A5036025679- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction
- Polyomavirus and related diseases
- Full-Duplex Wireless Communications
- Malaria Research and Control
- Sperm and Testicular Function
- Energy Harvesting in Wireless Networks
- Inflammasome and immune disorders
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Inflammation biomarkers and pathways
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Selenium in Biological Systems
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Global Maternal and Child Health
- Infectious Encephalopathies and Encephalitis
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- HIV Research and Treatment
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2015-2025
University of Hawaii System
2004-2017
National Institute of Immunology
1998-2004
Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya
1990-1991
Selenoprotein K (Sel K) is a selenium-containing protein for which no function has been identified. We found that Sel an endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane expressed at relatively high levels in immune cells and regulated by dietary selenium. K(-/-) mice were generated to be similar wild-type controls regarding growth fertility. Immune system development was not affected deletion, but specific cell defects mice. Receptor-mediated Ca(2+) flux decreased T cells, neutrophils, macrophages from...
West Nile virus (WNV) encephalitis is characterized by neuroinflammation, neuronal loss and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. However, the mechanisms associated with BBB disruption are unclear. Complex interactions between tight junction proteins (TJP) adherens (AJP) of brain microvascular endothelial cells responsible for maintaining integrity. Herein, we relationship expression kinetics key TJP, AJP matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in mice brain. A dramatic increase permeability...
Confirmed reports of Zika virus (ZIKV) in human seminal fluid for months after the clearance viremia suggest ability ZIKV to establish persistent infection seminiferous tubules, an immune-privileged site testis protected by blood-testis barrier, also called Sertoli cell (SC) barrier (SCB). However, cellular targets and mechanisms which enters tubules remain unclear. We demonstrate that primary SCs were highly susceptible compared closely related dengue induced expression alpha interferon...
ABSTRACT West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that has emerged globally as significant cause of viral encephalitis in humans. The WNV-induced innate immune response, including production antiviral cytokines, critical for controlling infection. adaptor protein ASC mediates step signaling by bridging the interaction between pathogen recognition receptors and caspase 1 inflammasome complexes, but its role WNV immunopathogenesis not defined. Here, we demonstrate essential...
Expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, receptor severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is high in the testes, therefore SARS-CoV-2 infection and its association with male reproductive health should be investigated disease 2019 patients.
Zika virus (ZIKV) is unique among mosquito-borne flaviviruses in its ability to be sexually transmitted. Persistent ZIKV infection the testes, which are immune privileged organs, long after peripheral clearance suggests involvement of immunosuppressive pathways; however, underlying mechanisms remain undetermined. We recently demonstrated that infects human Sertoli cells (SC), major cell type seminiferous epithelium responsible for maintaining compartment tubules. Recent reports have...
Compromised male reproductive health, including reduced testosterone and sperm count, is one of the long COVID symptoms in individuals recovering from mild-severe disease. COVID-19 patients display testicular injury acute stage altered serum fertility markers recovery phase, however, long-term implications on testis remain unknown. This study characterized consequences SARS-CoV-2 function. The K18-hACE2 mice that survived infection were followed for month after function assessed at different...
Studies of the most immature T cell progenitors in human thymus have been hampered by lack markers and assays that define these cells. In this report we used a novel fetal thymic organ culture system to determine potential precursors isolated from postnatal thymus, differentiate into CD3+ thymocytes, investigate early stages development. It was found thymocytes CD3, CD4, CD8 (triple negative [TN]) can an allogeneic organotypic culture. The capacity TN exclusively confined CD34+ population....
WNV-associated encephalitis (WNVE) is characterized by increased production of pro-inflammatory mediators, glial cells activation and eventual loss neurons. WNV infection neurons rapidly progressive destructive whereas non-neuronal brain limited. However, the role pathological consequences cytokines released as a result unclear. Therefore, objective this study was to examine key secreted WNV-infected in mediating neuroinflammatory markers neuronal death.A transformed human neuroblastoma cell...
Diabetes is a significant risk factor for developing West Nile virus (WNV)-associated encephalitis (WNVE) in humans, the leading cause of arboviral United States. Using diabetic mouse model (db/db), we recently demonstrated that diabetes enhanced WNV replication and susceptibility mice to WNVE. Herein, have examined immunological events brain wild type (WT) db/db after infection. We hypothesized WNV-induced migration protective leukocytes into attenuated presence diabetes, high viral load...
The 2015–2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic, resulting in >1.5 million cases the Americas, emerged as a global threat to public health due unique findings of sexual and utero transmission...
Characterizing the mechanisms by which West Nile virus (WNV) causes blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, leukocyte infiltration into brain and neuroinflammation is important to understand pathogenesis of WNV encephalitis. Here, we examined role endothelial cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in mediating transendothelial migration leukocytes across human microvascular cells (HBMVE). Infection with (NY99 strain) significantly induced ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin infected mice brain, although levels...
Ebola virus (EBOV), a member of the Filoviridae family, causes most severe form viral hemorrhagic fever. Although no FDA licensed vaccine or treatment against disease (EVD) is currently available, glycoprotein (GP) major antigen used in all candidate vaccines. Recent reports protection as quickly within 6 days administration rVSV-based expressing EBOV GP before robust humoral responses were generated suggests that innate immune elicited early after vaccination may contribute to protection....
Clinicoepidemiological data suggest that type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of West Nile virus encephalitis (WNVE). However, no experimental studies have elucidated the role in WNV neuropathogenesis. Herein, we employed db/db mouse model to understand immunopathogenesis diabetics. Nine-week old C57BL/6 WT and mice were inoculated mortality, burden periphery brain, antiviral defense responses analyzed. highly susceptible disease, exhibited tissue tropism mortality than...
The hallmark of severe COVID-19 involves systemic cytokine storm and multi-organ injury including testicular inflammation, reduced testosterone, germ cell depletion. ACE2 receptor is also expressed in the resident cells, however, SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanisms are not fully understood. could be initiated by direct virus or exposure to inflammatory mediators viral antigens. We characterized different human 2D 3D culture systems primary Sertoli Leydig mixed seminiferous tubule cells (STC),...
Confirmed reports of Zika virus (ZIKV) in seminal fluid months after clearance viremia suggests that ZIKV can establish persistent infection the seminiferous tubules, an immune privileged site testis. The tubule epithelium is mainly composed Sertoli cells function to nourish and protect developing germ cells. We recently demonstrated primary human (hSeC) were highly susceptible as compared dengue without causing cell death thus may act a reservoir for testes. However, cellular responses hSeC...
Sexual transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) is associated with persistence in the testes and shedding seminal fluid for months after recovery. We previously demonstrated that ZIKV can establish long-term replication without causing cytotoxicity human Sertoli cells (SC), responsible maintaining immune privileged compartment seminiferous tubules. Functional gene expression analyses also predicted activation multiple sensing pathways including TLR3, RIG-I, MDA5. Here, we elucidated which RNA...