Recent Advances In Understanding Tick And Rickettsiae Interactions,
2021
University of Southern Mississippi
Recent Advances In Understanding Tick And Rickettsiae Interactions, Shahid Karim, Deepak Kumar, Khemraj Budachetri
Faculty Publications
Ticks are haematophagous arthropods with unique molecular mechanisms for digesting host blood meal while acting as vectors for various pathogens of public health significance. The tick's pharmacologically active saliva plays a fundamental role in modulating the host's immune system for several days to weeks, depending on the tick species. The vector tick has also developed sophisticated molecular mechanisms to serve as a competent vector for pathogens, including the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. Evidence is still inadequate concerning tick–rickettsiae–host interactions and saliva-assisted transmission of the pathogen to the mammalian host. Rickettsia parkeri, of the SFG rickettsia, can cause a …
Synthetic Viral Pyrogen Induces Behavioral Fever In Plethodon Glutinosus Salamanders,
2021
East Tennessee State University
Synthetic Viral Pyrogen Induces Behavioral Fever In Plethodon Glutinosus Salamanders, Nicholas Britt
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Behavioral fever is an essential coping mechanism across ectothermic phyla to aid in combating pathogenic threats. Ectotherms lack internal temperature regulation associated with fever in endotherms; thus, ectotherms can exhibit a behavioral fever response when immunocompromised to thermoregulate by moving to warmer locations. The salamander order Caudata, tend to be keystone species in their resident ecosystems through their role as secondary consumers of invertebrates to maintain the food chain. With growing interest about ecology and conservation of salamanders as species diversity declines, this study was designed to determine if salamanders use their environment to take advantage of behavioral fever. The …
The Role Of Pag1 In The Activated B-Cell Subtype Of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma,
2021
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
The Role Of Pag1 In The Activated B-Cell Subtype Of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, Jared Henderson
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common aggressive hematologic malignancy in adults, but despite recent advances in treatment, many patients today still face poor outcomes. Of the two types of DLBCL, activated B-cell (ABC) and germinal center B-cell (GCB), patients diagnosed with the ABC subtype especially face a lack of effective treatment options. Unlike GCB-DLBCL, ABC-DLBCL is characterized by chronic antigen-driven signaling by the B-cell receptor (BCR), indicating an escape from immunologic tolerance mechanisms that normally regulate self-reactive B cells. While recent therapies have focused on inhibiting the kinases that propagate BCR signaling with mixed success, we …
Harnessing The Power Of Trained Immunity In The Setting Of Pancreatic Cancer: A Novel Mechanism Of Immune Trafficking And Tumor Control.,
2021
University of Louisville
Harnessing The Power Of Trained Immunity In The Setting Of Pancreatic Cancer: A Novel Mechanism Of Immune Trafficking And Tumor Control., Anne Elena Geller
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Despite the success of immunotherapy in many types of cancer, pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has yet to benefit. Innate immune cells are critical to antitumor immunosurveillance and recent studies have revealed that these populations possess a form of memory, termed trained innate immunity, which occurs through transcriptomic, epigenetic, and metabolic reprograming. Though trained innate immunity has mostly been investigated in the context of infection, the induction of trained innate immunity could also protect against tumors, and specifically pancreatic tumors. Here, we demonstrate that yeast-derived particulate β-glucan, a known inducer of trained immunity, traffics to the pancreas following IP administration. This causes …
Assessing The Outcomes Of Blocking Ccl2-Ccr2 Signaling Axis On Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis,
2021
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Assessing The Outcomes Of Blocking Ccl2-Ccr2 Signaling Axis On Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis, Yutao Qi
