Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philipp Georg, Rosario Astaburuaga-Garcia, Lorenzo Bonaguro, Sophia Brumhard, Laura Michalick, Lena J. Lippert, Tomislav Kostevc, Christiane Gaebel, Maria Schneider, Mathias Streitz, Vadim Demichev, Ioanna Gemuend, Matthias Barone, Pinkus Tober-Lau, Elisa T. Helbig, David Hillus, Lev Petrov, Julia Stein, Hannah-Philine Dey, Daniela Paclik, Christina Iwert, Michael Muelleder, Simran Kaur Aulakh, Sonja Djudjaj, Roman D. Buelow, Henrik E. Mei, Axel R. Schulz, Andreas Thiel, Stefan Hippenstiel, Antoine-Emmanuel Saliba, Roland Eils, Irina Lehmann, Marcus A. Mall, Sebastian Stricker, Jobst Roehmel, Victor M. Corman, Dieter Beule, Emanuel Wyler, Markus Landthaler, Benedikt Obermayer, Saskia von Stillfried, Peter Boor, Munevver Demir, Hans Wesselmann, Norbert Suttorp, Alexander Uhrig, Holger Mueller-Redetzky, Jacob Nattermann, Wolfgang M. Kuebler, Christian Meisel, Markus Ralser, Joachim L. Schultze, Anna C. Aschenbrenner, Charlotte Thibeault, Florian Kurth, Leif E. Sander, Nils Bluethgen, Birgit Sawitzki
Summary: Severe COVID-19 is associated with highly activated CD16(+) T cells that exhibit cytotoxic functions and contribute to endothelial injury. These CD16(+) T cells can degranulate and induce cytotoxicity through immune-complex-mediated mechanisms independent of the T cell receptor, which is not observed in other diseases. The presence of activated CD16(+) T cells and elevated levels of complement proteins upstream of C3a are associated with a fatal outcome of COVID-19, indicating the pathological role of enhanced cytotoxicity and complement activation in the disease.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nan Liu, Huihui Shen, Zehua Wang, Xueyun Qin, Mingqing Li, Xinyan Zhang
Summary: This study found a decrease in CXCR4(+) NK cells in the decidua of RSA patients during early pregnancy. Co-culturing with trophoblasts increased CXCR4 expression in dNK cells. Additionally, trophoblast autophagy educates dNK landscape through the IGF2-TP53-CXCR4 axis.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Marie Marotel, Marine Villard, Annabelle Drouillard, Issam Tout, Laurie Besson, Omran Allatif, Marine Pujol, Yamila Rocca, Michelle Ainouze, Guillaume Roblot, Sebastien Viel, Melissa Gomez, Veronique Loustaud, Sophie Alain, David Durantel, Thierry Walzer, Uzma Hasan, Antoine Marcais
Summary: Impaired function of NK cells in CHB patients may be associated with reduced expression of NKp30, CD16, and defective mTOR pathway activity. NK cell dysfunction and T cell exhaustion may share common mechanisms, including the impact of TOX transcription factor and NFAT on NK cell function.
Article
Immunology
Ratna S. Wijaya, Scott A. Read, Sakthi P. Selvamani, Stephen Schibeci, Mahmoud K. Azardaryany, Adrian Ong, David van der Poorten, Rita Lin, Mark W. Douglas, Jacob George, Golo Ahlenstiel
Summary: Direct acting antiviral therapies clear chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rapidly and restore natural killer (NK) cell function. Following HCV clearance, NK-cell memory formation involving KLRG1(+) NK cells is observed, which indicates their role in HCV clearance and potential for vaccine design.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Golasa Samadi Kochaksaraei, Abdel A. Shaheen, Cynthia H. Seow, Herman W. Barkema, Carla S. Coffin
Summary: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a global health problem, and vertical transmission is the main route of infection. Traditional immunoprophylaxis methods are effective, but may fail in pregnant women with high viral load. Therefore, pregnant women with high viral load are recommended to receive antiviral treatment in late pregnancy to prevent infant infection. However, maternal immunological reconstitution after childbirth may exacerbate immune responses to viral antigens.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yurong Gu, Zexuan Huang, Xiaoyan Li, Youming Chen, Chunhong Liao, Yanhua Bi, Yuehua Huang
Summary: The study found varied relationships between serum HBV pgRNA and NK cells and subsets, indicating that HBV pgRNA may play a complicated role in NK cell-related immunity, providing new information on HBV and host immunity.
