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Tag: Immunology

  • A healthy microbiome may prevent deadly infections in critically ill people

    A healthy microbiome may prevent deadly infections in critically ill people

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    Newswise — Twenty to 50 per cent of all critically ill patients contract potentially deadly infections during their stay in the intensive care unit or in hospital after being in the ICU – markedly increasing the risk of death.

    “Despite the use of antibiotics, hospital-acquired infections are a major clinical problem that persists to be a huge issue for which we don’t have good solutions,” says Dr. Braedon McDonald, MD, PhD, an intensive care physician at the Foothills Medical Centre (FMC) and assistant professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). “We tackled this issue from a different angle. We looked at the body’s natural defense to infection to better understand why some people are more susceptible to these deadly infections.”

    The study involved 51 patients newly admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at FMC. Patients were studied over the first week of acute critical illness. The research showed that the gut microbiota and systemic immunity work together as a dynamic “metasystem,” in which problems with gut microbes and immune system dysfunction are associated with significantly increased rates of hospital-acquired infections.

    “The signal that we’ve seen in our research is that a family of bacteria, that naturally live in the gut, seems to be important for directing the immune system,” says Jared Schlechte, PhD candidate in McDonald’s lab and first author of the study. “However, during critical illness the microbiome becomes injured allowing these bacteria to start taking over.”

    The study published in Nature Medicine found that patients who experienced an abnormal increase in the growth of this common bacteria, called a bloom, were at the highest risk of severe infections.

    “This information is important because it gives us a whole new avenue to start thinking about not just ways to treat infections, but a potential treatment to prevent them,” says McDonald. “The findings suggest that if we want to fight infection, we can’t just target these bad bacteria in isolation and the immune system in isolation. We really need to have a more holistic view of how things are functioning.” McDonald says the study’s findings

    As a next step, McDonald and the team plan to launch a randomized, controlled clinical trial – based on a precision medicine approach that borrows from probiotics therapy, and utilizes multiple different bacteria engineered to specifically target the bacteria identified in the study. People who agree to participate will be given engineered microbiomes.

    “What we’re trying to do is restore the normal mechanism that work when we’re healthy, and take advantage of that to help protect people from infections,” McDonald says.

    UCalgary faculty co-authors included Drs. Christopher Doig, MD, Kathy McCoy, PhD, and Mary Dunbar, MD. PhD candidate Amanda Zucoloto, along with research technician and laboratory manager Ian-Ling Yu, also co-authored the study. The study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Alberta Health Services Critical Care Strategic Clinical Network. 

    Braedon McDonald is an assistant professor in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), an intensive care physician at the Foothills Medical Centre, and a member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases at CSM.

    The Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases is a team of more than 480 clinician-scientists and basic scientists dedicated to uncovering new knowledge leading to disease prevention, tailored medical applications and ultimately cures for those with chronic and infectious disease. Visit snyder.ucalgary.ca and follow @SnyderInstitute to learn more.

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    University of Calgary

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  • How to achieve a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B

    How to achieve a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B

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    Newswise — Geneva, March 30, 2023 – More than half of patients who suffer from chronic hepatitis B have the e antigen (HBeAg)-negative form of the disease. Even after many years of antiviral treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUC), lasting immune control is almost never seen. According to the current state of knowledge, those affected therefore require lifelong therapy. In the world’s first randomized controlled multicenter study – led by Leipzig University’s Faculty of Medicine and in partnership with the Centre for Clinical Studies (ZKS) – researchers have shown that many HBeAg-negative patients can achieve permanent immune control of hepatitis B if they discontinue antiviral therapy after a certain period of time. Their findings are published in the high-impact journal, the Journal of Hepatology.

    Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus that can lead to serious problems such as liver cirrhosis or liver cancer and is easily transmitted through body fluids. An estimated 350 million are chronically infected, making chronic hepatitis B one of the most common viral infections worldwide. People with chronic hepatitis B usually have to take antiviral medication for their entire life in order to reduce the viral load and normalize inflammation levels in the liver. Antiviral therapy consists of the administration of nucleoside or nucleotide analogues, which in patients with the HBeAg-negative form almost never leads to the permanent immune control that would allow the termination of treatment. The antiviral therapy is associated with high costs for the healthcare system and can cause serious side effects.

    Results currently published in the Journal of Hepatology show in a study of 166 HBeAg-negative patients from 20 clinics across Germany that after 96 weeks of observation many patients who discontinued an effective antiviral treatment that they had taken for at least four years achieved immune control of the disease. In 10% of the patients, immune control was demonstrated through loss of previously detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood, an event which is considered a functional cure of hepatitis B.

