Article
Cell Biology
Charles Jakielaszek, Mohammad Hossain, Lian Qian, Cindy Fishman, Katherine Widdowson, Jamese J. Hilliard, Frank Mannino, Aparna Raychaudhuri, Elisabeth Carniel, Samandra Demons, Henry S. Heine, Jeremy Hershfield, Riccardo Russo, William M. Mega, David Revelli, Karen O'Dwyer
Summary: The study demonstrates that gepotidacin shows efficacy in the African green monkey model of pneumonic plague caused by Y. pestis, with activity observed against various Y. pestis isolates. The results support the potential use of gepotidacin as a treatment for pneumonic plague caused by Y. pestis.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Voahangy Andrianaivoarimanana, David M. Wagner, Dawn N. Birdsell, Birgit Nikolay, Faniry Rakotoarimanana, Lovasoa N. Randriantseheno, Amy J. Vogler, Jason W. Sahl, Carina M. Hall, Nawarat Somprasong, Simon Cauchemez, Herbert P. Schweizer, Harimahefa Razafimandimby, Christophe Rogier, Minoarisoa Rajerison
Summary: This study retrospectively characterized a pneumonic plague outbreak in Madagascar, finding that the infection was caused by a Yersinia pestis strain resistant to streptomycin. The outbreak occurred during funeral practices and all patients recovered after antimicrobial therapy.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Samantha D. Crane, Srijon K. Banerjee, Roger D. Pechous
Summary: Severe and late-stage pneumonias are difficult to treat with antibiotics alone due to host inflammatory responses. This study found that pre-treatment with intranasal fluticasone propionate enhanced the efficacy of delayed antibiotic delivery and improved survival in a murine model of primary pneumonic plague. These findings suggest that targeting host inflammatory responses may improve treatment outcomes for severe and late-stage pneumonia.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aida Andrades Valtuena, Gunnar U. Neumann, Maria A. Spyrou, Lyazzat Musralina, Franziska Aron, Arman Beisenov, Andrey B. Belinskiy, Kirsten I. Bos, Alexandra Buzhilova, Matthias Conrad, Leyla B. Djansugurova, Miroslav Dobes, Michal Ernee, Javier Fernandez-Eraso, Bruno Frohlich, Miroslaw Furmanek, Agata Haluszko, Svend Hansen, Eadaoin Harney, Alina N. Hiss, Alexander Hubner, Felix M. Key, Elmira Khussainova, Egor Kitov, Alexandra O. Kitova, Corina Knipper, Denise Kuhnert, Carles Lalueza-Fox, Judith Littleton, Ken Massy, Alissa Mittnik, Jose Antonio Mujika-Alustiza, Inigo Olalde, Luka Papac, Sandra Penske, Jaroslav Peska, Ron Pinhasi, David Reich, Sabine Reinhold, Raphaela Stahl, Harald Stauble, Rezeda I. Tukhbatova, Sergey Vasilyev, Elizaveta Veselovskaya, Christina Warinner, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Wolfgang Haak, Johannes Krause, Alexander Herbig
Summary: A study reveals the dynamic nature of early evolution and ecology of the bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis, which caused devastating outbreaks throughout human history. The study presents 17 ancient Y. pestis genomes dating back 5,000 to 2,500 years ago, showing correlations between temporal, geographical, and genetic distance and providing clues on its early evolution and potential adaptation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hailian Wu, Haisheng Wu, Yongshun Wang, Hongying Li, Fuzhang Tian, Kuizhang Zhou, Zhizhen Qi, Yiquan Zhang, Qingwen Zhang, Xuefei Zhang
Summary: This study developed a Himalayan marmot information collection system based on 3S technology and V3.0, and drew a spatial distribution map of Himalayan marmots in Qinghai Province. The accuracy of the map was validated through field data collection, leading to improved efficiency in plague surveillance and reduced workload for researchers.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raysa Rosario-Acevedo, Sergei S. Biryukov, Joel A. Bozue, Christopher K. Cote
Summary: Plague, caused by the bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis, is a vector-borne disease that continues to infect humans worldwide. Research on vaccines and therapeutics for plague is important for infection mitigation and disease treatment, as plague remains a public health threat and biodefense concern.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Quirine Ten Bosch, Voahangy Andrianaivoarimanana, Beza Ramasindrazana, Guillain Mikaty, Rado J. L. Rakotonanahary, Birgit Nikolay, Soloandry Rahajandraibe, Maxence Feher, Quentin Grassin, Juliette Paireau, Soanandrasana Rahelinirina, Rindra Randremanana, Feno Rakotoarimanana, Marie Melocco, Voahangy Rasolofo, Javier Pizarro-Cerda, Anne-Sophie Le Guern, Eric Bertherat, Maherisoa Ratsitorahina, Andre Spiegel, Laurence Baril, Minoarisoa Rajerison, Simon Cauchemez
