A5081766037- Chromium effects and bioremediation
- Trace Elements in Health
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Transgenic Plants and Applications
- DNA Repair Mechanisms
- Plant tissue culture and regeneration
- Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins
- Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
- Reproductive tract infections research
- Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds
- Metal-Organic Frameworks: Synthesis and Applications
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Galectins and Cancer Biology
- Bacillus and Francisella bacterial research
- Arsenic contamination and mitigation
- Molecular Biology Techniques and Applications
- Cervical Cancer and HPV Research
- Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Studies
University of Louisville
2014-2024
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
2024
Owensboro Health
2009-2013
Griffithsin (GRFT) is a red-alga-derived lectin that binds the terminal mannose residues of N-linked glycans found on surface human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2, and other enveloped viruses, including hepatitis C (HCV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Ebola virus. GRFT displays no T-cell mitogenic activity does not induce production proinflammatory cytokines in treated cell lines. However, despite growing evidence showing broad-spectrum nanomolar or...
Many natural product-derived lectins such as the red algal lectin griffithsin (GRFT) have potent in vitro activity against viruses that display dense clusters of oligomannose N-linked glycans (NLG) on their surface envelope glycoproteins. However, since NLG are also found some host proteins it is possible treatment with antiviral may trigger undesirable side effects. For other concanavalin A, banana and cyanovirin-N (CV-N), interactions between yet undescribed cellular moieties been reported...
Plant-based transient overexpression systems enable rapid and scalable production of subunit vaccines. Previously, we have shown that cholera toxin B (CTB), an oral vaccine antigen, is N-glycosylated upon expression in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana. Here, found aglycosylated CTB by agroinfiltration a tobamoviral vector causes massive tissue necrosis poor accumulation unless retained the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, re-introduction N-glycosylation to its original or alternative...
Introduction Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) is a component of an internationally licensed oral cholera vaccine. The protein induces neutralizing antibodies against the holotoxin, virulence factor responsible for severe diarrhea. A field clinical trial has suggested that addition CTB to killed whole-cell bacteria provides superior short-term protection whole-cell-only vaccines; however, challenges in biomanufacturing (i.e., cost and scale) hamper its implementation mass vaccination developing...
High-mannose-type glycans (HMGs) are aberrantly enriched on HIV envelope glycoproteins. However, there is currently no drug selectively targeting HIV-associated HMGs. Here, we describe a novel HMG-targeting "lectibody," recombinant Fc-fusion protein comprising human IgG1 Fc and actinohivin lectin variant (Avaren) obtained by structure-guided modifications for improved overall surface charge properties (AvFc). AvFc was engineered produced using rapid scalable plant-based transient...
Griffithsin (GRFT), a lectin from Griffithsia species, inhibits human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) replication at sub-nanomolar concentrations, with limited cellular toxicity. However, in vivo safety of GRFT is not fully understood, especially following parenteral administration. We first assessed GRFT’s effects vitro, on mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cell (mPBMC) viability, mitogenicity, and activation using flow-cytometry, as well cytokine secretion through enzyme-linked...
Abstract Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is an established human lung carcinogen, but the carcinogenesis mechanism poorly understood. Chromosome instability, a hallmark of cancer, considered major driver Cr(VI)-induced cancer. Unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks are underlying cause, and homologous recombination repair primary preventing from causing chromosome instability. Cell culture studies show acute Cr(VI) exposure causes increases activity. However, ability impact has only been reported...
Summary Since transmission of Francisella tularensis into the mammalian host occurs via arthropod vectors such as ticks, mosquitoes, horseflies and deerflies, recent studies have established Drosophila melanogaster an vector model system. Nothing is known about intracellular fate F. within arthropod‐derived cells, role this host‐parasite adaptation in evolution pathogen to infect mammals. In report, we explored trafficking ssp. novicida D. ‐derived S2 cells. First, show that similar...
Griffithsin (GRFT) is a red alga-derived lectin with demonstrated broad spectrum antiviral activity against enveloped viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome–Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), hepatitis C (HCV), and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2). However, its pharmacokinetic profile remains largely undefined. Here, Sprague Dawley rats were administered single dose of GRFT at 10 or 20 mg/kg by intravenous, oral, subcutaneous routes, respectively, serum...
Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) is a component of licensed oral cholera vaccine. However, CTB has pleiotropic immunomodulatory effects whose impacts on the gut are not fully understood. Here, we found that administration in mice plant-made recombinant (CTBp) significantly increased several immune cell populations colon lamina propria. Global gene expression analysis revealed CTBp had more pronounced than small intestine, with significant activation TGFβ-mediated pathways epithelium. The...
We are facing a critical aging crisis, with geriatric populations (65+) growing to unprecedented proportions and ~4 million people (a 6.5-fold increase) expected become centenarians by 2050. This is compounded environmental pollution, which affects individuals of all ages contributes age-related diseases. As we have limited understanding how pollutants affect older distinctly from younger populations, these longer-lived present key knowledge gap. To address this gap, employ “Toxic Aging...
There is a rising global incidence of
Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a known human lung carcinogen with widespread exposure in environmental and occupational settings. Despite well-known cancer risks, the molecular mechanisms of Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis are not well understood, but major driver Cr(VI) chromosome instability. Previously, we reported induced numerical instability, premature centriole disengagement, centrosome amplification, centromere division, spindle assembly checkpoint bypass. A key regulator these events...
Hexavalent chromium (Cr[VI]) is a widespread environmental pollutant in air and water that primarily attributed to industrial pollution. The current maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for drinking from the World Health Organization U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (0.05 0.1 mg/L, respectively) were set based on contact dermatitis warrant further toxicological investigation. While Cr(VI) neurotoxic accumulates brain, most animal studies only report whole-brain Cr, leaving large knowledge...
Mistletoe (Viscum album) extracts have been used as alternative and complementary therapeutic preparations in multiple cancers for decades. lectins (ML-I, ML-II, ML-III) are considered to be the main anticancer components of such preparations. In present study, ML-II was transiently expressed Nicotiana benthamiana using pEAQ-HT expression system. Expression levels up 60 mg/kg infiltrated plant tissue were obtained, a three-fold increase achieved by adding endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention...