Project description:The Personalized Discovery Process is the only program offering patients treatment recommendations based on an empirically constructed Drosophila "fly" model of their disease. Special committee selects one of the one of the few 2-3 FDA approved drug combinations or single agents that improved survival in the fly cancer model.
Project description:Background: Q fever is caused by the Coxiella burnetii, an intracellular bacterium that infects mononuclear cells. In some individuals, it causes a persistent cardiovascular infection (chronic Q fever). The aim of present study was to investigate the C. burnetii-induced IFN-γ response in chronic Q fever patients. Methods: IFN-γ was measured in supernatants of C. burnetii-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients. Gene-expression profiles of the IFN-γ pathway in PBMCs after incubation with C. burnetii were compared between chronic Q fever patients and control individuals. Results: IFN-γ production by PBMCs of chronic Q fever patients incubated with C. burnetii in vitro, was significantly higher compared to controls. In transcriptome analysis, genes downstream of IFN-γ were strongly upregulated in patients. Conclusion: Present study showed that IFN-γ production and the response to IFN-γ seems to be intact in chronic Q fever patients. PBMC were purified from Q fever patients (n=6) or healthy volunteers (n=4), and then stimulated by Coxiella burnetii, LPS or left untreated (NS)
Project description:We looked at the whole-blood transcriptional profiling on dengue patients sampled within 72h of fever presentation and compared the signatures with autologous samples drawn at defervescence and convalescence and to control patients with fever of other etiology. Our data show that the early response in patients mimics those previously only described in vitro and suggests that this innate immune responses may initiate the later adaptive immune responses. Total RNA obtained from whole-blood of dengue patients with fever presentation, defervescence and convalescence are compared. Also, dengue patients with fever presentation are compared with control patients which are with fever of other etiology. 119 samples are analysed, which include 31 dengue patients and 26 control patients.
Project description:To address the molecular mechanisms underlying environmental adaptation, we studied a Drosophila melanogaster line, termed Dark-fly, which has been maintained in constant dark conditions for 57 years (1400 generations).The structural gene copy number changes between the dark fly and its control were assessed by aCGH array. The comparison showed that hundreds of genes in the dark fly bear duplications or deletions relative to the control line.