Summary: During outbreaks, the lack of a diagnostic gold standard can hinder resource allocation and mask the true burden of infection. This study presents an analytical framework to evaluate and optimize the use of diagnostics when multiple imperfect tests are available. By analyzing laboratory results from the 2017 pneumonic and bubonic plague outbreak in Madagascar, the study found that the extent of the outbreaks had been unclear due to nonoptimal assays. Molecular biology methods offered the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity.
Article
Immunology
Samantha D. Crane, Srijon K. Banerjee, Kara R. Eichelberger, Richard C. Kurten, William E. Goldman, Roger D. Pechous
Summary: Yersinia pestis, a highly virulent pathogen that causes different types of plague, utilizes BipA as a virulence factor in primary pneumonic plague to defend against early neutrophil-mediated bacterial killing. This highlights the importance of bacterial/neutrophil interactions in the lung during the early stages of primary pneumonic plague.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Christina D'Arco, Alison A. McCormick, Paul M. Arnaboldi
Summary: A vaccine consisting of two Y. pestis virulence factors, LcrV and F1, conjugated to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, has been developed to protect mice from pneumonic plague. Mice immunized with this vaccine showed reduced histopathology, bacterial burden, and inflammatory cytokine production compared to those vaccinated with rF1 and rV. Serum F1 titers before challenge were directly correlated to recovery in all immunized mice.
Article
Immunology
Guillain Mikaty, Christian E. Demeure, Sofia Filali, Javier Pizarro-Cerda, Pierre Goossens, Elisabeth Carniel
Summary: This study aimed to determine whether DIC occurs at the late stages of plague and anthrax. The results showed that animals infected with anthrax exhibited typical DIC characteristics, while those infected with plague did not. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms behind these hemorrhages is crucial.
MICROBES AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Saugata Majumder, Rachel M. Olson, Amit Singh, Xiuran Wang, Peng Li, Hatem Kittana, Paul E. Anderson, Deborah M. Anderson, Wei Sun
Summary: In this study, a newly attenuated Yptb1 strain with triple mutation and chromosomal insertion of Y. pestis operon was constructed as a live vaccine platform. Oral immunization with Yptb1 provided complete short-term and long-term protection against pneumonic plague in mice and rats, without causing any disease symptoms. The Yptb1 also induced potent antibody and cellular immune responses, showing high potential as an oral vaccine candidate.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Hayley M. Theriot, Priyangi A. Malaviarachchi, Madeleine G. Scott, Kenneth T. Appell, Srijon K. Banerjee, Roger D. Pechous
Summary: Inhalation of respiratory droplets infected with Y. pestis leads to primary pneumonic plague, characterized by a biphasic disease progression. The initial preinflammatory phase is marked by rapid bacterial replication in the lungs without detectable host immune responses. This is followed by a proinflammatory phase with cytokine upregulation and neutrophil accumulation. The virulence factor Pla plays a crucial role in Y. pestis survival, acting as an adhesin that promotes binding to alveolar macrophages and facilitates translocation of effector proteins. Pla-mediated suppression of IL-17 expression in alveolar macrophages and neutrophils contributes to the establishment of the preinflammatory phase, while IL-17 ultimately promotes neutrophil migration and the proinflammatory phase.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Feng-Ping Lin, Hui-Ling Hsu, Pei-Yi Tsui, Chung-Chih Liang, Chien-Hsing Lu, Jem-Kun Chen
Summary: A simple method for detecting pathogens in human blood specimens quickly at the point of care was developed to prevent the widespread transmission of communicable diseases, with Yersinia pestis as the first target. The system achieved high sensitivity and specificity, based on one-dimensional diffraction grating (ODG) chips and laser beams. It was portable and could complete the entire process within minutes at the point of care.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Saugata Majumder, Shreya Das, Peng Li, Nicole Yang, Hazel Dellario, Haixin Sui, Ziqiang Guan, Wei Sun
Summary: This study demonstrates the feasibility of a newly constructed Yersinia pseudotuberculosis mutant as a potential vaccine candidate against plague, which provides complete protection and reduces reactogenicity.