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Breast cancer brain metastases have remained one of the most intense challenges for precision cancer therapeutics, but current treatment options are limited and not curative. Recently, our lab reported that adoptive PTEN downregulation in metastatic breast tumor cells activates PI3K/NF-ƙB signaling and increases the secretion of the chemokine CCL2, which enhances the chemotaxis of CCR2+ myeloid cells, a major subpopulation of bone marrow-derived myeloid cells (BMDMs), from peripheral blood into the brain tumor microenvironment (TME), eventually promoting brain metastasis outgrowth by driving immune suppression. Here, in this project we have been aiming to develop effective therapies by immune-modulating the …
Unraveling Host-Gut Microbiota Dialogue And Its Impact On Response To Immune Checkpoint Blockade,
2021
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Unraveling Host-Gut Microbiota Dialogue And Its Impact On Response To Immune Checkpoint Blockade, Alexandria Cogdill
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Cancer is a disease with only one degree of separation, affecting one in two men and one in three women in their lifetimes; accounting for 1 of every 6 deaths. While cancer mortality rates continue to improve, incidence rates are expected to rise and shift through 2050 due to epidemiological and demographic transitions worldwide. As such, it is imperative to continue to investigate and improve our understanding of both disease etiology and hallmarks of response to treatment. Currently, conventional therapies include, but are not limited to, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, within the past decade, major advances have been made …
Sodium Pyruvate Ameliorates Influenza A Virus Infection In Vitro And In Vivo,
2021
Missouri State University
Sodium Pyruvate Ameliorates Influenza A Virus Infection In Vitro And In Vivo, Jessica M. Reel
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
Pyruvate is produced in duplicate at the end of glycolysis in addition to ATP and NADH. Pyruvate is the metabolite of choice in most cells, whether obtained exogenously or endogenously. Recently we found that the addition of pyruvate’s conjugate base, sodium pyruvate, to cell culture media dampened the immune response to influenza A virus (IAV) infection in cultured innate immune cells. Thus, I decided to investigate the mechanism and potential for treatment of IAV. In vitro using bone marrow derived macrophages that were infected with IAV we found that adding sodium pyruvate to the media decreased immune signaling pathways through …
Suppression Of Inflammation Of Cytokine Following Induced Francisella Tularensis Infection,
2021
University of Texas at El Paso
Suppression Of Inflammation Of Cytokine Following Induced Francisella Tularensis Infection, Nicole Renee Setzu
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Francisella tularensis is intracellular bacteria which is the causative agent of the disease Tularemia. Highly virulent in both humans and animals, it takes only as few as 10 microorganisms to cause a lethal infection. The bacteria can enter via direct or indirect routes causing the activations of the host innate inflammatory response to ensue. The bacteria invade host dendritic cells and neutrophils but predominately macrophages. This causes a mass inflammatory response resulting in the cytokine storm. Activation of Natural Killer T (NKT) cells has been shown to suppress inflammation in in vivo studies. Development and optimization of an in vitro …
Media Analysis Of Coverage Of Environmental Issues In The Midst Of A Pandemic,
2021
University of Southern Maine
Media Analysis Of Coverage Of Environmental Issues In The Midst Of A Pandemic, Alexandria N. Miller, Lucia A. Bolles
Thinking Matters Symposium
This research aimed to answer the question “has the coronavirus impacted the print media’s coverage of important environmental issues?” The research analyzed 2 different print newspapers - The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal - to determine if there was a change in coverage of environmental news as the coronavirus spread in the US. Data for stories published in the first four days of every month from March through September was compiled for 2019 and 2020. Our findings showed a 78.85% decrease in coverage of environmental issues between 2019 and 2020 when stories related to the coronavirus pandemic …
Association Of Trim Gene Variation And Lpdv Infection Patterns In Wild Turkeys,
2021
University of Mississippi
Association Of Trim Gene Variation And Lpdv Infection Patterns In Wild Turkeys, Bennett Fry
Honors Theses
