Medical Immunology Commons^™

Synthetic Cationic Helical Polypeptides For The Stimulation Of Antitumour Innate Immune Pathways In Antigen-Presenting Cells, Daeyong Lee, Kristin Huntoon, Yifan Wang, Minjeong Kang, Yifei Lu, Seong Dong Jeong, Todd M Link, Thomas D Gallup, Yaqing Qie, Xuefeng Li, Shiyan Dong, Benjamin R Schrank, Adam J Grippin, Abin Antony, Jonghoon Ha, Mengyu Chang, Yi An, Liang Wang, Dadi Jiang, Jing Li, Albert C Koong, John A Tainer, Wen Jiang, Betty Y S Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Intracellular DNA sensors regulate innate immunity and can provide a bridge to adaptive immunogenicity. However, the activation of the sensors in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) by natural agonists such as double-stranded DNAs or cyclic nucleotides is impeded by poor intracellular delivery, serum stability, enzymatic degradation and rapid systemic clearance. Here we show that the hydrophobicity, electrostatic charge and secondary conformation of helical polypeptides can be optimized to stimulate innate immune pathways via endoplasmic reticulum stress in APCs. One of the three polypeptides that we engineered activated two major intracellular DNA-sensing pathways (cGAS-STING (for cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase-stimulator of interferon genes) …

Clinical Outcomes After Acute Coronary Syndromes Or Revascularization Among People Living With Hiv: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mohammed Haji, Michael Capilupi, Michael Kwok, Nouran Ibrahim, Gerald S Bloomfield, Christopher T Longenecker, Maria C Rodriguez-Barradas, Chester N Ashong, Eric Jutkowitz, Tracey H Taveira, Michelle Richard, Jennifer L Sullivan, James L Rudolph, Wen-Chih Wu, Sebhat Erqou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Clinical outcomes after acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in people living with HIV have not been characterized in sufficient detail, and extant data have not been synthesized adequately.

OBJECTIVE: To better characterize clinical outcomes and postdischarge treatment of patients living with HIV after ACS or PCIs compared with patients in an HIV-negative control group.

DATA SOURCES: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for all available longitudinal studies of patients living with HIV after ACS or PCIs from inception until August 2023.

STUDY SELECTION: Included studies met the following criteria: patients living with …

Genetic And Serological Markers In Colorectal Cancer Surgery, Adrian Silaghi, Vlad Denis Constantin, Dragos Serban, Dragos Epistatu, Ioana Paunica, Daniela Gabriela Bălan, Laura Florentina Rebegea

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Colon cancer is relatively asymptomatic in the early stages, the manifestations appearing and intensifying with the evolution of the disease, especially when associated with local and/or systemic complications. In such cases, surgical interventions are often emergency and involve more extensive operations (on metabolically and immune-stressed organisms), so that an early diagnosis (endoscopy, tumor markers, etc.) remains not only desirable but even a priority, especially in predisposed patients (genetic factors, lifestyle, etc.). As a consequence, the involvement of tumor markers in colon neoplasms has become more and more investigated in recent times. This review investigates the roles of serological and genetic …

A Case Series Of Unusual Iga Vasculitis, Jared Bradley, Ian Whitaker, Brittany Lyons, Amy Mangla

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgA)is a rare condition characterized by palpable purpura, often involving the skin, gastrointestinal tract, joints, and kidneys. Presentation is usually acute and is more common in children and adolescents of Southeast Asian and European descent. In the adult population, it is less common and therapies are not as well-established.

Case Presentation

Disease prevalence of IgA vasculitis outside Southeast Asian and European populations is not well-documented. In this case series, we present 2 cases of IgA vasculitis in 2 older adult males, one of Native American descent and one of African American descent.