    By the end of the study, in about 41% of patients, hepatitis B virus levels in the blood were reduced to below the level of 2,000 units per millilitre, which according to international treatment guidelines means that there is no longer an indication for renewed antiviral therapy. Additionally, 77% of patients no longer had elevated liver inflammation levels. In contrast, no patient who continued antiviral treatment showed HBsAg loss.

    Study leader Professor Florian van Bömmel, senior physician in the Department of Hepatology at Leipzig University Hospital said, “We were able to show that in some patients discontinuing long-term therapy with nucleoside or nucleotide analogues after at least four years is more effective than continuing it, and that many patients no longer require antiviral therapy at all after discontinuation. In particular, patients who show low HBsAg levels when they discontinue treatment have a high chance of functional cure.”

    After discontinuation of treatment, all of the patients initially experienced a resurgence of hepatitis B virus replication and many also experienced transient renewed liver inflammation. Some patients with severe liver inflammation were then restarted on antiviral therapy to prevent liver damage. Patients with liver cirrhosis were not included in the study for safety reasons. No serious adverse events related to discontinuation of therapy occurred during the study. “However, in other studies, severe cases of hepatic inflammation were observed in a few cases after antiviral therapy was discontinued. Stopping NUC treatment should therefore only be carried out under the supervision of an experienced physician,” said the study leader.

    Professor van Bömmel and Professor Thomas Berg, head of the Department of Hepatology at Leipzig University Hospital, are confident that the results of the STOP-NUC trial will have a major impact on the overall development of hepatitis B therapy: “We expect that in the future international guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis B will refer to this study. By the middle of this year, results from the extension of the study will be evaluated and will show whether the number of patients with immune control continues to increase in the long term after discontinuation of antiviral treatment.”

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    Elsevier

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  • خبراء السرطان في مايو كلينك يسلطون الضوء على التقدم المحرز في علاج الورم النقوي المتعدد

    خبراء السرطان في مايو كلينك يسلطون الضوء على التقدم المحرز في علاج الورم النقوي المتعدد

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    Newswise — مدينة روتشستر، ولاية مينيسوتا— يشارك دكتور سكندر العوضي، دكتور في الطب، اختصاصي الدَّمَويات والأورام في مركز مايو كلينك الشامل لعلاج للسرطان تفاصيل حول تطورات جديدة توصلت إليها الأبحاث ستفضي إلى نتائج أفضل لمرضى الورم النقوي المتعدد.  

    الورم النقوي المتعدد هو نوع غير شائع نسبيًا من أنواع سرطان الدم التي تصيب نخاع العظم. رغم أنه لا يوجد علاج نهائيًا للمرض، إلا إنه يمكن التعامل معه بالعلاجات المتاحة مثل الأدوية، والعلاج الكيميائي، والإشعاع، أو حتى بزراعة نخاع العظم للمساعدة في إطالة جودة حياة المرضى.  

    يشارك دكتور العوضي في قيادة فريق من الباحثين في مايو كلينك لتجربةعلاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية، والتي تسمى أيضًا علاج الخلايا التائية ذات مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية (CAR-T cell)، لعلاج المرضى المصابين بالورم النقوي المتعدد، وتطوير أدوية جديدة لاستهداف الواسِمات السرطانية المختلفة مثل مستضد نضج الخلايا البائية وغيره.  

    يقول دكتور العوضي “التطورات في الأدوية والعلاجات الجديدة لعلاج الورم النقوي في حالة تطور وتغير مستمرين. وإنه لوقت باعث على الحماسة لإجراء أبحاث على أدوية السرطان لاكتشاف علاجات جديدة ستمنح الأمل لمرضى السرطان.”  

    إن علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية هو أحدث علاج مناعي للسرطان يحتوي على خلايا تائية مُعدّلة وراثيًا لاستهداف واسِمات الخلايا السرطانية تحديدًا، ولتنشيط الجهاز المناعي للتعرف على الخلايا السرطانية والقضاء عليها.  

    في دراسة نُشرت مؤخرًا في في مجلة نيو إنجلاند الطبية، والتي شاركت فيها مايو كلينك، قارن الباحثون نتائج علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية بنتائج نُظُم العلاج القياسية المتوفرة حاليًا لدى المرضى الذين عولجوا سابقًا من الورم النقوي المتعدد والذين عاودهم المرض بعد الشفاء منه. وقاس الباحثون معدلات البقاء على قيد الحياة التي خلت من تقدّم المرض، وهي الفترة التي يتعايش فيها المريض مع المرض خلال العلاج وبعده، ولكن دون أن يتفاقم المرض.  

    وأشارت الدراسة أنه بإجراء متابعة تفقدية بمتوسط 18.6 شهرًا، بلغ متوسط البقاء على قيد الحياة دون تقدّم المرض لدى المجموعة التي تلقت علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية 13.3 شهرًا، مقارنة بمتوسط بلغ 4.4 شهور فقط لدى المجموعة التي عولجت بنُظُم العلاج القياسية.  

    يضيف دكتور العوضي قائلاً: “تشير هذه النتائج إلى أننا نمضي في الطريق البحثي الصحيح الذي سيحدث تغييرًا في الممارسة العلاجية والتي ستقدم علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية في مرحلة مبكرة من علاج المرضى الذين عاودتهم الإصابة بالورم النقوي المتعدد — والذي أتمنى أن يصبح معيار الرعاية في المستقبل.”  

    يواصل باحثو مايو كلينك اختبار أدوية جديدة تستهدف الورم النقوي المتعدد حيث تقود فرق متخصصة التجارب السريرية مستخدمين طرق علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية الحديثة. يشمل ذلك استخدام العلاجات الجاهزة وعلاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية في وقت مبكر من رحلة العلاج المرضى.  

    يوجد حاليًا ما يزيد عن 40 تجربة سريرية متاحة في مايو كلينك لمرضى الورم النقوي المتعدد. 

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    نبذة عن مايو كلينك 
    مايو كلينك هي مؤسسة غير ربحية تلتزم بالابتكار في الممارسات السريرية والتعليم والبحث وتوفير التعاطف والخبرة لكل مَن يحتاج إلى الاستشفاء والرد على استفساراته. لمعرفة المزيد من أخبار مايو كلينك، تفضَّل بزيارة شبكة مايو كلينك الإخبارية.  

    جهة الاتصال الإعلامية: 

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    Mayo Clinic

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  • Lab-made antibodies offer potential cure for yellow fever

    Lab-made antibodies offer potential cure for yellow fever

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    Newswise — PORTLAND, Oregon — New research from Oregon Health & Science University and collaborators indicates lab-made antibodies may be able to cure people infected with yellow fever, a virus for which there is no treatment.

    The natural immune response to invading pathogens normally involves making protective proteins called antibodies. A study published today in Science Translational Medicine suggests that a single monoclonal antibody infusion can strengthen the body’s fight against yellow fever.

    In the study, the yellow fever virus was undetectable in all animals that received monoclonal antibody infusions after being exposed to the virus.

    “Two monoclonal antibodies that we evaluated completely removed all signs of infection from research animals,” said the study’s corresponding author, Ben Burwitz, Ph.D., associate professor at OHSU’s Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and affiliate associate professor at OHSU’s Oregon National Primate Research Center.

    The collaborative research is a joint effort between scientists from OHSU, George Washington University, the biotechnology company Mabloc, LLC, and other organizations. Mabloc plans to use these findings to inform a future clinical trial in humans, in addition to their product development efforts.

    “Neglected tropical diseases like yellow fever, dengue and Zika are often overlooked by traditional pharmaceutical development, but we hope monoclonal antibody technology will change that,” said David Watkins, Ph.D., co-senior author on the study, professor of pathology at George Washington University and Mabloc’s chief executive officer. 

    “By showing such efficacy in a primate model that mimics severe human disease, we hope to advance this to clinical trials and be ready to deploy treatments for the next outbreak of yellow fever,” said the study’s first author, Michael Ricciardi, Ph.D., associate director of translational research at George Washington University and Mabloc’s director of product development.  

    Increasingly common yellow fever 

    As many as half of people who get severe yellow fever die from the virus, which causes flu-like symptoms and can lead to jaundice and organ failure in more serious cases. Every year, the virus infects about 200,000 people — killing about 30,000 worldwide. 

    Currently, most cases occur in tropical and sub-tropical areas of Africa and South America, but global climate change is expected to increase the range of the mosquitoes that spread the virus. Deaths in Africa alone are predicted to increase by 25% by the year 2050. 

    The disease is preventable with a highly effective vaccine, which has been available since the 1930s. Although the vaccine is safe for the vast majority of people, vaccine hesitancy leaves some vulnerable to infection. It is a live vaccine that uses a weakened form of the virus, which causes a very small percentage of recipients to experience an adverse reaction that has been fatal in rare cases. A treatment could benefit both unvaccinated individuals who get sick and the very few people who experience a vaccine-related reaction.