Emerging infectious diseases pose a serious threat to various species throughout the globe, including humans. The lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) in wild turkeys is an example of disease virus whose impact on its host requires additional study. Although the first description of lymphoproliferative disease came from outbreaks in domestic turkey flocks in Europe, it is now known that LPDV is widespread in wild turkey populations in North America. In an effort to understand what may affect an individual turkey’s susceptibility to this virus, variation in part of the anti-viral TRIM62 gene was investigated. DNA was extracted from hunter-collected, turkey blood …
Medical Populism And Covid-19 Testing,
2021
Grand Valley State University
Medical Populism And Covid-19 Testing, Kristin Hedges, Gideon Lasco
Development Studies Faculty Publications
This paper uses the lens of medical populism to analyze the impact of biocommunicability on COVID-19 testing through a case study approach. The political efficacy of testing is traced through two mini-case studies: the Philippines and the United States. The case studies follow the approach of populism scholars in drawing from various sources that ‘render the populist style visible’ from the tweets and press releases of government officials to media reportage. Using the framework of medical populism, the case studies pay attention to the ways in which coronavirus testing figured in (1) simplification of the pandemic; (2) spectacularization of the …
215— Schistosomiasis Infections In School Aged Children In Ghana,
2021
SUNY Geneseo
215— Schistosomiasis Infections In School Aged Children In Ghana, Katerina Pisciotta, Maia Mazzaferro
GREAT Day Posters
Schistosomiasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease caused by a parasitic blood fluke. There are currently over 240 million people affected globally. Humans become infected after coming into contact with water containing the infectious stage of the parasite. Our data consists of egg counts for Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni collected from school-aged children in Tomefa, Ghana, a marginalized informal community, between 2014 and 2019. Our research explores whether or not reinfections and continuous infections were occurring over the six-year period. Although the government conducts periodic mass drug administration, reinfections are likely given the social and environmental conditions in the community. …
352— Investigating The Function Of Mhc Class I In Xenopus Laevis Tadpoles,
2021
SUNY Geneseo
352— Investigating The Function Of Mhc Class I In Xenopus Laevis Tadpoles, Stephanie Alvarez Merlos, Annika Mounts
GREAT Day Posters
Xenopus laevis, is an excellent model organism for transgenesis and immunological research due to their large eggs and the similarities between mammalian and amphibian immune systems. MHC Class I is found on nearly all cells and educates T cells to recognize between self and non-self which is an essential immune system function. However, tadpoles don’t have detectable MHC Class I expression while adult frogs do. Despite this tadpoles are still immunocompetent; thus the role of MHC Class I in tadpoles is unknown. To investigate MHC Class I function we inactivated the corresponding gene in Xenopus laevis using CRISPR/Cas9. The …
A High-Androgen Microenvironment Inhibits Granulosa Cell Proliferation And Alters Cell Identity,
2021
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
A High-Androgen Microenvironment Inhibits Granulosa Cell Proliferation And Alters Cell Identity, Renee M. Mcfee, Sarah M. Romereim, Alexandria P. Snider, Adam F. Summers, William E. Pohlmeier, Scott G. Kurz, Robert A. Cushman, John S. Davis, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp
School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications
A naturally occurring bovine model with excess follicular fluid androstenedione (High A4), reduced fertility, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-like characteristics has been identified. We hypothesized High A4 granulosa cells (GCs) would exhibit altered cell proliferation and/or steroidogenesis. Microarrays of Control and High A4 GCs combined with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis indicated that High A4 GCs had cell cycle inhibition and increased expression of microRNAs that inhibit cell cycle genes. Granulosa cell culture confirmed that A4 treatment decreased GC proliferation, increased anti-Müllerian hormone, and increased mRNA for CTNNBIP1. Increased CTNNBIP1 prevents CTNNB1 from interacting with members of the WNT signaling pathway thereby …
Decline In Amphibian Health In Local Stream,
2021
Pepperdine University