BIOSCIENCE REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Virology
Xinhao Peng, Ying Shi, Biqin Zhang, Chuan Xu, Jinyi Lang
Summary: In hepatitis virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), abnormalities in the nucleic acid sensing (NAS) pathway may affect the efficacy of immunotherapy. By analyzing transcriptomic data from multiple public datasets, we established a NAS-related risk score (NASRS) predictive model for assessing risk and predicting prognosis in HCC patients. Additionally, we predicted potential drugs binding to the core target of the NAS signature and evaluated their cytotoxic capabilities in vitro and in vivo.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Karthi Duraisamy, Kailash Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Benjamin Lefranc, Elsa Bonnafe, Michel Treilhou, Jerome Leprince, Billy K. C. Chow
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism of action and immunomodulatory effects of P17 mediated through MRGPRX2. The results show that P17 activates MRGPRX2 in a dose-dependent manner and induces various immune responses, including cell migration and differentiation. These findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms of immune modulation.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Mohammad S. Ghaemi, Adi L. Tarca, Roberto Romero, Natalie Stanley, Ramin Fallahzadeh, Athena Tanada, Anthony Culos, Kazuo Ando, Xiaoyuan Han, Yair J. Blumenfeld, Maurice L. Druzin, Yasser Y. El-Sayed, Ronald S. Gibbs, Virginia D. Winn, Kevin Contrepois, Xuefeng B. Ling, Ronald J. Wong, Gary M. Shaw, David K. Stevenson, Brice Gaudilliere, Nima Aghaeepour, Martin S. Angst
Summary: The study aimed to examine proteomic signatures predictive of preeclampsia in two cohorts of pregnant women and found that the models derived in each cohort failed validation in the other. Proteomic models predicting gestational age, however, were readily validated across both cohorts, indicating the need for diverse and large patient populations in omic studies of syndromes like preeclampsia.
JOURNAL OF MATERNAL-FETAL & NEONATAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lauriane Galle-Treger, Doumet Georges Helou, Christine Quach, Emily Howard, Benjamin P. Hurrell, German R. Aleman Muench, Pedram Shafiei-Jahani, Jacob D. Painter, Andrea Iorga, Lily Dara, Juliet Emamaullee, Lucy Golden-Mason, Hugo R. Rosen, Pejman Soroosh, Omid Akbari
Summary: This study shows that disruption of the autophagy pathway in CD11c(+) cells accelerates the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mice. The production of IL-23 by hepatic CD11c(+) cells plays a role in NAFLD pathogenesis, and blocking IL-23 can reduce the disease. These findings provide insights into the function of autophagy and IL-23 production in NAFLD, and suggest potential therapeutic targets.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Renee Garant, Bret W. Tobalske, Neila BenSassi, Nienke van Staaveren, Dan Tulpan, Tina Widowski, Donald R. Powers, Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek
Summary: Ground-dwelling species of birds, such as domestic chickens, have difficulty sustaining flight due to high wing loading. Loss of flight feathers, a common occurrence among egg-laying chickens, further limits their flight ability. However, in aviary style systems, chickens still need to use flight to access essential resources stacked in vertical tiers. Clipping flight feathers significantly reduces the time hens spend at elevated resources, indicating the importance of resource distribution and accessibility in commercial housing.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Renee Garant, Bret W. Tobalske, Neila Ben Sassi, Nienke van Staaveren, Tina Widowski, Donald R. Powers, Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek
Summary: Feather loss in domestic chickens can lead to muscle weakness and keel bone fractures. This study found that white-feathered birds were more sensitive to feather loss, while muscle thickness was not associated with keel bone fractures in either white- or brown-feathered birds.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Allergy
Michaela Schedel, Sonia M. Leach, Matthew J. Strand, Thomas Danhorn, Morgan MacBeth, Anna Faino, Anne M. Lynch, Virginia D. Winn, Lindsay L. Munoz, Shannon M. Forsberg, David A. Schwartz, Erwin W. Gelfand, Pia J. Hauk
Summary: This study found that molecular risk factors in atopic mothers can influence their infants' susceptibility to atopic diseases, particularly atopic dermatitis. By observing and analyzing pregnant women and their infants in high-risk and low-risk groups, differential methylated regions and gene expression differences in mothers were found to be closely related to the development of infant atopy. Genes related to the interferon pathway played a key role in this process.
