Review
Immunology
Masoud Shamaei, Mehdi Mirsaeidi
Summary: The incidence and prevalence of NTM infections are increasing worldwide, posing a major public health threat. Macrophages play a crucial role in immune responses against NTM, including phagocytosis, antigen presentation, and downstream activation of adaptive immune responses.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Ashley L. Waring, Joshua Hill, Brooke M. Allen, Nicholas M. Bretz, Nguyen Le, Pooja Kr, Dakota Fuss, Nathan T. Mortimer
Summary: Summary: This study characterizes the gene expression changes in Drosophila fruit flies following infection by different pathogens and identifies a small number of genes that consistently show expression changes. These findings provide new insight into the transcriptional changes that accompany the immune response in fruit flies and may serve as candidate genes for further study.
Review
Immunology
Yuhan Zhong, Xiao Zhong, Liangjun Qiao, Hong Wu, Chang Liu, Ting Zhang
Summary: The Z alpha domain is a compact α/β structure that specifically binds to nucleic acids with a left-handed helical conformation. It has been identified in several proteins, including ADAR1 and ZBP1, which play important roles in immune response regulation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Klara Kubelkova, Vanda Bostik, Lokesh Joshi, Ales Macela
Summary: The cellular and humoral mechanisms of natural immunity play a crucial role in the defense processes of an organism by recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated molecular patterns. Recognition of these patterns activates the innate immune defense mechanisms, but if not regulated properly, can lead to damaging inflammation. This review highlights the integration of innate immune recognition, cell-autonomous stress response, infection, and tumorigenesis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenjie Yang, Yang Li, Diana Boraschi
Summary: Plastic pollution is a global problem that poses risks to the environment and human health. Discarded plastic degrades into microplastics (MPs) in the environment, which can interact with microorganisms and biomolecules. These interactions can modify the characteristics of microbes and biomolecules, potentially affecting the immune response and leading to risks to human health.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ling Zhu, Laura J. Myhill, Audrey I. S. Andersen-Civil, Stig M. Thamsborg, Alexandra Blanchard, Andrew R. Williams
Summary: Garlic-derived organosulfur compounds, such as PTSO-PTS, exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages and intestinal epithelial cells. These compounds also regulate gene expression during intestinal infection, suggesting their potential as functional food components for improving gut health.
MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Charles K. Crawford, Amir Kol
Summary: Cryptosporidium parvum is a parasite that infects humans and livestock globally, causing significant health and economic issues. The disease poses a particular threat to infants and immunocompromised individuals, with no effective treatment currently available. A holistic 'One Health' approach is needed for disease control, with the host's innate immune response playing a crucial role in limiting parasite growth and promoting recovery. Recent advancements in research models, such as human and bovine organoid cultures, are providing new insights into the host-specific innate immune response to C. parvum.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Michael K. Fasseas, Manish Grover, Florence Drury, Clara L. Essmann, Eva Kaulich, William R. Schafer, Michalis Barkoulas
Summary: This study reveals the recognition and response mechanisms of Caenorhabditis elegans to oomycetes, demonstrating that the nematode can enhance its immune response by sensing substances derived from animals infected with oomycetes. Neuron-to-epidermis communication plays a crucial role in shaping animal hosts' responses to oomycete recognition.
Article
Immunology
Jielin Wang, Xiaocen Wang, Pengtao Gong, Fu Ren, Xin Li, Nan Zhang, Xu Zhang, Xichen Zhang, Jianhua Li
Summary: Autophagy plays a crucial role in defending against intracellular pathogens, including Neospora caninum. The study found that N. caninum induced autophagy in the early stages of infection, but the autophagic flux was blocked as infection progressed. Inhibition of the early stages of autophagy could be a potential strategy for controlling neosporosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Goekhan Yuecel, Xiaobo Zhou, Linda Terkatz, Angela Wendel, Julius Reinhardt, Ibrahim El-Battrawy, Katherine Sattler, Lukas Cyganek, Jochen Utikal, Harald Langer, Ruediger Scharf, Daniel Duerschmied, Ibrahim Akin
Summary: PAMPs play a role in the pathogenesis of septic cardiomyopathy through TLR-mediated immune response. hiPSC-CMs provide a useful tool for studying PAMP-induced changes in cardiomyocytes. Higher doses of flagellin increase the expression levels of inflammation-associated cytokines and downstream signaling molecules, as well as the expression and fluorescence proportion of TLR5 in hiPSC-CMs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Delia A. Narvaez-Barragan, Omar E. Tovar-Herrera, Arturo Guevara-Garcia, Mario Serrano, Claudia Martinez-Anaya
Summary: Cell wall integrity is crucial for plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. Expansins, which modify cell walls, can enhance or weaken plant resistance to pathogens. Changes in cell wall mechanical properties can directly influence the outcome of pathogen infection, while expansins also play a role in triggering defense responses.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Fisheries
Sudhir Kumar, Abhay Kumar Choubey, Praveen Kumar Srivastava
Summary: Immunostimulants play a crucial role in enhancing fish growth and disease resistance. Innate immunity is vital for the survival of fish in their early life stages, and later plays a guiding role in adapting acquired immune responses. By using immunostimulants, fish immune responses are enhanced, and gene expression levels are increased through different signaling pathways.
FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Qinglin Zhang, Qizhen Jia, Wenying Gao, Wenyan Zhang
Summary: This article summarizes the function of DUBs in modulating viral infection and highlights their importance as therapeutic targets for antiviral treatment.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuexiu Zhang, Li-Sheng Zhang, Qing Dai, Phylip Chen, Mijia Lu, Elizabeth L. Kairis, Valarmathy Murugaiah, Jiayu Xu, Rajni Kant Shukla, Xueya Liang, Zhongyu Zou, Estelle Cormet-Boyaka, Jianming Qiu, Mark E. Peeples, Amit Sharma, Chuan He, Jianrong Li
Summary: The role of RNA m(5)C methylation in innate immunity against viruses has been explored. Depletion of NSUN2, an m(5)C methyltransferase, inhibits viral replication and gene expression through enhancing the type I interferon response. NSUN2 depletion reduces m(5)C methylation of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), leading to their upregulation and stimulating the IFN response. These findings suggest that RNA m(5)C methylation controls antiviral innate immunity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Rafal Zdrzalek, Caroline Stone, Juan Carlos De la Concepcion, Mark J. Banfield, Adam R. Bentham
Summary: Factors such as climate change and increased global trade will worsen the prevalence of plant diseases, posing a significant threat to global food security. Developing new methods of pathogen control is crucial to effectively combat crop losses and protect plant health.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Jesse M. Hostetter, Francisco A. Uzal
Summary: Evaluation of gastrointestinal biopsies in horses involves reviewing the appropriate history, determining sample quality, and evaluating histologic sections. Selected diagnostic parameters that can help localize disease in the intestinal tract include hypoproteinemia, ultrasound evidence of small intestinal wall thickness, and alterations in absorption tests. Biopsies can be acquired through various methods and should be evaluated for architectural changes and inflammatory cell infiltrates. Standardized interpretation approaches for equine GI biopsies are currently lacking. Challenges in assessing GI biopsies include the variability in specimen quality and orientation, especially in endoscopic biopsies. Architectural changes are crucial in evaluating chronic GI inflammation, and specific forms of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease have been classified based on cellular infiltrates. However, microscopic GI lesions are usually nonspecific and further investigation is required to determine the etiology.
JOURNAL OF VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meghan Wymore Brand, Alexandra L. Proctor, Jesse M. Hostetter, Naihui Zhou, Iddo Friedberg, Albert E. Jergens, Gregory J. Phillips, Michael J. Wannemuehler
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of neonatal colonization with E. coli LF82 on the severity of colitis in mice, showing differential effects on colitic events.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Aaron M. Scherer, Andrew M. Parker, Courtney A. Gidengil, Amber M. Gedlinske, Natoshia M. Askelson, Christine A. Petersen, Megan C. Lindley
Summary: This survey study examines the vaccination intentions of unvaccinated US adults in response to the full FDA approval of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine, as well as any demographic characteristics associated with these intentions.
JAMA INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Aaron M. Scherer, Courtney A. Gidengil, Amber M. Gedlinske, Andrew M. Parker, Natoshia M. Askelson, Kate R. Woodworth, Christine A. Petersen, Megan C. Lindley
Summary: This study evaluated parental intentions, concerns, and facilitators for COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6 months through 4 years. The results showed that only a minority of parents are willing to vaccinate their children within the first few months of eligibility, with widespread concerns about COVID-19 vaccination for this age group.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Eric Kontowicz, Grant Brown, James Torner, Margaret Carrel, Kelly K. Baker, Christine A. Petersen
Summary: Flooding can increase the risk of influenza diagnoses, especially in densely populated areas.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Statistics & Probability
Nicholas Seedorff, Grant Brown, Breanna Scorza, Christine A. Petersen
Summary: This article presents a Bayesian longitudinal model that jointly analyzes ordinal and continuous outcomes. The use of multivariate methods improves the accuracy of longitudinal disease progression forecasts. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms traditional Bayesian hierarchical models in terms of prediction accuracy. The method shows promise for use in the clinical setting, particularly when measuring ordinal outcomes alongside other variable types.
COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Guadalupe Miro, Juliana Sarquis, Luis Cardoso, Patrick Bourdeau, Laia Solano-Gallego, Gaetano Oliva, Maria Grazia Pennisi, Christine Petersen, Lluis Ferrer, Gad Baneth
Summary: The organizers of the 1st congress on animal leishmaniosis (ALIVE) in Malaga, Spain, discuss the recent advances in the field presented during the meeting.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anurag Kumar Kushwaha, Ashish Shukla, Breanna M. Scorza, Tulika Kumari Rai, Rahul Chaubey, Dharmendra Kumar Maurya, Shweta Srivastva, Shreya Upadhyay, Abhishek Kumar Singh, Paritosh Malviya, Om Prakash Singh, Vivek Kumar Scholar, Puja Tiwary, Shakti Kumar Singh, Phillip Lawyer, Edgar Rowton, Scott A. Bernhardt, Christine A. Petersen, Shyam Sundar
Summary: This study provides clinical evidence that domestic animals, other than humans, do not play a significant role in transmitting Leishmania donovani to sand flies on the Indian subcontinent. Monitoring the absence of transmission in the post-elimination phase is crucial to prevent the establishment of a non-human reservoir.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Courtney A. Gidengil, Andrew M. Parker, Amber M. Gedlinske, Natoshia M. Askelson, Christine A. Petersen, Megan C. Lindley, Kate R. Woodworth, Aaron M. Scherer
Summary: Based on an online survey of parents of 12-17-year-old adolescents in the United States, it was found that few parents were willing to have their children receive both COVID-19 and routine vaccines at the same visit. However, understanding the factors that influence willingness to receive all recommended vaccines in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic could inform policies to optimize vaccination.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Felix M. M. Pabon-Rodriguez, Grant D. D. Brown, Breanna M. M. Scorza, Christine A. A. Petersen
Summary: This study uses Bayesian state-space models to examine the evolution of infection processes and the complexities of immune responses in Leishmania infantum infections. The analysis of longitudinal data of a dog cohort reveals the importance of co-infection and the influence of factors such as age and treatment status on parasite load. The study also highlights the impact of past pathogen load on future values and its variation based on the clinical stage of the dog. The findings have direct clinical relevance and can support efforts to prevent and treat human Leishmaniosis.
STATISTICS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Courtney A. Gidengil, Andrew M. Parker, Lauri E. Markowitz, Amber M. Gedlinske, Natoshia M. Askelson, Christine A. Petersen, Elissa Meites, Megan C. Lindley, Aaron M. Scherer
Summary: This survey aimed to understand physician knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HPV vaccination for adults aged 27-45 years. The results showed that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, at least a third of participating physicians in each practice specialty reported having more HPV vaccine shared clinical decision-making (SCDM) discussions with patients in the past 12 months. However, although the majority of physicians were aware of the SCDM recommendation for this age group, only half of them answered an objective knowledge question correctly.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Helin G. Hernandez, Grant D. Brown, Iraci D. Lima, Jose F. Coutinho, Mary E. Wilson, Eliana L. T. Nascimento, Selma M. B. Jeronimo, Christine A. Petersen, Jacob J. Oleson
Summary: This study aimed to estimate regions of high visceral leishmaniasis (VL) risk in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil from 2007 to 2020. Lower socioeconomic status was found to be associated with higher VL risk. Additionally, there is a high probability of increasing VL risk in the municipalities of Natal, Patu, and Pau dos Ferros, highlighting the need for specific public health interventions.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rahul Chaubey, Ashish Shukla, Anurag Kumar Kushwaha, Puja A. Tiwary, Shakti Kumar A. Singh, Shawna Hennings, Om Praksh Singh, Phillip Lawyer, Edgar Rowton, Christine A. Petersen, Scott A. Bernhardt, Shyam Sundar
Summary: The objective of this study was to determine the lethal concentrations and assess levels of susceptibility, diagnostic doses and times of P. argentipes to five insecticides. The results indicate that P. argentipes are highly susceptible to alpha-cypermethrin, followed by deltamethrin, malathion, and chlorpyrifos, and least susceptible to DDT. These findings are important for future studies on insecticide susceptibility and resistance monitoring, as well as VL elimination efforts.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Hatem Kittana, Joao C. Gomes-Neto, Kari Heck, Anthony F. Juritsch, Jason Sughroue, Yibo Xian, Sara Mantz, Rafael Segura R. Munoz, Liz A. Cody, Robert J. Schmaltz, Christopher L. Anderson, Rodney A. Moxley, Jesse M. Hostetter, Samodha C. Fernando, Jennifer Clarke, Stephen D. Kachman, Clayton E. Cressler, Andrew K. Benson, Jens Walter, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait
Summary: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an altered gut microbiota composition, including expansion of Proteobacteria. Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains are enriched in some IBD patients, and AIEC strains show enhanced pathogenicity compared to non-AIEC strains. AIEC strains cause more severe intestinal inflammation and intracellular survival/replication phenotypes positively correlate with disease. This knowledge can be therapeutically exploited to alleviate intestinal inflammation.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Erin A. Beasley, Kurayi G. Mahachi, Christine A. Petersen
Summary: The purpose of this review is to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on leishmaniasis and the challenges in controlling sand flies. While leishmaniasis is not endemic in the United States, recent studies have shown the presence of autochthonous vector-borne cases. Climate change and insecticide resistance further complicate sand fly control. The increasing reports of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis cases in the US highlight the importance of prevention measures and vaccine research.
CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS
(2022)