A5039527047- Ocular Surface and Contact Lens
- Corneal Surgery and Treatments
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Corneal surgery and disorders
- T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization
- Retinal Diseases and Treatments
- Mast cells and histamine
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Dermatology and Skin Diseases
- Angiogenesis and VEGF in Cancer
- Glaucoma and retinal disorders
- Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
- Retinal Development and Disorders
- Ocular Infections and Treatments
- Immune Response and Inflammation
- Immune cells in cancer
- melanin and skin pigmentation
- Lymphatic System and Diseases
- Urticaria and Related Conditions
- Glioma Diagnosis and Treatment
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
- Immune responses and vaccinations
Duke University
2016-2025
Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute
2025
University of Miami
2025
Duke Medical Center
2014-2024
Duke University Hospital
2019-2024
Durham Technical Community College
2023
Eye Center
2013-2022
University Hospital Regensburg
2021
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
2008-2018
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
2008-2018
Dry eye disease (DED), an inflammatory autoimmune disorder affecting the ocular surface, degrades visual performance and quality of life >10 million people in United States alone. The primary limitation effective treatment DED is incomplete understanding its specific cellular molecular pathogenic elements. Using a validated mouse model DED, herein we functionally characterize different T cell subsets, including regulatory cells (Tregs) effector cells, determine their contribution to...
Outer retinal degenerations, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are characterized by photoreceptor and pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy. In these blinding diseases, macrophages accumulate at atrophic sites, but their ontogeny niche specialization remain poorly understood, especially in humans. We uncovered a unique profile of microglia, marked galectin-3 upregulation, sites mouse models human AMD. disease models, conditional deletion microglia led to phagocytosis defects...
SUMMARY Intraocular pressure is tightly regulated by the conventional outflow tissues, preventing ocular hypertension that leads to neurodegeneration of optic nerve, or glaucoma. Although macrophages reside throughout tract, their role in regulating intraocular remains unknown. Using macrophage lineage tracing approaches, we uncovered a dual ontogeny with distinct spatial organizations across mouse lifespan. Long-lived, resident tissue concentrated trabecular meshwork and Schlemm’s canal,...
Abstract Foxp3 expressing CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to prevent allograft rejection in clinical and animal models of transplantation. However, the role regulating Treg function, kinetics mechanism action Tregs inducing tolerance transplantation, are still not fully understood. Thus, we investigated function a mouse model orthotopic corneal most common form tissue grafting worldwide. In this study, using vitro functional assays vivo adoptive transfer assays, show...
Lymphangiogenesis plays an important role in tumor metastasis and transplant outcome. Here, we show that thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a multifunctional extracellular matrix protein naturally occurring inhibitor of angiogenesis inhibits lymphangiogenesis mice. Compared with wild-type mice, 6-mo-old TSP-1–deficient mice develop increased spontaneous corneal lymphangiogenesis. Similarly, model inflammation-induced neovascularization, young exacerbated lymphangiogenesis, which can be reversed by...
Dry eye disease (DED) is associated with ocular surface inflammation that thought to be mediated primarily by CD4 T cells. The purpose of this study was investigate whether cell-mediated immune response generated in the lymphoid compartment and characterize functional phenotype cells activated DED.DED induced female C57BL/6 mice exposure a desiccating environment controlled chamber systemic scopolamine. from regional draining lymph nodes (LNs) DED normally sighted were analyzed for...
Resolvins and lipoxins are lipid mediators generated from essential polyunsaturated fatty acids that the first dual anti-inflammatory pro-resolving signals identified in resolution phase of inflammation. Here authors investigated potential aspirin-triggered lipoxin (LX) A4 analog (ATLa), resolving (Rv) D1, RvE1, regulating angiogenesis a murine model.ATLa RvE1 receptor expression was tested different corneal cell populations by RT-PCR. Corneal neovascularization (CNV) induced suture or...
Complement factor H (CFH) is a major susceptibility gene for age-related macular degeneration (AMD); however, its impact on AMD pathobiology unresolved. Here, the role of CFH in development pathology vivo was interrogated by analyzing aged Cfh(+/-) and Cfh(-/-) mice fed high-fat, cholesterol-enriched diet. Strikingly, decreased levels led to increased sub-retinal pigmented epithelium (sub-RPE) deposit formation, specifically basal laminar deposits, following high-fat Mechanistically, our...
Neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) is a corneal degeneration associated with nerve dysfunction. It can cause epithelial defects, stromal thinning, and perforation. However, it not clear if to which extent stem cells are affected in NK. The purpose of this study was identify the relationship between corneolimbal progenitor/stem sensory nerves using denervated mouse model NK.NK induced mice by electrocoagulation ophthalmic branch trigeminal nerve. absence confirmed β-III tubulin immunostaining...
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) can be associated with significant morbidity, in part because of nonreversible fibrosis, which impacts physical functioning (eye, skin, lung manifestations) and mortality (lung, gastrointestinal manifestations). Progress preventing severe morbidity chronic GVHD is limited by a complex incompletely understood biology lack prognostic biomarkers. Likewise, treatment advances for highly morbid manifestations remain hindered the absence effective...
Abstract SARS-CoV-2 infection has been shown to trigger a wide spectrum of immune responses and clinical manifestations in human hosts. Here, we sought elucidate novel aspects the host response through RNA sequencing peripheral blood samples from 46 subjects with COVID-19 directly comparing them seasonal coronavirus, influenza, bacterial pneumonia, healthy controls. Early triggers powerful transcriptomic conserved components that are heavily interferon-driven but also marked by indicators...
To investigate the ability of bevacizumab to penetrate cornea after topical application or subconjunctival injection.Bevacizumab 1% was topically applied three times a day corneas mice (BALB/c) with intact (n = 14), and corneal neovascularization 14). Animals were euthanized at 1, 6, 12, 24 hours, 2, 4, 7 days for immunohistochemical analyses. Donkey anti-human IgG labeled Cy3 used immunoreactivity detection. Additionally, one-time tested in denuded epithelium 16). In another group 16),...
To investigate whether corneal graft survival could be improved by topical or subconjunctival bevacizumab in a murine model of vascularized high-risk transplantation.Before transplantation, intrastromal sutures were placed for 2 weeks the corneas BALB/c mice, inducing intense angiogenesis. Allogeneic transplantation was performed using C57BL/6 donor mice. Topical (2.5%) delivered 3 times day one treatment group, and 0.02 mL (0.5 mg) injected subconjunctivally at days 0, 4, 8, 15 after other...
In addition to Langerhans cells (LCs), other dendritic (CD11c(+)) have recently been shown express Langerin (c-type lectin). skin, (non-LC) Langerin+ initiate adaptive immunity. However, whether such (DC) reside in the cornea, an immune-privileged tissue, is unknown.Normal C57BL/6 corneas were harvested for qRT-PCR analyses of expression epithelium versus stroma. Immunohistochemistry was also performed. Single-cell preparations stroma FACS analyzed CD11c, CD11b, and CD103 expression....
During aging, microglia produce inflammatory factors, show reduced tissue surveillance, altered interactions with synapses, and prolonged responses to CNS insults, positioning these cells have profound impact on the function of nearby neurons. We others recently showed that microglial attributes differ significantly across brain regions in young adult mice. However, degree which properties vary during aging is largely unexplored. Here, we analyze manipulate within basal ganglia, circuits...
NK cells have been increasingly reported to be an important effector in autoimmune diseases. However, nothing is known this regard DED, the most common eye pathology, which characterized by sustained inflammation on ocular surface. In present study, we examined profile of surface as well draining lymphoid tissues during development disease. Our data demonstrate activated disease-induction phase. Moreover, vivo depletion mice results reduced disease severity and diminished proinflammatory...
By using pseudorabies virus expressing green fluorescence protein, we found that efferent bone marrow-neural connections trace to sympathetic centers of the central nervous system in normal mice. However, this was markedly reduced type 1 diabetes, suggesting a significant loss marrow innervation. This innervation associated with change hematopoiesis toward generation more monocytes and an altered diurnal release rodents patients diabetes. In hypothalamus granular insular cortex mice...
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication secondary to diabetes and the number one cause of blindness among working age individuals worldwide. Despite recent therapeutic breakthroughs using pharmacotherapy, cure for DR has yet be realized. Several clinical trials have highlighted vital role dyslipidemia plays in progression DR. Additionally, it recently been shown that activation Liver X receptor (LXRα/LXRβ) prevents diabetic animal models. LXRs are nuclear receptors play key roles...
Significance The function of progressive rod-cone degeneration (PRCD) protein has remained a mystery since its gene and associated mutation were discovered as one the most common causes retinal in dogs. Furthermore, numerous mutations have been identified to cause human patients diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. Here, we generated PRCD knockout mouse found that functions at site photoreceptor disc morphogenesis where it is required keep newly forming discs flat they protrude from plasma...