A5017849430- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- interferon and immune responses
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Virus-based gene therapy research
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Ocular Surface and Contact Lens
- Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Immune Response and Inflammation
- CAR-T cell therapy research
- Nuclear Receptors and Signaling
- Inflammasome and immune disorders
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Corneal Surgery and Treatments
- Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Immune responses and vaccinations
- Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
- Cancer Research and Treatments
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
University of California, Irvine
2019-2025
United Arab Emirates University
2018-2023
The California Eye Institute
2021
UC Irvine Health
2020
Meharry Medical College
2011
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created one of the largest global health crises in almost a century. Although current rate Severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections decreased significantly, long-term outlook COVID-19 remains serious cause morbidity and mortality worldwide, with still substantially surpassing even that recorded for influenza viruses. continued emergence SARS-CoV-2 variants concern (VOCs), including multiple heavily mutated...
Since early 2020, several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) continue to emerge, evading waning antibody mediated immunity produced by the current Spike-alone based COVID-19 vaccines. This caused a prolonged and persistent pandemic that is going enter its fifth year. Thus, need remains for innovative next generation vaccines would incorporate protective Spike-derived B-cell epitopes resist immune evasion. Towards goal, in this study we (i) Screened sequences Spike among many VOCs...
Abstract Over the last two decades, there have been three deadly human outbreaks of coronaviruses (CoVs) caused by SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, which has current COVID-19 global pandemic. All CoVs originated from bats transmitted to humans via various intermediate animal reservoirs. It remains highly possible that other COVID pandemics will emerge in coming years yet another spillover a bat-derived SARS-like coronavirus (SL-CoV) into humans. Determining Ag B cells, CD4+ CD8+ T cell...
Background Cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2-specific memory CD4 + and CD8 T cells are present in up to 50% of unexposed, pre-pandemic, healthy individuals (UPPHIs). However, the characteristics cross-reactive associated with subsequent protection asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients (i.e., unvaccinated who never develop any COVID-19 symptoms despite being infected SARS-CoV-2) remains be fully elucidated. Methods This study compares antigen specificity, frequency, phenotype,...
The crosstalk between the host's inflammasome system and invading virulent/less-virulent viruses determines outcome of ensuing inflammatory response. An appropriate activation inflammasomes triggers antiviral responses that clear virus heal inflamed tissue. However, an aberrant can result in a harmful overwhelming inflammation could damage infected underlying immune mechanisms viral virulent factors impact severe clinical disease remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we used herpes...
Abstract SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) continue to evolve and reemerge with chronic inflammatory long COVID sequelae, necessitating the development anti-inflammatory therapeutic molecules. Therapeutic effects receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) were reported in many diseases. However, a effect RAGE COVID-19 has not been reported. In present study, we investigated whether how RAGE-Ig fusion protein would have an antiviral system. The protective was determined vivo...
Background: Nucleoside-modified mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as a promising vaccine strategy, especially for COVID-19. While the LNPs protect from degradation and efficiently deliver to antigen-presenting cells, effect of composition on immunogenicity protective efficacy mRNA/LNP vaccines is not well characterized. Studies using platform largely focused nucleic acid cargo with less attention paid LNP vehicle. Whether biophysical properties impact performance...
HSV-specific tissue-resident memory CD8 + T RM cells play a critical role in preventing virus reactivation from latently infected TG and subsequent shedding tears that trigger the recurrent corneal herpetic disease. In this report, we determined how dual blockade of PD-1 LAG-3 immune checkpoints, combined with vaccination, improved function associated significant reduction ocular herpes HLA transgenic (Tg) rabbit model. The appeared to have synergistic effect generating frequent...
Mutations in ATP13A2 (PARK9), an autophagy-related protein, cause Kufor-Rakeb syndrome, autosomal recessive, juvenile-onset form of parkinsonism. α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a presynaptic neuronal protein that forms toxic aggregates Parkinson's disease (PD). We studied α-syn aggregation and autophagic flux ATP13A2-knockdown Drosophila expressing either wild-type (WT) or mutant α-syn. Dopaminergic (DA) neuron loss was by confocal microscopy. Sleep circadian activity were evaluated young old flies...
Background: Mutations in glucocerebrosidase (GBA), a lysosomal enzyme are the most common genetic risk factor for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). We studied how reduced GCase activity affects α-synuclein (α-syn) and its mutants (A30P A53T) aggregation, neurodegeneration, sleep locomotor behavior fly model of PD. Methods: developed drosophila with GBA gene knockdown (RNAi) (with activity) that simultaneously expresses either wildtype (WT) or such as A30P A53T α-syn. Western blot confocal...
Although the current rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections has decreased significantly, COVID-19 still ranks very high as a cause death worldwide. As October 2023, weekly mortality is at 600 deaths in United States alone, which surpasses even worst rates recorded for influenza. Thus, long-term outlook serious concern outlining need next-generation vaccine. This study found that prime/pull coronavirus vaccine strategy increased frequency functional SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4
Abstract Four major mucosal-associated chemokines, CCL25, CCL28, CXCL14, and CXCL17, play an important role in protecting mucosal surfaces from infectious pathogens. However, their protection against genital herpes remains to be fully explored. The CCL28 is a chemoattractant for the CCR10 receptor–expressing immune cells produced homeostatically human vaginal mucosa (VM). In this study, we investigated of CCL28/CCR10 chemokine axis mobilizing protective antiviral B T cell subsets into VM...
ABSTRACT The first-generation Spike-alone-based COVID-19 vaccines have successfully contributed to reducing the risk of hospitalization, serious illness, and death caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, waning immunity induced these failed prevent immune escape many variants concern (VOCs) that emerged from 2020 2024, resulting in a prolonged pandemic. We hypothesize next-generation Coronavirus (CoV) vaccine incorporating highly conserved non-Spike antigens would confer stronger broader...
ABSTRACT Following acute herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection, the undergoes an asymptomatic latent infection of sensory neurons dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Chemical and physical stress cause intermittent reactivation from latently infected DRG recurrent shedding in genital mucosal epithelium causing symptomatic patients. While T cells appear to play a role controlling reducing severity herpes, mechanisms for recruiting these into vaginal mucosa (VM) remain be fully elucidated. The...
Reactivation of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) from latency causes viral shedding that develops into recurrent genital lesions. The immune mechanisms protection against remain to be fully elucidated. In this preclinical study, we investigated the protective therapeutic efficacy, in guinea pig model herpes, subunit vaccine candidates were based on eight recombinantly expressed HSV-2 envelope and tegument proteins. These protein antigens (Ags) rationally selected for their ability recall strong CD4
We investigated the protective role of iNKT cell subsets in asymptomatic ocular herpesvirus infection. found that early during infection (i.e., on day 2 postinfection), IFN-γ-producing PLZF lo RORγt iNKT1 cells were predominant subset infected corneas B6 mice (with little to no corneal herpetic disease), compared symptomatic severe disease). Moreover, wild-type (WT) mice, CD1d KO which lack cells, showed (i) decreases levels IFN-γ and IL-12, (ii) an increase level inflammatory cytokine IL-6;...
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infects the cornea and caused blinding ocular disease. In present study, we evaluated whether how a novel engineered version of fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1), designated as TTHX1114, would reduce severity HSV-1-induced recurrent herpes in mouse model. The efficacy TTHX1114 against corneal keratopathy was assessed B6 mice following infection with HSV-1, strain McKrae. Starting day one post (PI), received for 14 days. primary stromal keratitis blepharitis...
Reactivation of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) from latently infected neurons the trigeminal ganglia (TG) leads to blinding recurrent herpetic disease in symptomatic (SYMP) individuals. Although role T cells immunity against is heavily explored, B less investigated.
Since early 2020, several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) continue to emerge, evading waning antibody mediated immunity produced by the current Spike-alone based COVID-19 vaccines. This caused a prolonged and persistent pandemic that is going enter its fifth year. Thus, need remains for innovative next generation vaccines would incorporate protective Spike-derived B-cell epitopes resist immune evasion. Towards goal, in this study we (
ABSTRACT Background The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created one of the largest global health crises in almost a century. Although current rate SARS-CoV-2 infections decreased significantly; long-term outlook COVID-19 remains serious cause high death worldwide; with mortality still surpassing even worst rates recorded for influenza viruses. continuous emergence variants concern (VOCs), including multiple heavily mutated Omicron sub-variants, have prolonged and outlines...
While the role of CD8+ T cells in control herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection and disease is gaining wider acceptance, a direct involvement effector CD4+ this protection phenotype function HSV-specific human cell epitopes remain to be fully elucidated. In present study, we report that several from HSV-1 virion tegument protein (VP11/12) encoded by UL46 are targeted HSV-seropositive asymptomatic individuals (who, despite being infected, never develop any recurrent herpetic disease)....
Abstract A large proportion of the world’s population harbors latent HSV type 1 (HSV-1). Cross-talk between antiviral CD8+ T cells and HSV-1 appear to control latency/reactivation cycles. We found that compared with healthy asymptomatic individuals, in symptomatic (SYMP) patients, same HLA-A*0201–restricted epitope specificities expressed multiple genes proteins associated major cell exhaustion pathways were dysfunctional. Blockade immune checkpoints anti–LAG-3 anti–PD-1 antagonist mAbs...
Unvaccinated COVID-19 patients display a large spectrum of symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic to severe the latter even causing death. Distinct Natural killer (NK) and CD4+ CD8+ T cells immune responses are generated in patients. However, phenotype functional characteristics NK T-cells associated with pathogenesis versus protection remain be elucidated. In this study, we compared function SARS-CoV-2-specific unvaccinated symptomatic (SYMP) (ASYMP) The expression senescent CD57 marker,...