Decline In Amphibian Health In Local Stream, Elyse Vetter, Elise Dearment, Colton Russell, Audrey Fontes, Lee Kats
Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium
Many local streams of the Santa Monica Mountains are populated by the native California Newt, Taricha torosa, a species of special concern. Arroyo Sequit is one of these streams, the upper and lower portions of which are split by a culvert and the Mulholland Highway. This stream and the surrounding areas burned during the Woolsey fire of 2018. Since the fire, construction has been ongoing in and around the stream. Two years post-fire (during the summer of 2020) significantly more newts were found in the stream than years prior. A large proportion of these newts were unhealthy in appearance, …
A Guide To Helminth Parasites Reported From Shorebirds (Charadriidae) From The Americas,
2021
Hamilton, Montana
A Guide To Helminth Parasites Reported From Shorebirds (Charadriidae) From The Americas, Albert G. Canaris, Sofia Capasso, Gay J. Canaris
MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity
The shorebird family Charadriidae in the Americas consists of 21 native and 7 vagrant species. Members of the family occupy a diversity of open habitats, ranging from Arctic tundra during nesting, coastal sands, and mudflats to inland prairies, savannas, and wetlands. Some native plovers migrate from nesting grounds in North America to wintering grounds in South America (Hayman et al., 1986; Paulson, 2005; Winkler et al., 2020). Our search of the literature revealed the following: 17 of 28 host species infected with helminth parasites, 153 helminth species, and 199 infections involving 13 geographic areas. The purpose of this guide is …
Cxcl11 And Smica As Predictive Biomarkers For Efficacy Of Anti-Ctla4 Immunotherapy,
2021
Robert W Franz Cancer Center, Earle A Chiles Research Institute, Portland, OR, USA
Cxcl11 And Smica As Predictive Biomarkers For Efficacy Of Anti-Ctla4 Immunotherapy, Keith Sadoon Bahjat, Helena Maria Hoen, Yoshinobu Koguchi, Alan J. Korman
Technology Transfer - Patents
Provided herein are methods for selecting a cancer patient for anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy, or predicting whether a cancer patient will respond to anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy, based on measured levels of CXCL1 1 and/or sMICA. Such methods are useful for determining whether an anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy is likely to improve overall survival of a cancer patient. Also provided herein are methods of treating a cancer patient with an anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy, wherein the patient is first tested for levels of CXCL1 1 and/or sMICA. Also provided are methods for treating a cancer patient with a CXCL1 1 antagonist or sMICA ant agonist alone, or in …
Placenta-Expanded Stromal Cell Therapy In A Rodent Model Of Simulated Weightlessness,
2021
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Placenta-Expanded Stromal Cell Therapy In A Rodent Model Of Simulated Weightlessness, Amber M. Paul, Linda Rubinstein, Charles Houseman, Metadel Abegaz, Steffy Tabares Ruiz
Publications
Long duration spaceflight poses potential health risks to astronauts during flight and re-adaptation after return to Earth. There is an emerging need for NASA to provide successful and reliable therapeutics for long duration missions when capability for medical intervention will be limited. Clinically relevant, human placenta-derived therapeutic stromal cells (PLX-PAD) are a promising therapeutic alternative. We found that treatment of adult female mice with PLX-PAD near the onset of simulated weightlessness by hindlimb unloading (HU, 30 d) was well-tolerated and partially mitigated decrements caused by HU. Specifically, PLX-PAD treatment rescued HU-induced thymic atrophy, and mitigated HU-induced changes in percentages of …
B25: Generation And Characterization Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein-Pseudotyped Lentivirus Particles For Use In Neutralizing Antibody Titer Testing Of Human Serum,
2021
Roseman University of Health Sciences
B25: Generation And Characterization Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein-Pseudotyped Lentivirus Particles For Use In Neutralizing Antibody Titer Testing Of Human Serum, Luis Sanchez
Annual Research Symposium
No abstract provided.
B20: Role Of The Cd5 T Cell Coreceptor In T Cell Activation In Periodontal Disease,
2021
Roseman University of Health Sciences
B20: Role Of The Cd5 T Cell Coreceptor In T Cell Activation In Periodontal Disease, Kimble Mahler
Annual Research Symposium
No abstract provided.
