A5082395102- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
- Sirtuins and Resveratrol in Medicine
- Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity and mitigation
- Glioma Diagnosis and Treatment
- Fuel Cells and Related Materials
- Cancer Risks and Factors
- Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Disease
- Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis
- Cancer-related cognitive impairment studies
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Nitric Oxide and Endothelin Effects
- ATP Synthase and ATPases Research
- Metabolism and Genetic Disorders
- Pharmacogenetics and Drug Metabolism
- Cardiovascular Function and Risk Factors
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Redox biology and oxidative stress
- Biochemical and Molecular Research
- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Advanced Breast Cancer Therapies
- Dental Health and Care Utilization
Carle Foundation Hospital
2021-2025
Urbana University
2024
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2017-2021
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
2017-2018
Institute on Aging
2010-2014
University of Florida
2010-2014
Institute of Crystallography
2012
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
2012
Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic
2012
National Research Council
2012
Autophagy is a cellular self-digestion process that mediates protein quality control and serves to protect against neurodegenerative disorders, infections, inflammatory diseases cancer. Current evidence suggests autophagy can selectively remove damaged organelles such as the mitochondria. Mitochondria-induced oxidative stress has been shown play major role in wide range of pathologies several organs, including heart. Few studies have investigated whether enhanced offer protection...
Aging is associated with a loss in muscle known as sarcopenia that partially attributed to apoptosis. In aging rodents, caloric restriction (CR) increases health and longevity by improving mitochondrial function the polyphenol resveratrol (RSV) has been reported have similar benefits. present study, we investigated potential efficacy of using short-term (6 weeks) CR (20%), RSV (50 mg/kg/day), or combined + (20% 50 mg/kg/day RSV), initiated at late-life (27 months) protect against altering...
Abstract The tumor microenvironment consists of different cell populations, whose interactions contribute to heterogeneity and plasticity pose challenges therapy efficacy prognosis prediction. Breast cancer is one the highly heterogeneous diseases, estrogen receptor (ER) positive subtype, most common one, shows worse once metastasized. Spatial transcriptomics (ST) emerging as a powerful tool that offers valuable insights into spatial complexity well underpinning heterogeneity. In this study,...
Abstract Dental plaques are biofilms that cause dental caries by demineralization with acidogenic bacteria. These bacteria reside inside a protective sheath which makes any curative treatment challenging. We propose an antibiotic-free strategy to disrupt the biofilm engineered clustered carbon dot nanoparticles function in acidic environment of biofilms. In vitro and ex vivo studies on mature Streptococcus mutans revealed >90% inhibition associated contact-mediated interaction bacterial...
LanC-like (LanCL) proteins are mammalian homologs of bacterial LanC enzymes, which catalyze the addition thiol Cys to dehydrated Ser residues during biosynthesis lanthipeptides, a class natural products formed by post-translational modification precursor peptides. The functions LanCL currently unclear. A recent proposal suggested that LanCL1 catalyzes glutathione protein- or peptide-bound dehydroalanine (Dha) form lanthionine, analogous reaction catalyzed in bacteria. Lanthionine has been...
Abstract A growing body of literature implicates host-associated microbiota in the modulation circulating androgen levels host, which could have far-reaching implications for androgen-mediated diseases. However, microbial genetic pathways involved production remain unknown. Here, we report first gene ( desF ) encoding an enzyme that catalyzes conversion androstenedione to epitestosterone (epiT) gut bacterium, Clostridium scindens . Despite current dogma epiT is a nuclear androgen-receptor...
Adipogenic differentiation is a highly regulated process that necessary for metabolic homeostasis and nutrient sensing. The expression of PPARγ the subsequent activation adipogenic genes critical process. In this study, we identified lanthionine synthetase C-like protein 2 (LanCL2) as positive regulator adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Knockdown LanCL2, but not LanCL1, inhibited differentiation, effect was mediated through cAMP or Akt signaling pathways. early markers CCAAT enhancer binding β...
Abstract Approximately 70% of human breast cancers express estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), providing a potential for targeted endocrine therapy patients. Unfortunately, 30-40% ER+ patients still experience recurrence and metastasis, with 5-year relative overall survival rate just 24% metastatic disease. In our preliminary analysis the data from large cohort MBC patients, liver metastases were associated reduced compared to other sites, while on standard care antagonist, Fulvestrant (Fulv)....
PURPOSE Colorectal cancer survivors exhibit impairments in information processing and working memory with no significantly added effects from adjuvant therapy (PMID: 26527785). Little is known regarding its neural mechanism, which greatly impedes the development of effective therapies. White matter (WM) an area interest as it predominant tissue that facilitates communication between different brain regions damage could be debilitating. Here, we utilize 7T magnetic resonance diffusion tensor...
Healthy mitochondria are vital for cellular homeostasis and survival. Oxidatively stressed can release pro‐apoptotic signals causing cell death. Dysfunctional removed by autophagy, a process during which damaged proteins organelles sequestered degraded. Objective To determine whether interventions targeted to upregulate autophagy protect HL‐1 cardiomyocytes against enhanced mitochondrial damage in cardiomyocytes. Methods cells were treated with the toxin Antimycin A (AMA), superoxide...
Doxorubicin (DOX) is associated with oxidant‐induced damage to the endothelium and vascular dysfunction. Both caloric restriction (CR) resveratrol (Res) have been shown lower levels of oxidative stress slow aging. So, we examined CR Res alone in combination on DOX‐induced dysfunction old mesenteric arteries (MA). 26 month male F‐344xBN rats were divided into: ad libitum (AL), AL+DOX, 20% CR, CR+DOX, Res, Res+DOX, CR+Res, CR+Res+DOX. Over 6 wks consumed a diet while (5 mg/kg/day) was given...
It is well established that impairments in mitochondrial function/regulation contribute to tissue decline with aging. Caloric restriction (CR) and resveratrol (RSV) treatment rodents induces beneficial adaptations tissues such as heart skeletal muscle but whether similar benefits occur fat unknown. Thus, we investigated RSV (50 mg/kg/day; 6 weeks) and/or CR (20% reduced AL; could alter regulation/biogenesis aged rodent adipose (visceral; VIS, epididymal; EPI, brown tissue; BAT). Aged F344xBN...
Sarcopenia is an age‐related loss in muscle mass partially attributable to mitochondrial‐mediated apoptosis. Caloric restriction (CR) and resveratrol (RSV) treatment rodents induces beneficial mitochondrial alterations which may serve suppress sarcopenia. Doxorubicin (DOX) a chemotherapeutic agent that cell death via mitochondria. We investigated whether RSV (50 mg/kg/day; 6 weeks) and/or CR (20% reduced AL; could 1) induce biogenesis, 2) attenuate apoptotic susceptibility and, 3) reduce...
Adipocyte differentiation is a highly regulated process, necessary for metabolic homeostasis and nutrient sensing. The expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) the subsequent transactivation adipogenic genes critical adipogenesis, controlled through coordinated efforts CCAAT‐enhancer‐binding (C/EBP) proteins PPARγ ligand. In this study, we identified lanthionine synthetase C‐like protein 2 (LanCL2), as positive regulator adipogenesis in 3T3‐L1 cells. Knockdown...