Review
Microbiology
R. Barbieri, M. Signoli, D. Cheve, C. Costedoat, S. Tzortzis, G. Aboudharam, D. Raoult, M. Drancourt
Summary: Plague can be transmitted through different routes, including fecal-oral, respiratory, and ingestion routes. Control of plague infection relies on early diagnosis, antibiotic treatment, and isolation measures. The disease has existed for at least 5,000 years, with well-established monitoring and prevention measures in Eurasia.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Steven E. Schutzer, Barbara A. Body, Jeff Boyle, Bernard M. Branson, Raymond J. Dattwyler, Erol Fikrig, Noel J. Gerald, Maria Gomes-Solecki, Martin Kintrup, Michel Ledizet, Andrew E. Levin, Michael Lewinski, Lance A. Liotta, Adriana Marques, Paul S. Mead, Emmanuel F. Mongodin, Segaran Pillai, Prasad Rao, William H. Robinson, Kristian M. Roth, Martin E. Schriefer, Thomas Slezak, Jessica L. Snyder, Allen C. Steere, Jan Witkowski, Susan J. Wong, John A. Branda
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2019)
Article
Microbiology
Christina Toumanios, Lauren Prisco, Raymond J. Dattwyler, Paul M. Arnaboldi
Article
Immunology
Maria Gomes-Solecki, Paul M. Arnaboldi, P. Bryon Backenson, Jorge L. Benach, Christopher L. Cooper, Raymond J. Dattwyler, Maria Diuk-Wasser, Erol Fikrig, J. W. Hovius, Will Laegreid, Urban Lundberg, Richard T. Marconi, Adriana R. Marques, Philip Molloy, Sukanya Narasimhan, Utpal Pal, Joao H. F. Pedra, Stanley Plotkin, Daniel L. Rock, Patricia Rosa, Sam R. Telford, Jean Tsao, X. Frank Yang, Steven E. Schutzer
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mayte Suarez-Farinas, Minami Tokuyama, Gabrielle Wei, Ruiqi Huang, Alexandra Livanos, Divya Jha, Anais Levescot, Haritz Irizar, Roman Kosoy, Sascha Cording, Wenhui Wang, Bojan Losic, Ryan C. Ungaro, Antonio Di'Narzo, Gustavo Martinez-Delgado, Maria Suprun, Michael J. Corley, Aleksandar Stojmirovic, Sander M. Houten, Lauren Peters, Mark Curran, Carrie Brodmerkel, Jacqueline Perrigoue, Joshua R. Friedman, Ke Hao, Eric E. Schadt, Jun Zhu, Huaibin M. Ko, Judy Cho, Marla C. Dubinsky, Bruce E. Sands, Lishomwa Ndhlovu, Nadine Cerf-Bensusan, Andrew Kasarskis, Jean-Frederic Colombel, Noam Harpaz, Carmen Argmann, Saurabh Mehandru
Summary: The study shows that the COVID-19 virus has the ability to invade the intestines, and medications used by IBD patients do not significantly affect receptor expression in uninflamed intestines. There are shared molecular networks between COVID-19 infection and IBD.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antonio F. Di Narzo, Amy Hart, Roman Kosoy, Lauren Peters, Aleksandar Stojmirovic, Haoxiang Cheng, Zhongyang Zhang, Mingxu Shan, Judy Cho, Andrew Kasarskis, Carmen Argmann, Inga Peter, Eric E. Schadt, Ke Hao
Summary: This study identified genetic predispositions to substance use that are associated with the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), even in the absence of substance use behaviors. Specific genetic determinants such as alcohol consumption, smoking cessation, and age of smoking initiation were found to be significantly associated with IBD risk. Additionally, certain polymorphisms in genes such as IL27, SULT1A2, and SH2B1 were identified as being linked to both alcohol consumption and IBD risk.
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Christina D'Arco, Alison A. McCormick, Paul M. Arnaboldi
Summary: A vaccine consisting of two Y. pestis virulence factors, LcrV and F1, conjugated to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, has been developed to protect mice from pneumonic plague. Mice immunized with this vaccine showed reduced histopathology, bacterial burden, and inflammatory cytokine production compared to those vaccinated with rF1 and rV. Serum F1 titers before challenge were directly correlated to recovery in all immunized mice.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Roman Kosoy, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Adeeb Rahman, Joshua R. Friedman, Ruiqi Huang, Lauren A. Peters, El-ad Amir, Jacqueline Perrigoue, Aleksandar Stojmirovic, Won-min Song, Hao Ke, Ryan Ungaro, Saurabh Mehandru, Judy Cho, Marla Dubinsky, Mark Curran, Carrie Brodmerkel, Eric E. Schadt, Bruce E. Sands, Jean-Frederic Colombel, Andrew Kasarskis, Carmen A. Argmann, Mayte Suarez-Farinas
Summary: The study analyzed immune cell types in IBD patients and controls and found that certain types were commonly affected in IBD. The immune phenotype differed between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, with further distinctions within disease subtypes. Treatment with thiopurine or anti-TNF medications led to changes in immune cell populations, with different patterns observed in monotherapy and combination therapy. The findings provide insights into potential mechanisms behind the effectiveness of combination therapy in IBD.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Paul M. Arnaboldi, Christina D'Arco, Yosefa Hefter, Sheila Nolan, Dean A. Jobe, Steven M. Callister, Raymond J. Dattwyler
Summary: The QuantiFERON ELISA reliably detects IFN-gamma in blood samples from patients with various stages of Lyme disease, and the response disappears quickly after treatment. Further studies are needed to evaluate its clinical utility as a diagnostic tool and to confirm effective therapy.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Carmen Argmann, Minami Tokuyama, Ryan C. Ungaro, Ruiqi Huang, Ruixue Hou, Sakteesh Gurunathan, Roman Kosoy, Antonio Di'Narzo, Wenhui Wang, Bojan Losic, Haritz Irizar, Lauren Peters, Aleksandar Stojmirovic, Gabrielle Wei, Phillip H. Comella, Mark Curran, Carrie Brodmerkel, Joshua R. Friedman, Ke Hao, Eric E. Schadt, Jun Zhu, Judy Cho, Noam Harpaz, Marla C. Dubinsky, Bruce E. Sands, Andrew Kasarskis, Saurabh Mehandru, Jean-Frederic Colombel, Mayte Suarez-Farinas
Summary: By studying the molecular level, genes associated with the extension of UC disease range were identified, which can better predict the development trend of the disease. These findings provide new strategies for prognosis and treatment.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Noam D. Beckmann, Phillip H. Comella, Esther Cheng, Lauren Lepow, Aviva G. Beckmann, Scott R. Tyler, Konstantinos Mouskas, Nicole W. Simons, Gabriel E. Hoffman, Nancy J. Francoeur, Diane Marie Del Valle, Gurpawan Kang, Anh Do, Emily Moya, Lillian Wilkins, Jessica Le Berichel, Christie Chang, Robert Marvin, Sharlene Calorossi, Alona Lansky, Laura Walker, Nancy Yi, Alex Yu, Jonathan Chung, Matthew Hartnett, Melody Eaton, Sandra Hatem, Hajra Jamal, Alara Akyatan, Alexandra Tabachnikova, Lora E. Liharska, Liam Cotter, Brian Fennessy, Akhil Vaid, Guillermo Barturen, Hardik Shah, Ying-chih Wang, Shwetha Hara Sridhar, Juan Soto, Swaroop Bose, Kent Madrid, Ethan Ellis, Elyze Merzier, Konstantinos Vlachos, Nataly Fishman, Manying Tin, Melissa Smith, Hui Xie, Manishkumar Patel, Kai Nie, Kimberly Argueta, Jocelyn Harris, Neha Karekar, Craig Batchelor, Jose Lacunza, Mahlet Yishak, Kevin Tuballes, Ieisha Scott, Arvind Kumar, Suraj Jaladanki, Charuta Agashe, Ryan Thompson, Evan Clark, Bojan Losic, Lauren Peters, Panagiotis Roussos, Jun Zhu, Wenhui Wang, Andrew Kasarskis, Benjamin S. Glicksberg, Girish Nadkarni, Dusan Bogunovic, Cordelia Elaiho, Sandeep Gangadharan, George Ofori-Amanfo, Kasey Alesso-Carra, Kenan Onel, Karen M. Wilson, Carmen Argmann, Supinda Bunyavanich, Marta E. Alarcon-Riquelme, Thomas U. Marron, Adeeb Rahman, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Sacha Gnjatic, Bruce D. Gelb, Miriam Merad, Robert Sebra, Eric E. Schadt, Alexander W. Charney
Summary: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) presents symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and affects individuals under 21 years of age. RNA sequencing revealed signatures related to natural killer cell activation and CD8+ T cell exhaustion in the blood of MIS-C patients, showing similarities with Kawasaki disease.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Chrissy Bolton, Christopher S. Smillie, Sumeet Pandey, Rasa Elmentaite, Gabrielle Wei, Carmen Argmann, Dominik Aschenbrenner, Kylie R. James, Dermot P. B. McGovern, Marina Macchi, Judy Cho, Dror S. Shouval, Jochen Kammermeier, Sibylle Koletzko, Krithika Bagalopal, Melania Capitani, Athena Cavounidis, Elisabete Pires, Carl Weidinger, James McCullagh, Peter D. Arkwright, Wolfram Haller, Britta Siegmund, Lauren Peters, Luke Jostins, Simon P. L. Travis, Carl A. Anderson, Scott Snapper, Christoph Klein, Eric Schadt, Matthias Zilbauer, Ramnik Xavier, Sarah Teichmann, Aleixo M. Muise, Aviv Regev, Holm H. Uhlig
Summary: Our study establishes a quantitative integrated taxonomy that defines the cellular landscape of monogenic IBD gene expression across 102 genes with high and moderate penetrance. We illustrate distinct cellular networks, highlight expression profiles across understudied cell types, and define genotype phenotype associations. The taxonomy integrates genetic, clinical, and multi-omic data, providing a basis for genomic diagnostics and testable hypotheses for disease functions and treatment responses.
Article
Microbiology
Paul M. Arnaboldi, Adiya S. Katseff, Mariya Sambir, Raymond J. Dattwyler
Summary: This study evaluated the efficacy of using synthetic peptides containing unique epitopes from B. burgdorferi as antigen targets in Lyme disease seroassay. The results showed that combining epitopes from different antigens significantly increased the sensitivity of the assay without compromising specificity. These findings provide a new approach to improve the laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease.