Project description:Reinke's edema (RE) is a laryngeal lesion related to excessive tobacco smoking, voice overuse, and laryngopharyngeal reflux. Although the risk of malignancy is low, RE has been classified among premalignant lesions. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was used to investigate DNA copy number alterations (CNA) and as a tool to identify markers of risk stratification.
Project description:Edema toxin (EdTx), which is a combination of edema factor and a binding moiety (protective antigen), is produced by Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax. EdTx is an adenylyl cyclase enzyme that converts adenosine triphosphate to adenosine-3’,5’-monophosphate, resulting in interstitial edema seen in anthrax patients. We used GeneChip analysis to examine global transcriptional profiles of EdTx-treated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage-like cells at 3 and 6 hr. Keywords: Toxin response
Project description:Classically, intracellular nuclear androgen receptors (ar) are considered to be the key mediators of androgen actions. However, there have been several reports that androgens can also exert their effects by binding to integral membrane proteins. Despite in vitro cloning and characterization of several putative membrane androgen receptors, their functions in vivo remain poorly understood. We used a chemical-genetic screen in zebrafish and discovered that the G-protein coupled receptor, GPRC6A, mediates androgen action during embryonic development. We exposed zebrafish embryos to testosterone (30 μM) from 2-4 hours post-fertilization (hpf) until 72 hpf. We found that testosterone exposure caused cardiac edema in wild-type and ar mutant zebrafish embryos, but there was a significant reduction in this phenotype in the grprc6a mutant embryos, suggesting that gprc6a regulates androgen action independently of nuclear androgen receptors. Additionally, we exposed wild-type embryos to testosterone together with GPRC6A antagonists and observed a significant suppression of the cardiac edema phenotype. These results suggest that testosterone causes cardiac edema in zebrafish embryos by acting via the integral membrane protein GPRC6A, independently of nuclear androgen receptors. Overall, our study provides insights into non-genomic androgen signaling during embryonic development and identifies GPRC6A as a key receptor mediating androgen action.
Project description:Intestinal edema induced by a combination of mesenteric venous hypertension and resuscitative fluids (RESUS+VH, E), control was sham operated (CONTROL, C), also included mesenteric venous hypertension only (VH, V) and resuscitative fluid administration only (RESUS, S); samples collected 6 hours after surgery. Keywords: disease state analysis
Project description:Immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) have failed in all Phase III glioblastoma trials. Here, we found that ICBs induce cerebral edema in some patients and mice with glioblastoma. Through single-cell RNA sequencing, intravital imaging, and T cell blocking studies in mice, we demonstrated that this edema results from an inflammatory response following anti-PD1 antibody treatment that disrupts the blood-tumor-barrier. Used in lieu of immunosuppressive corticosteroids, the angiotensin receptor blocker losartan prevented this ICB-induced edema and reprogrammed the tumor microenvironment, curing 20% of mice which increased to 40% in combination with standard of care treatment. Using a bihemispheric tumor model, we identified a “hot” tumor immune signature prior to losartan+anti-PD1 therapy that predicted long-term survival. Our findings provide the rationale and associated biomarkers to test losartan with ICBs in glioblastoma patients.