Article
Immunology
Ana C. Maretti-Mira, Matthew P. Salomon, Angela M. Hsu, Gary C. Kanel, Lucy Golden-Mason
Summary: This study found that the dietary cholesterol content directly affects the gene expression of hepatic macrophages. Prolonged high cholesterol intake induces long-lasting hepatic damage and expands a dysfunctional pro-fibrotic restorative macrophage population even after cholesterol reduction.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Erich R. Eberts, Glenn J. Tattersall, Peter J. Auger, Maria Curley, Melissa I. Morado, Eric G. Strauss, Donald R. Powers, Noemi C. Soveral, Bret W. Tobalske, Anusha Shankar
Summary: This study uses thermal imaging to investigate how nesting female hummingbirds maintain energy balance while incubating their eggs and brooding their chicks. The research found that nesting females usually avoid torpor and instead reduce their own energy requirements by utilizing the warm nest environment and possibly shallow torpor, prioritizing the needs of their offspring.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Renee C. Garant, Bret W. Tobalske, Neila Ben Sassi, Nienke van Staaveren, Dan Tulpan, Tina Widowski, Donald R. Powers, Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek
Summary: In this study, the behavior and muscle changes of chickens under partial immobilization were investigated using radio-frequency identification, ultrasonography, radiography, and palpation. The results showed that partially immobilized hens reduced the duration spent at elevated resources and had decreased muscle thickness, but there was no significant change in the incidence of fractures and deviations.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Michael A. Davis, Kathleen Voss, J. Bryan Turnbull, Andrew T. Gustin, Megan Knoll, Antonio Muruato, Tien-Ying Hsiang, Kenneth H. Dinnon, Sarah R. Leist, Katie Nickel, Ralph S. Baric, Warren Ladiges, Shreeram Akilesh, Kelly D. Smith, Michael Gale
Summary: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery in mice and found that it closely resembles the acute human disease. Disease severity and infection kinetics were influenced by age and sex, with older mice and males exhibiting higher mortality rates and slower viral clearance. The pathological features observed in mice, including virus positivity in bronchial epithelial cells and lung damage, parallel those seen in humans. Our findings suggest that C57BL/6 mice can serve as a useful model for studying SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging coronaviruses.
Article
Virology
Amy Y. Lu, Andrew Gustin, Daniel Newhouse, Michael Gale
Summary: This study compared the virologic properties and innate immune responses of African and Asian lineage Zika virus strains. The results showed that Asian lineage virus accumulates viral proteins earlier, replicates to higher levels, and strongly blocks interferon signaling during acute infection. The early accumulation of viral proteins promotes viral spread by antagonizing the host's immune response.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Virology
Autumn LaPointe, Michael Gale Jr, Alison M. Kell
Summary: Orthohantaviruses are rodent-borne, negative-sense RNA viruses that cause severe vascular disease in humans. These viruses have evolved mechanisms to avoid or counteract host innate immune responses, resulting in lifelong asymptomatic infections in the rodent reservoir. However, in other hosts, the ability to subdue the innate immune response may be less efficient or absent, leading to disease and viral clearance.
Article
Virology
Linhui Hao, Tien-Ying Hsiang, Ronit R. Dalmat, Renee Ireton, Jennifer F. Morton, Caleb Stokes, Jason Netland, Malika Hale, Chris Thouvenel, Anna Wald, Nicholas M. Franko, Kristen Huden, Helen Y. Chu, Alex Sigal, Alex L. Greninger, Sasha Tilles, Lynn K. Barrett, Wesley C. Van Voorhis, Jennifer Munt, Trevor Scobey, Ralph S. Baric, David J. Rawlings, Marion Pepper, Paul K. Drain, Michael Gale
Summary: New variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to emerge and evade immunity. Convalescence from the ancestral virus provides limited protection against variants. Vaccination enhances immunity against viral variants, but the protection is weaker against Omicron BA.1, and a three-dose vaccine regimen provides significantly better protection against it compared to a two-dose.
Article
Immunology
Ana C. Maretti-Mira, Matthew P. Salomon, Angela M. Hsu, Lily Dara, Lucy Golden-Mason
Summary: The natural killer (NK) cell population in the liver plays a critical role in innate immunity, and its functions are influenced by the surrounding environment. In the late stage of fibrosis, NK cells become dysfunctional, but the impact of disease etiology on NK cell behavior during cirrhosis is unclear. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), this study characterized hepatic NK cells in end-stage cirrhotic livers from subjects with different liver diseases, showing that disease etiology affects hepatic NK cell heterogeneity. Therapeutic strategies targeting NK cells for fibrosis prevention or treatment should consider the specific liver disease etiology.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Yuan-Po Tu, Christopher Green, Linhui L. Hao, Alexander F. Greninger, Jennifer A. Morton, Heather Sights, Michael K. Gale Jr, Paul Drain
Summary: In this cross-sectional diagnostic study of 626 adults, the sensitivity of the antigen test to identify replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 was 63.6% in asymptomatic and 91.0% in symptomatic participants. Viral culture titers were the highest at the onset of symptoms and rapidly declined by 7 days after symptom onset.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Amanda Laine, Xiaoxing Wang, Kathryn Ni, Sarah E. B. Smith, Rayan Najjar, Leanne S. S. Whitmore, Michael M. Yacoub, Alison Bays, Michael Gale, Tomas Mustelin
Summary: Many patients with autoimmune diseases have autoantibodies against proteins encoded by genomic retroelements, suggesting a lack of immune tolerance. In this study, the researchers found that transmembrane envelope (Env) protein encoded by HERV-K102 is increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, while HERV-K108 expression is higher in other immune cells. Patient autoantibodies recognized endogenously expressed Env in breast cancer cells and RA neutrophils. The findings suggest that HERV-K102 is the main contributor to cell surface Env on neutrophils in RA.