Publications by authors named "A F Finzi"
Genome-wide association studies performed in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have uncovered various loci significantly associated with susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease severity. However, the underlying -regulatory genetic factors that contribute to heterogeneity in the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and their impact on clinical phenotypes remain enigmatic. Here, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing to quantify genetic contributions to -regulatory variation in 361,119 peripheral blood mononuclear cells across 63 COVID-19 patients during acute infection, 39 samples collected in the convalescent phase, and 106 healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ability of the HIV-1 accessory proteins Nef and Vpu to decrease CD4 protects infected cells from antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by limiting the exposure of vulnerable epitopes to envelope glycoprotein (Env). Small-molecule CD4 mimetics (CD4mcs) based on piperidine scaffolds represent a new family of agents capable of sensitizing HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC by exposing CD4-induced (CD4i) epitopes on Env that are recognized by non-neutralizing antibodies which are abundant in plasma of people living with HIV. Here, we employed the combined methods of parallel synthesis, structure-based design, and optimization to generate a new line of piperidine-based CD4mcs, which sensitize HIV-1 infected cells to ADCC activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) structure affects the immune response, with "closed" forms evading certain antibodies while "open" forms are vulnerable to others.
- Infected CD4+ T cells show that downmodulation of CD4 occurs before HIV-1 mRNA expression, and these cells mainly express "closed" Envs, resistant to non-neutralizing antibodies (nnAbs).
- The study challenges the effectiveness of nnAbs in targeting productively infected cells for HIV-1 treatment, as attempts with nnAbs did not reduce viral replication in humanized mouse models.
Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) presents a multifaceted etiopathogenesis involving ischemic, inflammatory, and genetic components. This study investigates the correlation between ocular hemodynamics, scleral rigidity (SR), and plasma endothelin-1 (ET1) levels in treatment-naive patients with asymmetrical AMD.
Patients And Methods: This study included 20 treatment-naive patients (12 females and 8 males) with an average age of 76.