Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Mate G. Kiss, Christoph J. Binder
Summary: The complement system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, with both protective and proatherogenic properties. The role of local complement activation in lesion formation remains unclear.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Liqiang Zhang, Yize (Henry) Li, Karen Kibler, Simona Kraberger, Arvind Varsani, Julie Turk, Nora Elmadbouly, Emily Aliskevich, Laurel Spaccarelli, Bereket Estifanos, Junior Enow, Isabela Rivabem Zanetti, Nicholas Saldevar, Efrem Lim, Jessika Schlievert, Kyle Browder, Anjali Wilson, Fernando Arcos Juan, Aubrey Pinteric, Aman Garg, Henna Monder, Rohan Saju, Savanah Gisriel, Bertram Jacobs, Timothy L. Karr, Esther Borges Florsheim, Vivek Kumar, John Wallen, Masmudur Rahman, Grant McFadden, Brenda G. Hogue, Alexandra R. Lucas
Summary: Serp-1 is a highly effective immune-modulator that can be used as a treatment for ARDS caused by SARS-CoV-2 and the complications of Long COVID, improving patient outcomes by regulating inflammatory response and coagulation function.
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Osman Shabir, Ben Pendry, Llywelyn Lee, Beth Eyre, Paul S. Sharp, Monica A. Rebollar, David Drew, Clare Howarth, Paul R. Heath, Stephen B. Wharton, Sheila E. Francis, Jason Berwick
Summary: Neurovascular coupling is key for brain health, but its disruption is linked to neurological diseases like dementia. This study examines cortical haemodynamics in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis, finding reduced blood volume, altered haemoglobin levels, and neuroinflammation in atherosclerosis, as well as increased amyloid-beta plaques in the hippocampus. Importantly, electrode insertion worsens cortical spreading depression and leads to prolonged hypoxia in diseased animals. Atherosclerosis can negatively affect neurovascular health, and cardiovascular comorbidities can worsen Alzheimer's-related plaques.
Article
Immunology
Tiffany J. Petrisko, Matthew Gargus, Shu-Hui Chu, Purnika Selvan, Katrine L. Whiteson, Andrea J. Tenner
Summary: The study highlights the importance of C1q in microbiota homeostasis in neurodegenerative disease, showing that inhibition of C1q and C5aR1 can affect the microbiome composition in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. However, it suggests that these changes do not contribute to the prevention of cognitive and neuronal loss in C5aR1-deficient AD models.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ann M. Centner, Leila Khalili, Vladimir Ukhanov, Saurabh Kadyan, Ravinder Nagpal, Gloria Salazar
Summary: Alterations in the gut microbiome are associated with various chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease. The diet plays a crucial role in shaping the gut microbiome, as certain foods can affect the abundance of specific microbial populations. Negative changes in the gut microbiome due to a Western diet can lead to arterial inflammation, cell phenotype changes, and plaque accumulation in the arteries. However, interventions with whole foods rich in fiber, phytochemicals, and isolated compounds such as polyphenols and medicinal plants have shown promise in positively influencing the gut microbiome and reducing atherosclerosis.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Danielle Kamato, Iqra Ilyas, Suowen Xu, Peter J. Little
Summary: Cardiovascular disease, primarily caused by atherosclerosis, is the leading cause of disease-related mortality worldwide. Current therapeutic agents have limited efficacy in lowering plasma lipid levels and reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease. Suitable animal models that accurately reproduce human atherosclerosis are essential for pre-clinical research on novel cardiovascular drugs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Iqra Ilyas, Peter J. Little, Zhiping Liu, Yanyong Xu, Danielle Kamato, Bradford C. Berk, Jianping Weng, Suowen Xu
Summary: This article reviews the current use and translational potential of mouse models in atherosclerosis research and drug discovery. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a chronic and progressive metabolic and inflammatory disease that causes premature human mortality. Despite promising preclinical studies, many drug candidates have not been translated to clinical use due to the complex disease mechanisms involved.
TRENDS IN PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Federico Carbone, Alessia Valente, Carlo Perego, Maria Bertolotto, Bianca Pane, Giovanni Spinella, Domenico Palombo, Maria-Grazia De Simoni, Fabrizio Montecucco, Stefano Fumagalli
Summary: The study revealed that ficolins support intraplaque immune cell recruitment and inflammatory processes, with ficolin-2 showing a strong predictive value for adverse cardiovascular events. This evidence presents a potentially new pharmacological target for dampening inflammatory mechanisms leading to plaque vulnerability.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Hui Song, Mingchao Zhang, Xue Li, Feng Xu, Difei Zhang, Xiaodong Zhu, Jiong Zhang, Weisong Qin, Shaolin Shi, Jiqiu Wen
Summary: CFI D288G variation is involved in C3 deposition in C3 glomerulonephritis. The mouse lines generated in this study can be further studied to understand the role of CFI variations in C3GN development, and can be used to screen and test infections and environmental factors triggering C3GN.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Francheska Delgado-Peraza, Carlos J. Nogueras-Ortiz, Olga Volpert, Dong Liu, Edward J. Goetzl, Mark P. Mattson, Nigel H. Greig, Erez Eitan, Dimitrios Kapogiannis
Summary: The study found that biomarkers in circulating NEVs and AEVs reflect their brain levels across multiple AD mouse models, supporting their potential use as a liquid biopsy for neurological disorders. This demonstrates a potential for utilizing EV proteins as AD biomarkers and emphasizes the importance of further research in this area.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rachel L. Washburn, Gurvinder Kaur, Jannette M. Dufour
Summary: Transplantation is a common treatment for various diseases, but the immune system often rejects the graft unless immunosuppressants are used. Sertoli cells (SCs), a type of testicular cells, can survive long-term after transplantation without immunosuppression. This study aims to understand how SCs regulate the immune response. The results suggest that SCs inhibit complement-mediated killing, which is an important mechanism in their immune regulation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Saravanan Nandagopal, Caiyun G. Li, Yu Xu, Quaovi H. Sodji, Edward E. Graves, Amato J. Giaccia
Summary: Many solid tumors have low levels of cytotoxic CD56(dim) natural killer (NK) cells, which is thought to contribute to the decreased response rate of immunotherapy. Complement component 3a (C3a) plays a role in immune cell trafficking into the tumor microenvironment (TME). Blocking C3a receptor (C3aR) signaling increases NK cell infiltration into the TME. Direct interaction between C3aR and the lymphocyte trafficking integrin LFA-1 decreases NK cell infiltration into the TME.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Robert A. J. Byrne, Megan Torvell, Nikoleta Daskoulidou, Dina Fathalla, Eirini Kokkali, Sarah M. Carpanini, B. Paul Morgan
Summary: Recent studies have shown that complement plays important roles in synaptic pruning, with C1q initiating complement activation on synapses and C3 fragments tagging them for removal. The development of sensitive assays for quantification of C1q in rodent models of AD is crucial for further understanding the role of C1q in disease pathogenesis and as a potential biomarker.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Longhua Liu, Michelle Chan, Lexiang Yu, Weidong Wang, Li Qiang
Summary: Studies have shown that adipsin deficiency does not impact the development of atherosclerosis in Ldlr(-/-) mice, indicating that it does not play a significant role in mediating the risk of atherosclerotic complications in obesity.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marjann Schaefer, Florian Reisch, Dominika Labuz, Halina Machelska, Sabine Stehling, Gerhard P. Pueschel, Michael Rothe, Dagmar Heydeck, Hartmut Kuhn
Summary: Mammalian arachidonic acid lipoxygenases (ALOXs) play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, with pro- and anti-inflammatory effects reported for different ALOX-isoforms. By testing knock-in mice that express a mutant of the Alox15b gene, researchers found that the humanization of the reaction specificity of mouse Alox15b sensitizes mice to dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis, but partially protects them in the complete Freund's adjuvant-induced paw edema model.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Simon J. Freeley, Reena J. Popat, Kiran Parmar, Martin Kolev, Beverley J. Hunt, Cordula M. Stover, Willhelm Schwaeble, Claudia Kemper, Michael G. Robson
JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2016)
Article
Immunology
Zinah Zwaini, Delia Alammari, Simon Byrne, Cordula Stover
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2016)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
D. S. March, M. P. M. Graham-Brown, C. M. Stover, N. C. Bishop, J. O. Burton
BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2017)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Delphine Gomez, Richard A. Baylis, Brittany G. Durgin, Alexandra A. C. Newman, Gabriel F. Alencar, Sidney Mahan, Cynthia St Hilaire, Werner Mueller, Ari Waisman, Sheila E. Francis, Emmanuel Pinteaux, Gwendalyn J. Randolph, Hermann Gram, Gary K. Owens
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Marwa M. E. Mohamed, Alicia D. Nicklin, Cordula M. Stover
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2020)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Zinah Zwaini, Meeta Patel, Cordula Stover, John Dormer, Michael L. Nicholson, Sarah A. Hosgood, Bin Yang
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2020)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hasanain Alaridhee, Azzah Alharbi, Zeayd Saeed, Roisin C. Thomas, Cordula M. Stover
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2020)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Roisin C. Thomas, Ramiar Kheder, Hasanain Alaridhee, Naomi Martin, Cordula M. Stover
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2020)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Izzat A. M. Al-Rayahi, Lee R. Machado, Cordula M. Stover
Summary: Mice deficient in Properdin showed fewer myeloid-derived suppressor cells in their tumors and spleens, as well as decreased levels of M2 type macrophages and C5a, sC5b-9, and CCL2 in the serum compared to wildtype mice.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2021)
Article
Optics
Alex Gustschin, Mirko Riedel, Kirsten Taphorn, Christian Petrich, Wolfgang Gottwald, Wolfgang Noichl, Madleen Busse, Sheila E. Francis, Felix Beckmann, Joerg U. Hammel, Julian Moosmann, Pierre Thibault, Julia Herzen
Summary: Two-dimensional Talbot array illuminators (TAIs) were designed, fabricated, and evaluated for high-resolution high-contrast x-ray phase imaging of soft tissue at 10-20 keV. These TAIs create intensity modulations with a high compression ratio on the micrometer scale at short propagation distances, demonstrating potential applications in various fields.
Review
Cell Biology
Lynne R. Prince, Sheila E. Francis
Summary: Academic institutes and governments are taking action to solve EDI-related issues, and universities are responding to these pressures by implementing action plans. Tackling EDI issues requires collaboration, institutional-level action, and commitment from senior leaders.
DISEASE MODELS & MECHANISMS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sumia A. Bageghni, Karen E. Hemmings, Nadira Y. Yuldasheva, Azhar Maqbool, Filomena O. Gamboa-Esteves, Neil E. Humphreys, Maj Simonsen Jackson, Christopher P. Denton, Sheila Francis, Karen E. Porter, Justin F. X. Ainscough, Emmanuel Pinteaux, Mark J. Drinkhill, Neil A. Turner
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Azzah Alharbi, Jonathan P. Thompson, Nicholas P. Brindle, Cordula M. Stover
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2019)
Article
Immunology
Ramiar Kheder, James Hobkirk, Zeayd Saeed, Justyna Janus, Sean Carroll, Michael J. Browning, Cordula Stover
IMMUNITY INFLAMMATION AND DISEASE
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Javaid Iqbal, Janet Chamberlain, Sheila E. Francis, Julian Gunn
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2016)