Publications by authors named "Alma Villasenor"

Rationale: Biologics are becoming increasingly important in the management of severe asthma. However, little is known about the systemic immunometabolic consequences of Th2 response blockage.

Objectives: To provide a better immunometabolic understanding of the effects of mepolizumab and omalizumab treatments by identifying potential biomarkers for monitoring.

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Macrophages in the B cell lymphoma microenvironment represent a functional node in progression and therapeutic response. We assessed metabolic regulation of macrophages in the context of therapeutic antibody-mediated phagocytosis. Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) inhibition induces increased phagocytic lymphoma cell clearance by macrophages in vitro, in primary human chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patient co-cultures, and in mouse models.

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Background: The pathological mechanism of the gastrointestinal forms of food allergies is less understood in comparison to other clinical phenotypes, such as asthma and anaphylaxis Importantly, high-IgE levels are a poor prognostic factor in gastrointestinal allergies.

Methods: This study investigated how high-IgE levels influence the development of intestinal inflammation and the metabolome in allergic enteritis (AE), using IgE knock-in (IgEki) mice expressing high levels of IgE. In addition, correlation of the altered metabolome with gut microbiome was analysed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Allergic diseases, starting early in life, create a chronic inflammatory environment that is linked to metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risks, but the exact mechanisms are still unclear.
  • Researchers conducted experiments using a mouse model and various methods to study how allergic inflammation impacts lipid metabolism, specifically focusing on triglyceride levels and gene expression related to fat metabolism.
  • The findings indicate that allergic inflammation leads to a specific lipid profile and increased triglycerides in the blood, primarily driven by IgG-mediated responses rather than traditional T-cell reactions.
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The human gut microbiome establishes and matures during infancy, and dysregulation at this stage may lead to pathologies later in life. We conducted a multi-omics study comprising three generations of family members to investigate the early development of the gut microbiota. Fecal samples from 200 individuals, including infants (0-12 months old; 55% females, 45% males) and their respective mothers and grandmothers, were analyzed using two independent metabolomics platforms and metagenomics.

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Pectins are dietary fibers that are attributed with several beneficial immunomodulatory effects. Depending on the degree of esterification (DE), pectins can be classified as high methoxyl pectin (HMP) or low methoxyl pectin (LMP). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pectin methyl-esterification on intestinal microbiota and its immunomodulatory properties in naive mice.

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This study investigated the efficacy of the two FDA-approved bone anabolic ligands of the parathyroid hormone receptor 1 (PTH1R), teriparatide or human parathyroid hormone 1-34 (PTH) and abaloparatide (ABL), to restoring skeletal health using a preclinical murine model of streptozotocin-induced T1-DM. Intermittent daily subcutaneous injections of equal molar doses (12 pmoles/g/day) of PTH (50 ng/g/day), ABL (47.5 ng/g/day), or vehicle, were administered for 28 days to 5-month-old C57Bl/6 J male mice with established T1-DM or control (C) mice.

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The resolution of inflammation is a complex process that is critical for removing inflammatory cells and restoring tissue function. The dysregulation of these mechanisms leads to chronic inflammatory disorders. Platelets, essential cells for preserving homeostasis, are thought to play a role in inflammation as they are a source of immunomodulatory factors.

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Background: Antibodies to lipids are part of the first line of defense against microorganisms and regulate the pro/anti-inflammatory balance. Viruses modulate cellular lipid metabolism to enhance their replication, and some of these metabolites are proinflammatory. We hypothesized that antibodies to lipids would play a main role of in the defense against SARS-CoV-2 and thus, they would also avoid the hyperinflammation, a main problem in severe condition patients.

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Background: Mechanisms causing the onset and perpetuation of inflammation in severe allergic patients remain unknown. Our previous studies suggested that severe allergic inflammation is linked to platelet dysfunction.

Methods: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) samples were obtained by platelet-apheresis from severe (n = 7) and mild (n = 10) allergic patients and nonallergic subjects (n = 9) to perform platelet lipidomics by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and RNA-seq analysis.

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Asthma is a multifactorial, heterogeneous disease that has a challenging management. It can be divided in non-allergic and allergic (usually associated with house dust mites (HDM) sensitization). There are several treatments options for asthma (corticosteroids, bronchodilators, antileukotrienes, anticholinergics,…); however, there is a subset of patients that do not respond to any of the treatments, who can display either a T2 or a non-T2 phenotype.

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The transition from mild to severe allergic phenotypes is still poorly understood and there is an urgent need of incorporating new therapies, accompanied by personalized diagnosis approaches. This work presents the development of a novel targeted metabolomic methodology for the analysis of 36 metabolites related to allergic inflammation, including mostly sphingolipids, lysophospholipids, amino acids, and those of energy metabolism previously identified in non-targeted studies. The methodology consisted of two complementary chromatography methods, HILIC and reversed-phase.

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Article Synopsis
  • * AIT involves a short-term desensitization of mast cells and a long-term regulatory T cell response, benefiting around 70% of patients for up to 3 years after stopping treatment.
  • * Challenges of AIT include its lengthy duration, possible allergic reactions during treatment, and variable effectiveness; understanding its immunology better, along with using omics strategies, may help identify patient-specific responses and predict who will benefit from AIT.
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Article Synopsis
  • Allergic diseases are immunological disorders triggered by allergens, leading to type 2 immunity and IgE responses, with a rising prevalence similar to cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
  • CVD often stems from atherosclerosis, characterized by endothelial dysfunction and Th1 inflammation, raising questions about the relationship between allergic conditions and heart health.
  • The review explores the phases of allergic pathology, immunological mechanisms of atherosclerosis, and the complex clinical connections between allergic diseases (like asthma and food allergies) and CVD, including the role of various immune cells and mediators in these conditions.
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Allergic diseases and asthma are heterogenous chronic inflammatory conditions with several distinct complex endotypes. Both environmental and genetic factors can influence the development and progression of allergy. Complex pathogenetic pathways observed in allergic disorders present a challenge in patient management and successful targeted treatment strategies.

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Article Synopsis
  • Zilpaterol is a compound that helps cattle lose fat and gain muscle, benefiting farmers economically, but poses potential health risks to humans due to its residues.
  • A new, highly specific method using Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) with LC-MS/MS has been developed to detect zilpaterol residues in cattle tissues like plasma, muscle, liver, and kidney.
  • The method was validated with a recovery rate of over 97% and found that it is safe for humans to consume cattle tissues after a 4-day withdrawal period from zilpaterol supplementation.
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Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most malignant central nervous system tumor types. Comparative analysis of GBM tissues has rendered four major molecular subtypes. From them, two molecular subtypes are mainly found in their glioblastoma cancer stem-like cells (GSCs) derived : proneural (PN) and mesenchymal (MES) with nodular (MES-N) and semi-nodular (MES-SN) disseminations, which exhibit different metabolic, growth, and malignancy properties.

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Background: Asthma is a complex, multifactorial disease often linked with sensitization to house dust mites (HDM). There is a subset of patients that does not respond to available treatments, who present a higher number of exacerbations and a worse quality of life. To understand the mechanisms of poor asthma control and disease severity, we aim to elucidate the metabolic and immunologic routes underlying this specific phenotype and the associated clinical features.

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Background: Several studies have shown a correlation between an altered metabolome and respiratory allergies. The epithelial barrier hypothesis proposes that an epithelial barrier dysfunction can result in allergic diseases development. Der p 1 allergen from house dust mite is a renowned epithelial barrier disruptor and allergy initiator due to its cysteine-protease activity.

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There is increasing evidence that the metabolic status of T cells and macrophages is associated with severe phenotypes of chronic inflammation, including allergic inflammation. Metabolic changes in immune cells have a crucial role in their inflammatory or regulatory responses. This notion is reinforced by metabolic diseases influencing global energy metabolism, such as diabetes or obesity, which are known risk factors of severity in inflammatory conditions, due to the metabolic-associated inflammation present in these patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • Despite rising cases of anaphylaxis, effective biomarkers and understanding of its molecular mechanisms are still lacking, making diagnosis challenging.
  • This study analyzed serum samples from 18 patients experiencing anaphylactic episodes to observe metabolic changes related to different triggers (food or drug) and severity (moderate or severe).
  • Findings revealed distinct metabolic patterns depending on the type and severity of anaphylaxis, suggesting potential pathways for developing diagnostic tools based on specific metabolites like glucose, lipids, and cortisol.
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Membrane lipids (sphingolipids, glycerophospholipids, cardiolipins, and cholesteryl esters) are critical in cellular functions. Alterations in the levels of oxidized counterparts of some of these lipids have been linked to the onset and development of many pathologies. Unfortunately, the scarce commercial availability of chemically defined oxidized lipids is a limitation for accurate quantitative analysis, characterization of oxidized composition, or testing their biological effects in lipidomic studies.

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Asthma is a major non-communicable disease characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing [...

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Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is characterized by persistent symptoms associated to the development of nasal polyps. To this day, the molecular mechanisms involved are still not well defined. However, it has been suggested that a sustained inflammation as allergy is involved in its onset.

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