Conclusion

IgA vasculitis must …

The Inflammatory Response Of Patients With Major Burns And Traumatic Injuries, Jared M. Robinson, Sophia Trinh, Jenna Dennis, Cameron Fontenot, Jeffrey Hobden, Jonathan E. Schoen, Herb A. Phelan Iii, Jeffrey E. Carter, Alison A. Smith

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

56th Annual Meeting of the American Burn Association, 2024; April 9 - April 12, 2024; Chicago, IL

Gut Microbial Dysbiosis Differs In Two Distinct Cachectic Tumor-Bearing Models Consuming The Same Diet, Lauri O. Byerley, Brittany Lorenzen, Hsiao Man Chang, William G. Hartman, Michael J. Keenan, Ryan Page, Meng Luo, Scot E. Dowd, Christopher M. Taylor

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The impact of cancer cachexia on the colonic microbiota is poorly characterized. This study assessed the effect of two cachectic-producing tumor types on the gut microbiota to determine if a similar dysbiosis could be found. In addition, it was determined if a diet containing an immunonutrient-rich food (walnuts) known to promote the growth of probiotic bacteria in the colon could alter the dysbiosis and slow cachexia. Male Fisher 344 rats were randomly assigned to a semi-purified diet with or without walnuts. Then, within each diet group, rats were further assigned randomly to a treatment group: tumor-bearing ad libitum fed (TB), …

Covid-19 Vaccination In Patients With Inborn Errors Of Immunity Reduces Hospitalization And Critical Care Needs Related To Covid-19: A Usidnet Report, John Mcdonnell, Kimberley Cousins, M. Elizabeth M. Younger, Adam Lane, Hassan Abolhassani, Roshini S. Abraham, Salem Al-Tamemi, Juan Carlos Aldave-Becerra, Eman Hesham Al-Faris, Alberto Alfaro-Murillo, Suzan A. Alkhater, Nouf Alsaati, Alexa Michelle Altman Doss, Melissa Anderson, Ernestina Angarola, Barbara Ariue, Danielle E. Arnold, Amal H. Assa'ad, Caner Aytekin, Meaghan Bank, Jenna R.E. Bergerson, Jack Bleesing, John Boesing, Carolina Bouso, Nicholas Brodszki, Diana Cabanillas, Carol Cady, Meghan A. Callahan, Luke Wall, Et Al

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The CDC and ACIP recommend COVID-19 vaccination for patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). Not much is known about vaccine safety in IEI, and whether vaccination attenuates infection severity in IEI. OBJECTIVE: To estimate COVID-19 vaccination safety and examine effect on outcomes in patients with IEI. METHODS: We built a secure registry database in conjunction with the US Immunodeficiency Network to examine vaccination frequency and indicators of safety and effectiveness in IEI patients. The registry opened on January 1, 2022, and closed on August 19, 2022. RESULTS: Physicians entered data on 1245 patients from 24 countries. The most …

Formulation, Characterization, And In Vivo Immunogenicity Evaluation Of Heat-Stabilized Dissolvable Polymeric Microneedles, Aidan Lane Leyba

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Since its introduction, vaccination has improved health outcomes tremendously. However, modern vaccination efforts are still difficult to implement, particularly in developing countries with warm climates. This includes complex and expensive cold-chain management of vaccines to maintain stability, a lack of medical personnel to administer parental vaccines, and needle phobia. As an alternative, dissolvable microneedles have recently been studied for their simple and painless application. In this thesis, I present a novel manufacturing process for polymer-based dissolvable microneedles, loaded with virus-like particles vaccines conjugated to TRIO or Sialokinin peptides to target malaria and arboviruses, respectively. We have performed multiple characterization studies …

Effects Of Sars-Cov-2 Variants On Cd8+ T Cell Epitope Diversity: Estimating Clinical Severity In The United States, Grace Kim, Jacob Elnaggar, Maya Sevalia, Najah Nicholas, Mallory Varnado, Judy Crabtree, Lucio Miele

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Association for Clinical and Translational Science 2024; April 3 - April 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV

Swine Influenza A Virus: Challenges And Novel Vaccine Strategies, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Matthew J. Pekarek, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Swine Influenza A Virus (IAV-S) imposes a significant impact on the pork industry and has been deemed a significant threat to global public health due to its zoonotic potential. The most effective method of preventing IAV-S is vaccination. While there are tremendous efforts to control and prevent IAV-S in vulnerable swine populations, there are considerable challenges in developing a broadly protective vaccine against IAV-S. These challenges include the consistent diversification of IAV-S, increasing the strength and breadth of adaptive immune responses elicited by vaccination, interfering maternal antibody responses, and the induction of vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease after vaccination. Current vaccination …

Effectiveness Of Cord Blood As A Strategy To Rule Out Conjugated Hyperbilirubinemia, Miray Kurtca, Sanjiv Harpavat, Sridevi Devaraj

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Early detection of biliary atresia is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes in infants with elevated conjugated bilirubin levels. This study aims to investigate the viability of cord blood gas analysis as a novel method for assessing conjugated bilirubin levels. Infants with high heel stick levels also showed elevated cord blood bilirubin levels, indicating that cord blood testing could replace the need for repeat heel stick tests, especially benefiting low birth weight infants. Ongoing research, including larger cohorts and alternative bilirubin measurement methods, will further validate this innovative screening approach. Infants with biliary atresia have high conjugated bilirubin levels …

A Review Of Shared Decision-Making, Published Protocols, And Post-Desensitization Strategies In Oral Immunotherapy (Oit), Susan Laubach, Edwin H Kim, Matthew Greenhawt, Sally Bailey, Aikaterini Anagnostou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this review is to highlight key published oral immunotherapy (OIT) protocols and post-desensitization strategies for the major food allergens and to cover important concepts to consider when evaluating OIT for food-allergic patients. Shared decision-making should help identify patient and family values which will help influence the type of evidence-based protocol and maintenance strategy to use.

RECENT FINDINGS: With food OIT emerging as a treatment option, there is a pressing need for patients, physicians, and other providers to have a nuanced understanding of the management choices available to them. There are now randomized controlled trials …

Analytical Challenges In Omics Research On Asthma And Allergy: A National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases Workshop, Supinda Bunyavanich, Patrice M Becker, Matthew C Altman, Jessica Lasky-Su, Carole Ober, Karsten Zengler, Evgeny Berdyshev, Richard Bonneau, Talal Chatila, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Kian Fan Chung, Colleen Cutcliffe, Wendy Davidson, Gang Dong, Gang Fang, Patricia Fulkerson, Blanca E Himes, Liming Liang, Rasika A Mathias, Shuji Ogino, Joseph Petrosino, Nathan D Price, Eric Schadt, James Schofield, Max A Seibold, Hanno Steen, Lisa Wheatley, Hongmei Zhang, Alkis Togias, Kohei Hasegawa

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Studies of asthma and allergy are generating increasing volumes of omics data for analysis and interpretation. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) assembled a workshop comprising investigators studying asthma and allergic diseases using omics approaches, omics investigators from outside the field, and NIAID medical and scientific officers to discuss the following areas in asthma and allergy research: genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, microbiomics, metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, integrative omics, systems biology, and causal inference. Current states of the art, present challenges, novel and emerging strategies, and priorities for progress were presented and discussed for each area. This workshop report summarizes …

Lncrna Impact On Regorafenib Resistance In Colorectal Cancer, Ricardo Pequeno Bracho, Kyle Doxtater, Dennis Kwabiah, Yamile Abuchard Anaya, Sophia Leslie, Mohammad Shabir Hussain, Manish Tripathi

Research Symposium

Cancer metastasis is one of the deadliest aspects of the disease, with about 90% of all cancer-related deaths due to its development at different sites within the body. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States, with 40-50% of all patients developing metastasis at some point during their fight with the disease. With the approval of Regorafenib for treating metastatic colorectal cancer, steps have been taken to combat metastasis in colorectal cancer. A vital aspect of the development of metastasis is the development of resistance to first-line chemotherapy. Regorafenib is an oral small-molecule …

Momkk1 And Moatg1 Dichotomously Regulating Autophagy And Pathogenicity Through Moatg9 Phosphorylation In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Yun Kong, Pusheng Guo, Jiayun Xu, Jiaxu Li, Miao Wu, Ziqi Zhang, Yifan Wang, Xinyu Liu, Leiyun Yang, Muxing Liu, Haifeng Zhang, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Autophagy is a central biodegradation pathway critical in eliminating intracellular cargo to maintain cellular homeostasis and improve stress resistance. At the same time, the key component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade regulating cell wall integrity signaling MoMkk1 has an essential role in the autophagy of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Still, the mechanism of how MoMkk1 regulates autophagy is unclear. Interestingly, we found that MoMkk1 regulates the autophagy protein MoAtg9 through phosphorylation. MoAtg9 is a transmembrane protein subjected to phosphorylation by autophagy-related protein kinase MoAtg1. Here, we provide evidence demonstrating that MoMkk1-dependent MoAtg9 phosphorylation is required for phospholipid …

Dendritic Cells Overcome Cre/Lox Induced Gene Deficiency By Siphoning Cytosolic Material From Surrounding Cells, Christopher H. Herbst, Aurélie Bouteau, Evelin J. Menykő, Zhen Qin, Ervin Gyenge, Qingtai Su, Vincent Cooper, Neil A. Mabbott, Botond Z. Igyártó

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

In a previous report, keratinocytes were shown to share their gene expression profile with surrounding Langerhans cells (LCs), influencing LC biology. Here, we investigated whether transferred material could substitute for lost gene products in cells subjected to Cre/Lox conditional gene deletion. We found that in human Langerin-Cre mice, epidermal LCs and CD11b+CD103+ mesenteric DCs overcome gene deletion if the deleted gene was expressed by neighboring cells. The mechanism of material transfer differed from traditional antigen uptake routes, relying on calcium and PI3K, being susceptible to polyguanylic acid inhibition, and remaining unaffected by inflammation. Termed intracellular monitoring, this process was specific …

Grb2 Stabilizes Rad51 At Reversed Replication Forks Suppressing Genomic Instability And Innate Immunity Against Cancer, Zu Ye, Shengfeng Xu, Yin Shi, Xueqian Cheng, Yuan Zhang, Sunetra Roy, Sarita Namjoshi, Michael A Longo, Todd M Link, Katharina Schlacher, Guang Peng, Dihua Yu, Bin Wang, John A Tainer, Zamal Ahmed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2) is a cytoplasmic adapter for tyrosine kinase signaling and a nuclear adapter for homology-directed-DNA repair. Here we find nuclear GRB2 protects DNA at stalled replication forks from MRE11-mediated degradation in the BRCA2 replication fork protection axis. Mechanistically, GRB2 binds and inhibits RAD51 ATPase activity to stabilize RAD51 on stalled replication forks. In GRB2-depleted cells, PARP inhibitor (PARPi) treatment releases DNA fragments from stalled forks into the cytoplasm that activate the cGAS-STING pathway to trigger pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Moreover in a syngeneic mouse metastatic ovarian cancer model, GRB2 depletion in the context of PARPi treatment …

Editorial: Reviews And Advances In The Molecular Mechanisms Of Breast Cancer, A. Redfern, V. Agarwal, Suresh Alahari

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Advances In Immunocompetent Mouse And Rat Models, Wen Bu, Yi Li

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Rodent models of breast cancer have played critical roles in our understanding of breast cancer development and progression as well as preclinical testing of cancer prevention and therapeutics. In this article, we first review the values and challenges of conventional genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models and newer iterations of these models, especially those with inducible or conditional regulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Then, we discuss nongermline (somatic) GEM models of breast cancer with temporospatial control, made possible by intraductal injection of viral vectors to deliver oncogenes or to manipulate the genome of mammary epithelial cells. Next, we introduce the …

Treatment Outcomes With Standard Of Care In Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Real-World Data Analysis, Andrew Ip, Alex Mutebi, Tongsheng Wang, Monika Jun, Anupama Kalsekar, Fernando Rivas Navarro, Anthony Wang, Rajesh Kamalakar, Mariana Sacchi, Brian Elliott

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Despite new therapies for relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), treatments with chemotherapy, single-agent rituximab/obinutuzumab, single-agent lenalidomide, or combinations of these agents continue to be commonly used.

METHODS: This retrospective study utilized longitudinal data from 4226 real-world electronic health records to characterize outcomes in patients with R/R DLBCL. Eligible patients were diagnosed with DLBCL between January 2010 and March 2022 and had R/R disease treated with ≥ 1 prior systemic line of therapy (LOT), including ≥ 1 anti-CD20-containing regimen.

RESULTS: A total of 573 patients treated with ≥ 1 prior LOT were included (31.2% and 13.4% …

Validation Of A Whole Blood Machine Learning Strategy For Distinguishing Between Bacterial And Viral Infection In A Pediatric Hospital Setting, Ridwan B Ibrahim, Herda Ona, Anil K Chokkalla, Estella Tam, Sridevi Devaraj

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Similar symptoms between viral and bacterial diseases often make diagnosis difficult. This study assessed the clinical performance of the newly cleared whole-blood Bacterial versus Viral Score assay in our pediatric cohort to the previously validated serum assay and emergency department physician diagnosis. This assay shows excellent agreement (R = 0.997) with the serum assay and has great diagnostic accuracy when compared to physician diagnosis.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …