term hydroxyurea therapy. Upon migrating to the United States from Yemen, the patient developed a rapidly progressive, exquisitely painful ulcer on his right lower extremity. Given his country of origin, a broad differential, including select infectious diseases, was essential. Moreover, establishing the unequivocally correct diagnosis was crucial to determine proper and safe therapy. Ultimately, a lesional biopsy demonstrated numerous sickled red blood cells occluding blood vessels, leading to the diagnosis …

Autophagy And Cell Wall Integrity Pathways Coordinately Regulate The Development And Pathogenicity Through Moatg4 Phosphorylation In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Pusheng Guo, Yurong Wang, Jiayun Xu, Zhixiang Yang, Ziqi Zhang, Jinyi Qian, Jiexiong Hu, Ziyi Yin, Leiyun Yang, Muxing Liu, Xinyu Liu, Gang Li, Haifeng Zhang, Ryan Rumsey, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Autophagy and Cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling are critical stress-responsive processes during fungal infection of host plants. In the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, autophagy-related (ATG) proteins phosphorylate CWI kinases to regulate virulence; however, how autophagy interplays with CWI signaling to coordinate such regulation remains unknown. Here, we have identified the phosphorylation of ATG protein MoAtg4 as an important process in the coordination between autophagy and CWI in M. oryzae. The ATG kinase MoAtg1 phosphorylates MoAtg4 to inhibit the deconjugation and recycling of the key ATG protein MoAtg8. At the same time, MoMkk1, a core kinase of CWI, also phosphorylates …

Invasive Group A Streptococcus In Infants Less Than 1-Year Of Age From 2012 To 2022: A Single-Center Experience, Taylor Nack, Jesus G Vallejo, James Dunn, Anthony R Flores, J Chase Mcneil

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The incidence of invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) has varied throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed iGAS infections in infants ≤1 year from 2012 to 2022. Twenty-five percent of cases occurred in the last quarter of 2022. Pneumonia (21.8%) was the most common presentation. Twenty-one patients (65.6%) were successfully transitioned to oral antibiotics.

Targeted Repression Of Topa By Crispri Reveals A Critical Function For Balanced Dna Topoisomerase I Activity In The Chlamydia Trachomatis Developmental Cycle, Li Shen, Leiqiong Gao, Abigail R. Swoboda, Scot P. Ouellette

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that is responsible for the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Changes in DNA topology in this pathogen have been linked to its pathogenicity-associated developmental cycle. Here, evidence is provided that the balanced activity of DNA topoisomerases contributes to controlling Chlamydia developmental processes. Utilizing catalytically inactivated Cas12 (dCas12)-based clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats interference (CRISPRi) technology, we demonstrate targeted knockdown of chromosomal topA transcription in C. trachomatis without detected toxicity of dCas12. Repression of topA impaired the developmental cycle of C. trachomatis mostly through disruption of its differentiation from a replicative form …

Multivalent Epigraph Hemagglutinin Vaccine Protects Against Influenza B Virus In Mice, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Brigette Corder Kampfe, Amber Gadeken, Matthew J. Pekarek, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Influenza B virus is a respiratory pathogen that contributes to seasonal epidemics, accounts for approximately 25% of global influenza infections, and can induce severe disease in young children. While vaccination is the most commonly used method of preventing influenza infections, current vaccines only induce strain-specific responses and have suboptimal efficacy when mismatched from circulating strains. Further, two influenza B virus lineages have been described, B/Yamagatalike and B/Victoria-like, and the limited cross-reactivity between the two lineages provides an additional barrier in developing a universal influenza B virus vaccine. Here, we report a novel multivalent vaccine using computationally designed Epigraph hemagglutinin proteins …

Interplay Between Acetylation And Ubiquitination Of Imitation Switch Chromatin Remodeler Isw1 Confers Multidrug Resistance In Cryptococcus Neoformans, Yang Meng, Yue Ni, Zhuoran Li, Tianhang Jiang, Tianshu Sun, Yanjian Li, Xindi Gao, Hailong Li, Chenhao Suo, Chao Li, Sheng Yang, Tian Lan, Guojian Liao, Tongbao Liu, Ping Wang, Chen Ding

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Cryptococcus neoformans poses a threat to human health, but anticryptococcal therapy is hampered by the emergence of drug resistance, whose underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Herein, we discovered that Isw1, an imitation switch chromatin remodeling ATPase, functions as a master modulator of genes responsible for in vivo and in vitro multidrug resistance in C. neoformans. Cells with the disrupted ISW1 gene exhibited profound resistance to multiple antifungal drugs. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that Isw1 is both acetylated and ubiquitinated, suggesting that an interplay between these two modification events exists to govern Isw1 function. Mutagenesis studies of acetylation and ubiquitination sites …

Epstein-Barr Virus-Based Prognostic Model In Nodular Sclerosis Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma, Chen Jiang, Li-Yun Huang, Ji-Hao Zhou, Zhi-Ming Li, Yu Wang, Shuo Li, Jian-Chang Fu, Qi-Tao Huang, Qin Yan, Yu-Yuan Huang, Min Zuo, Shimin Hu, Robert Peter Gale, Yang Liang, Jing-Ping Yun, Yu-Hua Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in lymphoma cells of nodular sclerosis classic Hodgkin lymphoma (NScHL) is controversial. Our aim was to explore this and establish a clinically feasible model for risk stratification. We interrogated data from 542 consecutive subjects with NScHL receiving ABVD therapy and demonstrated EBV-infection in their lymphoma cells with EBV-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) in situ hybridization. Subjects were divided into training and validation datasets. As data from the training dataset suggested EBERs-positivity was the only independent prognostic factor for both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), we developed corresponding prognostic models based on it. Our …

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 …

Studying The Molecular Mechanism Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shabnam Malik, Mohammed Sikander, S. Mishra, Daniel Zubieta, S. K. Jain, Deepshikha Pande Katare, Meena Jaggi, Subhash Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis due to ineffective therapeutic modality and lack of early diagnostic marker. Accumulating studies have shown that elevated expression of mucin 13 as potential oncogene and predictive biomarker for various cancer. However, very little is known about its expression and function for development and progression of HCC.

Objective: To investigate mucin 13 expression in chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma model.

Methodology: Diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) and 2-Acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) induced method was employed for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in Male Wistar rats. Serum and tissues were collected at regular intervals of time and routinely validated …

Gad65abs Are Not Associated With Beta-Cell Dysfunction In Patients With T2d In The Grade Study, Christiane S Hampe, Ali Shojaie, Barbara Brooks-Worrell, Sepideh Dibay, Kristina Utzschneider, Steven E Kahn, Mary E Larkin, Mary L Johnson, Naji Younes, Neda Rasouli, Cyrus Desouza, Robert M Cohen, Jean Y Park, Hermes J Florez, Willy Marcos Valencia, Robert Stempel, Jerry P Palmer, Ashok Balasubramanyam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

CONTEXT: Autoantibodies directed against the 65-kilodalton isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65Abs) are markers of autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D) but are also present in patients with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults and autoimmune neuromuscular diseases, and also in healthy individuals. Phenotypic differences between these conditions are reflected in epitope-specific GAD65Abs and anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-Id) against GAD65Abs. We previously reported that 7.8% of T2D patients in the GRADE study have GAD65Abs but found that GAD65Ab positivity was not correlated with beta-cell function, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), or fasting glucose levels.

CONTEXT: In this study, we aimed to better characterize islet autoantibodies …

Autoimmune Hepatitis: An Unusual Presentation., Ahmed Ali Aziz, Muhammad Ali Aziz, Deep Mehta, Muhammad Humayoun Rashid

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory liver disease that occurs in a bimodal age distribution in the second and fifth-sixth decade of life. The disease is more prevalent in females and presents with variable clinical manifestations ranging from being asymptomatic to acute liver failure. AIH is often overlooked and not worked up in elderly patients who present with liver failure. This can lead to increased morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. AIH should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients who present with elevated transaminases regardless of age or gender as early recognition and treatment leads to improved …

D-Mannose Reduces Cellular Senescence And Nlrp3/Gasdermind/Il-1Β-Driven Pyroptotic Uroepithelial Cell Shedding In The Murine Bladder, Chetanchandra S Joshi, Arnold M Salazar, Caihong Wang, Marianne M Ligon, Rayvanth R Chappidi, Bisiayo E Fashemi, Paul A Felder, Amy Mora, Sandra L Grimm, Cristian Coarfa, Indira U Mysorekar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aging is a risk factor for disease via increased susceptibility to infection, decreased ability to maintain homeostasis, inefficiency in combating stress, and decreased regenerative capacity. Multiple diseases, including urinary tract infection (UTI), are more prevalent with age; however, the mechanisms underlying the impact of aging on the urinary tract mucosa and the correlation between aging and disease remain poorly understood. Here, we show that, relative to young (8-12 weeks) mice, the urothelium of aged (18-24 months) female mice accumulates large lysosomes with reduced acid phosphatase activity and decreased overall autophagic flux in the aged urothelium, indicative of compromised cellular homeostasis. …

Features Of Acute Covid-19 Associated With Post-Acute Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Phenotypes: Results From The Impacc Study, Al Ozonoff, Naresh Doni Jayavelu, Shanshan Liu, Esther Melamed, Carly E Milliren, Jingjing Qi, Linda N Geng, Grace A Mccomsey, Charles B Cairns, Lindsey R Baden, Joanna Schaenman, Albert C Shaw, Hady Samaha, Vicki Seyfert-Margolis, Florian Krammer, Lindsey B Rosen, Hanno Steen, Caitlin Syphurs, Ravi Dandekar, Casey P Shannon, Rafick P Sekaly, Lauren I R Ehrlich, David B Corry, Farrah Kheradmand, Mark A Atkinson, Scott C Brakenridge, Nelson I Agudelo Higuita, Jordan P Metcalf, Catherine L Hough, William B Messer, Bali Pulendran, Kari C Nadeau, Mark M Davis, Ana Fernandez Sesma, Viviana Simon, Harm Van Bakel, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, David A Hafler, Ofer Levy, Monica Kraft, Chris Bime, Elias K Haddad, Carolyn S Calfee, David J Erle, Charles R Langelier, Walter Eckalbar, Steven E Bosinger, Bjoern Peters, Steven H Kleinstein, Elaine F Reed, Alison D Augustine, Joann Diray-Arce, Holden T Maecker, Matthew C Altman, Ruth R Montgomery, Patrice M Becker, Nadine Rouphael

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is a significant public health concern. We describe Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) on 590 participants prospectively assessed from hospital admission for COVID-19 through one year after discharge. Modeling identified 4 PRO clusters based on reported deficits (minimal, physical, mental/cognitive, and multidomain), supporting heterogenous clinical presentations in PASC, with sub-phenotypes associated with female sex and distinctive comorbidities. During the acute phase of disease, a higher respiratory SARS-CoV-2 viral burden and lower Receptor Binding Domain and Spike antibody titers were associated with both the physical predominant and the multidomain deficit clusters. A lower frequency of circulating B …

Combinatorial Effects Of Ion Channel Mis-Splicing As A Cause Of Myopathy In Myotonic Dystrophy, Larissa Nitschke, Thomas A Cooper

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by an unstable expanded CTG repeat located in the 3'-UTR of the DM1 protein kinase (DMPK) gene. The pathogenic mechanism results in misregulated alternative splicing of hundreds of genes, creating the dilemma of establishing which genes contribute to the mechanism of DM1 skeletal muscle pathology. In this issue of the JCI, Cisco and colleagues systematically tested the combinatorial effects of DM1-relevant mis-splicing patterns in vivo and identified the synergistic effects of mis-spliced calcium and chloride channels as a major contributor to DM1 skeletal muscle impairment. The authors further demonstrated …

Evaluating Functional Inhibitors Of Acid Sphingomyelinase As Potential Negative Modulators Of Microvesicle Particle Release In Response To Skin Stressors, Taskin Sabit

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Many diseases including lupus erythematosus, atopic eczema, and rosacea can be associated with photosensitivity, which is an abnormal response to sunlight. Recent studies by our group have implicated microvesicle particles (MVP) as playing an important role in causing inflammation and systemic immunosuppression. Previous studies show that functional inhibitors of acid sphingomyelinase (FIASMA) can block MVP release in response to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation or Platelet-activating Factor (PAF) agonist, which are skin stressors. However, more research needs to be conducted to evaluate the role of PAF, UVB and FIASMA in MVP generation and to formulate a therapeutic medication to be potentially …

Interactions Between Myeloid Cells And Neutrophil Extracellular Traps In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Hillary Gabrielle Pratt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The 5-year-survival rate for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is only 12% due in part to a lack of therapeutic strategies that target the pathophysiology of the disease. The only known curative therapy is surgical resection of the PDAC tumor, but only 20% of patients are eligible at the time of presentation. To improve outcomes for patients, new therapeutic options are needed. The PDAC tumor microenvironment (TME) is uniquely fibrotic and hypoxic, which is in part driven by the immune cell composition in the TME. Myeloid cells are a prominent immune infiltrate within the PDAC TME, so these cells have been …

Assessment Of Appropriate Anticoagulation And Rates Of Bte In Ambulatory Oncology Patients Using A Validated Risk Assessment Model (Khorana Scote), David Page, Alan Su, Nikki Moxon, Staci Mellinger, Tracy L. Kelly, Katherine Lyon, Pharmd, Ian Ingram, Stephanie Matta, Pharmd, Bcop

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Abstract: Cancer associated venous thromboembolisms (VTE) are associated with higher health care resource utilization (number of hospitalizations, hospital length of stay, inpatient/outpatient medical services) and can complicate treatment of cancer. The Khorana Predictive Model for Chemotherapy-Associated VTE is a validated risk assessment model that determines a patient’s risk of developing VTEs and provides recommendations for starting prophylactic anticoagulation in ambulatory oncology patients. The Khorana Score is composed of various patient characteristics including site of primary cancer, prechemotherapy platelet count, hemoglobin level, prechemotherapy leukocyte count, and BMI. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) supportive care guidelines recommend prophylactically starting an anticoagulant if …

Food Allergies, The Immune Response, And Preventative Treatments: Milk, Egg, And Shellfish Allergies, Marissa Dimatteo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food allergies have been an increasing concern worldwide with very little information on preventative measures and treatment. They can have long lasting and life-threatening consequences with a wide range of symptoms from hives to anaphylactic shock. Long recommended feeding guidelines, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and gastrointestinal alterations are thought to play a role in the increase in food allergies in infants. Early introduction of food, immunotherapy, and a properly supported gut microbiome have been recommended to decrease the likelihood of developing a food allergy and desensitizing the immune system.

Emerging Unconventional Therapies For Glioblastoma Multiforme, Danielle Morang

Capstone Showcase

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor occurring in adults with a median survival of less than two years. It is a highly invasive tumor characterized by genetic heterogeneity, angiogenesis, and rapid proliferation. Patients undergo a multimodal treatment regimen consisting of surgical resection and chemoradiation therapy, yet GBM tumors almost always recur with a worsening prognosis. The molecular and genetic complexities of GBM pose a significant challenge for developing effective therapeutics. Thus, it is imperative to identify new therapeutic targets and explore novel treatment strategies to improve patients’ overall survival time and quality of …