    When they began considering potential yellow fever treatments, the research team initially considered 37 antibodies cloned from people who had been vaccinated against yellow fever. The team then narrowed its focus to two monoclonal antibodies capable of controlling variants of the virus that were involved in recent yellow fever outbreaks. 

    The team manufactured these two monoclonal antibodies in the lab and studied how protective they could be against the yellow fever virus in two animal species: rhesus macaque monkeys and hamsters. After animals were exposed to the virus, each species was divided into three groups: one group that received the first antibody, another that received the second antibody, and a third that didn’t receive either antibody. 

    The virus couldn’t be detected in blood samples of any of the animals – eight rhesus macaques and 20 hamsters – that received either monoclonal antibody. All those in the control group developed severe disease. While one treated hamster died of an unknown cause, it neither showed signs of a yellow fever infection nor did it have signs of an adverse reaction to the monoclonal antibody.

    Both monoclonal antibody candidates also appeared to be safe. None of the animals that received either experimental treatment displayed liver dysfunction, a tell-tale sign of severe yellow fever infection and yellow fever vaccine-associated disease.

     

    This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants R42 AI155275 and P51 OD01092) and by Mabloc, LLC.

    Some of the researchers involved in this study — including Jonah Sacha, Ph.D., of OHSU; and Michael Ricciardi, Ph.D., and David Watkins, Ph.D., of George Washington University — have a significant financial interest in Mabloc, LLC, a company that may have a financial interest in the results of this research and technology. This potential individual and institutional conflict of interest has been reviewed and managed by OHSU.

    All research involving animal subjects at OHSU must be reviewed and approved by the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The IACUC’s priority is to ensure the health and safety of animal research subjects. The IACUC also reviews procedures to ensure the health and safety of the people who work with the animals. The IACUC conducts a rigorous review of all animal research proposals to ensure they demonstrate scientific value and justify the use of live animals. 

     

    REFERENCE: Michael J. Ricciardi, Lauren N. Rust, Nuria Pedreno-Llpez, Sofiya Yusova, Sreya Biswas, Gabriela M. Webb, Lucas Gonzalez-Nieto, Thomas B. Voigt, Johan J. Louw, Fernanda D. Laurino, John R. DiBello, Hans-Peter Raue, Aaron M. Barber-Axthelm, Kimberly Chun, Samantha Uttke, Lidiane M.S. Raphael, Aaron Yrizarry-Medina, Brandon C. Rosen, Rebeca Agnor, Lina Gao, Caralyn Labriola, Michael Axthelm, Jeremy Smedley, Justin G. Julander, Myrna C. Bonaldo, Laura M. Walker, Ilhem Messaoudi, Mark K. Slikfa, Dennis R. Burton, Esper G. Kallas, Jonah B. Sacha, David I. Watkins,  Benjamin J. Burwitz, Therapeutic neutralizing monoclonal antibody administration protects against lethal yellow virus infection, Science Translational Medicine, March 29, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.ade5795

     

    Links:

    Related OHSU News stories:

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    Oregon Health & Science University

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  • Cancer cells with thicker glycocalyx barrier are better at evading immune cells

    Cancer cells with thicker glycocalyx barrier are better at evading immune cells

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    Newswise — One of the ways that cancer cells hide from the body’s immune system is by forming a thin surface barrier called the glycocalyx. In a new study, researchers examined the material properties of this barrier with unprecedented resolution, revealing information that could help improve current cell-based cancer immunotherapies.

    Cancer cells often form the glycocalyx with high levels of cell-surface mucins, which are thought to help protect the cancer cell from immune cell attack. However, a physical understanding of this barrier has remained limited, especially as it relates to cell-based cancer immunotherapies, which involve removing immune cells from a patient, modifying them to seek and destroy cancer, and then putting them back into the patient’s body.

    “We found that changes in the thickness of the barrier that were as small as 10 nanometers could affect the antitumor activity of our immune cells or the engineered cells used for immunotherapy,” said Sangwoo Park, a graduate student in Matthew Paszek’s Lab at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. “We used this information to engineer immune cells that can get through the glycocalyx, and we hope this approach could be used to enhance current cell-based immunotherapies.”

    Park will present the findings at Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, March 25–28 in Seattle.

    “Our lab has advanced a powerful strategy called scanning angle interference microscopy (SAIM) for measuring the nanoscale dimensions of the cancer cell glycocalyx,” said Park. “This imaging technique allows us to understand the structural relationship of cancer-associated mucins to the biophysical properties of the glycocalyx.”

    The researchers generated a cellular model to precisely control the cell-surface mucin expression to mimic the cancer cell glycocalyx. They then combined SAIM with genetic approaches to study how the surface density, glycosylation and crosslinking of cancer-associated mucins affect the thickness of the barrier at the nanoscale. They also analyzed how the glycocalyx thickness affected a cell’s resistance to attack by immune cells.

    The study revealed that the thickness of cancer cells’ glycocalyx is one of the major parameters determining immune cell evasion and that engineered immune cells worked better if the glycocalyx was thinner.

    Based on this knowledge, the researchers engineered immune cells with special enzymes on their surface to allow them to attach to and interact with the glycocalyx. Experiments performed at the cellular level showed that these immune cells were able to overcome the glycocalyx armor of cancer cells.

    Next, the researchers plan to determine whether these findings can be replicated in the laboratory and, eventually, in clinical trials.

     

    Sangwoo Park will present this research during the Regulatory Glycosylation Spotlight Session from 2–3 p.m. PDT on Sunday, March 26, in Room 608 of the Seattle Convention Center (abstract). Contact the media team for more information or to obtain a free press pass to attend the meeting.

     

    Image available.

     

    This investigation was supported by National Institute of Health New Innovator DP2 GM229133, National Cancer Institute (NCI) U54 CA210184, NCI R33 CA193043, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) R01 GM138692, NIGMS R01 GM137314, National Science Foundation 1752226, and Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester 07.1922Research.

     

    About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

    The ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1906 to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology, the society publishes three peer-reviewed journals, advocates for funding of basic research and education, supports science education at all levels, and promotes the diversity of individuals entering the scientific workforce. www.asbmb.org

    Find more news briefs and tipsheets at: https://discoverbmb.asbmb.org/newsroom.

     

     

     

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    American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Fetch—Egg Hunt for Dogs: 9 a.m.-noon April 1, Griffin Dog Park, 5301 Hilltop Road, Greensboro. Register. tinyurl.com/FetchDogEggHunt23. 336-373-7503 or chamreece.diggs@greensboro-nc.gov.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    People are also reading…

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    [ad_1]

    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog– training.

    People are also reading…

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca. org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog– training.

    People are also reading…

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca. org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    [ad_1]

    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Fetch—Egg Hunt for Dogs: 9 a.m.-noon April 1, Griffin Dog Park, 5301 Hilltop Road, Greensboro. Register. tinyurl.com/FetchDogEggHunt23. 336-373-7503 or chamreece.diggs@greensboro-nc.gov.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    People are also reading…

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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    Source link

  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    [ad_1]

    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Fetch—Egg Hunt for Dogs: 9 a.m.-noon April 1, Griffin Dog Park, 5301 Hilltop Road, Greensboro. Register. tinyurl.com/FetchDogEggHunt23. 336-373-7503 or chamreece.diggs@greensboro-nc.gov.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    People are also reading…

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    [ad_1]

    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Fetch—Egg Hunt for Dogs: 9 a.m.-noon April 1, Griffin Dog Park, 5301 Hilltop Road, Greensboro. Register. tinyurl.com/FetchDogEggHunt23. 336-373-7503 or chamreece.diggs@greensboro-nc.gov.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    People are also reading…

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • Fungus/Fungal Disease Expert Can Comment on Outbreak at Healthcare Facilities

    Fungus/Fungal Disease Expert Can Comment on Outbreak at Healthcare Facilities

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    Darin Wiesner, a professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School who studies fungal disease, can comment on the surge of drug-resistant fungal infections at medical facilities across the US.

    The following quotes from Wiesner are available to journalists covering the issue.

    • Several aspects of C. auris should be concerning to immunocompromised patients, including the elderly and chronically ill, that receive care in a healthcare setting.
    • The fungus can access parts of an immunocompromised patient’s body that cause serious disease and make the treatment extremely difficult. C. auris is resistant to a few of the already small list of available antifungal medications.
    • At-risk populations congregate at healthcare facilities, C. auris tends to accumulate in areas that sick patients frequent, and the cycle repeats.
    • C. auris can grow on the skin and in nasal cavities of caregivers, as well as on surfaces of equipment and furniture at healthcare facilities.
    • Currently, there are only three classes of anti-fungal drugs. C. auris is completely resistant to one of them (azoles) and is evolving resistance to the others (polyenes and echinocandins). Like multi-drug resistant bacteria (e.g., MRSA), C. auris poses a serious risk of depleting treatment options and, consequently, increasing both the cost of treatment and the mortality of infected patients. Thankfully, developing new anti-fungal drugs is a very active area of investigation among academic researchers.

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    Rutgers University-New Brunswick

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  • A common metabolite may help treat autoimmune diseases

    A common metabolite may help treat autoimmune diseases

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    Newswise — Researchers have revealed the modulatory effect of the anti-inflammatory metabolite itaconate on T helper and T regulatory cells, which may lead to new therapeutic approaches to treating some autoimmune diseases.

    Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks its own body. There are more than eighty known types of autoimmune diseases. In many cases, autoimmune diseases can be treated by suppressing the immune system; however, a side effect of such treatment is that the patient has an increased risk of severe infectious diseases, which is a leading cause of death. Hence there is a need to establish novel therapies for autoimmune diseases to reduce the risk of infectious diseases. 

    A research team led by Professor Tatsuya Atsumi, Assistant Professor Michihito Kono and graduate student Kuniyuki Aso at Hokkaido University, along with Senior Lecturer Masatoshi Kanda at Sapporo Medical University, has studied the effect of the molecule itaconate on the immune system. Their findings, which have implications for treating autoimmune disorders, were published in the journal Nature Communications.

    “Multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus are two of the many autoimmune diseases caused by a dysregulation of T cells,” Kono explained. “We were interested in two types of T cells: T helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells. These cells have the same origin but have opposite functions in autoimmune diseases, and cell metabolites modulate their action. The metabolite we focused on was itaconate (ITA), as it has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antimicrobial effects.”

    The researchers showed that, in cell cultures, ITA inhibited the differentiation of Th17 cells which have the potential to elaborate autoimmune diseases, and promoted that of Treg cells, which can ameliorate them. Further, in mice models with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, ITA reduced the disease symptoms. Further tests were conducted to confirm that this effect was due to its effect on T cells.

    Investigations into the mechanism of action of ITA revealed that it inhibits essential metabolic pathways, glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and methionine metabolism in Th17 and Treg cells. “ITA inhibits these pathways by directly inhibiting the enzymes methionine adenosyltransferase and isocitrate dehydrogenase, resulting in change of S-adenosyl-L-methionine/S-adenosylhomocysteine ratio and 2-hydroxyglutarate levels,” Kono elaborated. “The altered cell metabolites also indirectly affect the chromatin accessibility of essential transcription factors and the synthesis of proteins required for the differentiation of Th17 and Treg cells.”

    “Our results explain the mechanisms that underlie the modulation of T cell differentiation,” he concluded. “This could eventually lead to simple therapeutic approaches which regulate T cell differentiation, thereby treating T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.”

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    Hokkaido University

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  • Immune cells have a backup mechanism

    Immune cells have a backup mechanism

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    Newswise — The enzyme TBK1 is an important component of the innate immune system that plays a critical role in the defense against viruses. Upon mutation-induced loss of TBK1 function, patients show an increased susceptibility to viral infections. Strikingly, if TBK1 is not expressed at all, this clinical effect is not seen. The mechanism behind this supposed discrepancy has now been elucidated by researchers led by Prof. Martin Schlee from the University Hospital Bonn and the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

    In the human body, viral particles are recognized by so called pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) situated within the cell or on the cell surface. Upon activation, a signaling cascade is initialized which ultimately results in the production and release of signaling molecules such as interferons and cytokines. These messenger molecules alert neighboring immune cells and point out the viral infection, inducing an immune reaction.

    Part of this signaling cascade is the TANK Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1). If viral particles are detected by PRRs, TBK1 is activated. TBK1 in turn activates two transcription factors which travel into the nucleus where they induce the transcription of interferon and cytokine genes.

    Susceptibility to viral infections

    Point-mutations in the TBK1 gene may induce a loss of function of TBK1. In humans, this manifests itself in clinical susceptibility to viral infections. Strikingly, this effect is not to be observed if TBK1 is not expressed and entirely lacking in the cell. “Surprisingly, a complete absence of TBK1 expression in humans is not associated with a reduced antiviral response,” says Prof. Martin Schlee of the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology at the University Hospital Bonn. Until now, it was unclear why a complete loss of TBK1 expression is better tolerated in terms of immunocompetence than a mutation of TBK1 affecting the kinase function.

    The Bonn researchers have now been able to provide an explanation for these previously unexplained observations. “A second enzyme that is very similar to TBK1 plays an important role in this: the IkB kinase epsilon, or IKKepsilon for short,” explains Dr. Julia Wegner, first author of the study. Just like TBK1, IKKepsilon acts downstream of PRRs and controls the expression of interferons. The two proteins are also very similar in structure, with more than 60 percent sequence homology. A novel finding is that TBK1 has a direct effect on IKKepsilon. “In myeloid cells, we could show that TBK1 regulates the expression of the related kinase IKKepsilon,” adds Dr. Wegner.

    No half measures

    TBK1 reduces the stability of IKKepsilon. This process is independent of the protein’s enzymatic function. “Accordingly, TBK1 that is nonfunctional due to point mutation is still able to destabilize IKKepsilon,” explains Prof. Gunther Hartmann, director of the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology and spokesperson of the ImmunoSensation2 Cluster of Excellence. “This leads to a continuous degradation of the kinase IKKepsilon in human immune cells.”

    Therefore, loss of TBK1 expression leads to an increased abundance of IKKepsilon. This mechanism ensures that an antiviral immune response can occur despite the absence of TBK1. Loss of function of TBK1 induced by point mutations, on the other hand, does not prevent destabilization and degradation of IKKepsilon, so that ultimately both factors are not available for viral defense. Increased susceptibility to viral infections is the result.

    Weapons of a virus

    In a healthy organism, increased amounts of IKKepsilon can thus compensate for the loss of TBK1. This becomes particularly important when viruses specifically seek to eliminate the body’s own defenses. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but also severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are able to specifically induce TBK1 degradation. Also, several bacterial species are capable of causing the degradation of TBK1. “Our data clearly show that human immune cells have an important backup mechanism,” explains Dr. Wegner. “They are able to maintain an effective antiviral response even when pathogen-induced degradation of TBK1 occurs. Furthermore, the mechanism also takes effect in the case of genetic loss of TBK1.”

    Publication: Wegner Julia, Hunkler Charlotte, Ciupka Katrin, Hartmann Gunther, Schlee Martin (2023); Increased IKKepsilon protein stability ensures efficient type I interferon responses in conditions of TBK1 deficiency; Frontiers in Immunology , Vol. 14; DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1073608

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    University of Bonn

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  • Migratory birds take breaks to boost their immune system

    Migratory birds take breaks to boost their immune system

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    Newswise — Exercising too much and not getting enough rest is bad for your health. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the same is true for migratory birds. They need to rest not only to renew their energy levels but also in order to boost their immune system.

    After a period of physical exertion, vertebrates, including humans, usually need a period of recovery. Apart from the obvious – lowering the heart rate and repairing injured muscles – other, less prominent physiological systems might also need to recover. Intensive physical activity can affect an individual’s basic immune defence.

    When birds migrate, they regularly stop in one place for a few days to rest and eat. This was previously thought necessary in order to build up new fat reserves that provide fuel for their migration. However, researchers have now shown that birds also build up their immune system during their pit stops. They do so very quickly – a few days’ rest is more than enough.

    “This is the first time that this has been demonstrated in wild migratory birds. Our study shows that migratory birds’ stops serve other purposes, besides just ‘refuelling.’ They also need other physiological systems to recover. You could compare it to pulling off the motorway into a service station. That is not just for the purpose of refuelling, you might also need to recover,” says Arne Hegemann, biologist at Lund University who conducted the study with colleagues from the Institute for Avian Research in Germany.

    Researchers have examined small migratory birds – such as chaffinches, dunnocks and common redstarts – and analysed how their immune system changes when they take a break during their migration.

    “If you see a little bird in your garden or in the park during the autumn and you know that it is heading to southern Europe or Africa, it is fascinating to think about why it is taking a break. If they do not get food or rest, their immune systems cannot recover – which is when they risk becoming ill,” says Arne Hegemann.

    By collecting and comparing data from different individuals and species, the researchers show that free-flying migratory birds can restore several parameters of immune function during stopovers; stationary periods between flights.

    “It is fascinating just how much we are still to learn about avian migration and exciting new things emerge regularly. This provides an important part of the puzzle of how migratory birds cope with the physiological challenges they are faced with on their long journeys,” concludes Arne Hegemann.

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    Lund University

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  • New Class of Drugs May Prevent Infection by Wide Range of COVID-19 Variants

    New Class of Drugs May Prevent Infection by Wide Range of COVID-19 Variants

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    RESEARCH SUMMARY

    Publication: Nature Genetics https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01307-z

    Dana-Farber Cancer Institute author: Cigall Kadoch, PhD,

     

    Summary:

    A new class of oral drugs can inhibit a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants, researchers report, potentially identifying new antiviral agents providing broad activity against the constantly emerging new strains of the COVID-19 virus. The researchers discovered that the mammalian SWI/SNF (also called BAF) chromatin remodeling complex, a regulator of gene expression –controls the expression of the ACE2, the cellular receptor or “entry point” used by COVID-19 viruses.  When mSWI/SNF complexes were disrupted, the cell could no longer make ACE-2 receptor protein and became resistant to infection by any virus that uses that receptor. Kadoch’s work on mSWI/SNF complexes over the years has led to experimental drugs currently in phase 1 trials as anti-cancer agents. These oral drugs now are looking promising for use in COVID-19, since they can inhibit ACE2 activity and nearly completely block viral infection in multiple cell lines and human lung organoids.

    Impact:

    The formerly potent array of monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 continue to lose their activity as new less-sensitve variants of the virus appear: indeed, one by one, they have gone off the market. The need for more broadly acting agents against new and drug-resistant viruses is great. With the identification of this new target – a druggable chromatin regulatory complex – inhibition of which prevents infection of host cells, Kadoch and co-author Craig Wilen, MD, PhD, of the Yale Cancer Center have found a promising novel approach to combating the constantly-changing SARS virus.

    Funding:

    This work was supported by NIH grants K08AI128043, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Smith Family Foundation, Ludwig Family Foundation, Huffington Foundation, Mathers Foundation, Emergent Ventures Fast Grant, and NIH Director’s New Innovator Award 1DP2CA195762-01.

     

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    Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

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  • With $13M, UIC scientists will study lung inflammation mechanisms

    With $13M, UIC scientists will study lung inflammation mechanisms

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    Newswise — Researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago hope to learn more about how the human immune system is regulated by the endothelium in lung tissue, thanks to a $13 million, multi-project Program Project Grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

    The researchers hope that the projects will lead to new avenues for research and treatments to help patients who suffer from conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, pulmonary fibrosis and acute respiratory distress disorder, a common and serious complication of COVID-19.

    Conditions like these are known to be exacerbated by the body’s own immune response, such as when the inflammation meant to fight infections or heal injuries spirals out of control and winds up inflicting harm.

    The researchers think that these inflammatory conditions may be common in the lungs because of unique endothelial cells, which line blood vessels and shield the lungs from trauma and bacterial or viral infections.

    “Targeted therapies remain an urgent unmet need. It is now becoming increasingly clear that the lung endothelium is a complex monolayer, an organ itself,” said Dolly Mehta, UIC professor and interim head of the Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine at the College of Medicine and the program director for the grant.  

    “Studying this enigmatic immune regulatory function of lung endothelium is crucial for understanding how endothelial cells control immunity and defensive function of the lungs,” she said.

    The research team consists of six investigators who will lead three separate project grants and three separate cores.

    Mehta is also the principal investigator for one of the projects, for $2.2 million, which supports research on a protein receptor in endothelial cells that promotes lung integrity.

    Asrar Malik, professor of pharmacology and regenerative medicine, and Dr. Jalees Rehman, professor and head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, will lead the other two project grants.

    Malik’s lab will look at an enzyme called E3 ligase that influences the integrity of the lining of the blood vessels and the genes that activate the enzyme. Rehman’s lab will look at how mitochondria in endothelial cells can be leveraged to prevent out-of-control inflammation. The awards are $1.8 million and $2.2 million, respectively.

    “We know that in tissues like those found in the lung, heart and brain, the blood vessels present a unique and complicated immune environment, and we know that there is an interconnectedness between all the many cellular processes. The idea of this multi-project grant is to help create an infrastructure for collaboration among researchers looking at these various mechanisms,” Mehta said.

    Konstantinos Chronis, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics, will lead the project’s epigenetics and transcriptomics core. Gary Mo, assistant professor of pharmacology and regenerative medicine, will lead the cellular imaging core. Yoshikazu Tsukasaki, a research assistant professor also from the department of pharmacology and regenerative medicine, will lead the intravital imaging and physiology core.

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    University of Illinois Chicago

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Juliet’s House Animal Rescue Hosts Whisker Round-Up Fundraiser: 1-5 p.m. March 5, Pig Pounder Brewery, 1107 Grecade St., Greensboro. Silent auction, vendor booths, four-legged fashion boutique and kitten and puppy cuddle station. Live music with Susanna Macfarlane. www.julietshouse.org.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    People are also reading…

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    [ad_1]

    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Juliet’s House Animal Rescue Hosts Whisker Round-Up Fundraiser: 1-5 p.m. March 5, Pig Pounder Brewery, 1107 Grecade St., Greensboro. Silent auction, vendor booths, four-legged fashion boutique and kitten and puppy cuddle station. Live music with Susanna Macfarlane. www.julietshouse.org.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    People are also reading…

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    [ad_1]

    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    People are also reading…

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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