Publications by authors named "Andrew McNamara"

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the USA. It is established that neuroinflammation contributes to the synaptic loss, neuronal death, and symptomatic decline of AD patients. Accumulating evidence suggests a critical role for microglia, innate immune phagocytes of the brain.

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Due to their limited genetic capacity, viruses are reliant on multiple host systems to replicate successfully. Mammalian orthoreovirus (reovirus) is commonly used as a model system for understanding host-virus interactions. In this study, we identify that the proteasome system, which is critical for cellular protein turnover, affects reovirus entry.

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Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. It is established that neuroinflammation contributes to the synaptic loss, neuronal death, and symptomatic decline of AD patients. Accumulating evidence suggests a critical role for microglia, innate immune phagocytes of the brain.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers found that mSWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes, especially cBAF, help SARS-CoV-2 infect host cells and could be targeted for new therapies.
  • The protein SMARCA4 is crucial for making the ACE2 gene accessible, which is important for the virus to enter cells, with certain transcription factors assisting in this process.
  • Using small molecules to inhibit mSWI/SNF activity can prevent ACE2 expression, offering protection against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants across various cell types, which suggests a promising approach for developing antivirals.
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Although COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, multiple pathogenic coronavirus species exist, urging on development of multispecies coronavirus vaccines. Here we develop prototype lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mRNA vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2 Delta, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, and we test how multiplexing LNP-mRNAs can induce effective immune responses in animal models. Triplex and duplex LNP-mRNA vaccinations induce antigen-specific antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV.

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Immune responses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines in primary antibody deficiencies (PADs) are largely unknown. We investigated antibody and CD4 T-cell responses specific for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S) before and after vaccination and associations between vaccine response and patients' clinical and immunological characteristics in PADs. The PAD cohort consisted of common variable immune deficiency (CVID) and other PADs, not meeting the criteria for CVID diagnosis (oPADs).

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The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 recently swept the globe and showed high level of immune evasion. Here, we generate an Omicron-specific lipid nanoparticle (LNP) mRNA vaccine candidate, and test its activity in animals, both alone and as a heterologous booster to WT mRNA vaccine. Our Omicron-specific LNP-mRNA vaccine elicits strong antibody response in vaccination-naïve mice.

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Viral antagonism of innate immune pathways is a common mechanism by which viruses evade immune surveillance. Infection of host cells with reovirus leads to the blockade of NF-κB, a key transcriptional regulator of the hosts' innate immune response. One mechanism by which reovirus infection results in inhibition of NF-κB is through a diminishment in levels of upstream activators, IKKβ and NEMO.

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The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has high transmissibility and recently swept the globe. Due to the extensive number of mutations, this variant has high level of immune evasion, which drastically reduced the efficacy of existing antibodies and vaccines. Thus, it is important to test an Omicron-specific vaccine, evaluate its immune response against Omicron and other variants, and compare its immunogenicity as boosters with existing vaccine designed against the reference wildtype virus (WT).

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Objectives: Performing an examination under general anesthesia (EUA) using dynamic stress fluoroscopy of patients with posterior wall acetabular fractures has been used as a tool to determine hip stability and the need for surgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to further evaluate the effectiveness of this technique, from a source other than its primary advocates, in patients with posterior wall acetabular fractures less than or equal to 50% who were stable on EUA and treated nonoperatively.

Design: Retrospective case series.

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Infection of host cells by mammalian reovirus in culture or in tissues of infected animals results in cell death. Cell death of infected neurons and myocytes contributes to the pathogenesis of reovirus-induced encephalitis and myocarditis in a newborn mouse model. Thus, reovirus-induced cell death has been used to investigate the basis of viral disease.

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Viruses commonly antagonize innate immune pathways that are primarily driven by nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), interferon regulatory factor (IRF), and the signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (STAT) family of transcription factors. Such a strategy allows viruses to evade immune surveillance and maximize their replication. Using an unbiased transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq)-based approach to measure gene expression induced by transfected viral genomic RNA (vgRNA) and reovirus infection, we discovered that mammalian reovirus inhibits host cell innate immune signaling.

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Friction blisters are a common sequela of many athletic activities. Their significance can range from minor annoyance to major performance disruptions. The latter is particularly true in baseball pitchers, who sustain repeated trauma between the baseball seams and the fingers of the pitching hand, predominately at the tips of the index and long fingers.

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The current state of our health care system is analogous to the status of science that Kuhn describes as "a proliferation of compelling articulations, the willingness to try anything, the expression of explicit discontent, the recourse to philosophy and to debate over fundamentals" [27]. ACOs represent a paradigm shift in the way health care is delivered. As with any dramatic public policy change, ethical issues will arise.

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The p53 tumor suppressor gene (TP53) is reported to be mutated in nearly half of all tumors and plays a central role in genome integrity. Detection of mutations in p53 can be accomplished by many assays, including the AmpliChip p53 Research Test. The AmpliChip p53 Research Test has been successfully used to determine p53 status in hematologic malignancies and fresh frozen solid tissues but there are few reports of using the assay with formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.

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Objectives: Performing an examination under general anesthesia (EUA) using dynamic stress fluoroscopy of patients with posterior wall acetabular fractures has been used as a tool to determine hip stability and the need for surgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to further evaluate the effectiveness of this technique, from a source other than its primary advocates, in patients with posterior wall acetabular fractures less than or equal to 50% who were stable on EUA and treated nonoperatively.

Design: Retrospective case series.

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Experimentally naïve rats acquired lever pressing with delayed reinforcement when the immediate programmed consequence for lever pressing was the simultaneous retraction of two identical levers. Presses on one lever also produced access to sweetened condensed milk after a delay of 10s following retraction. Presses on the second lever resulted in retraction only.

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Hypothesis: The addition of drotrecogin alfa (DA), an anti-inflammatory useful in septic shock, to standard burn shock resuscitation fluids will protect burned, injured skin from further injury.

Methods: Anesthetized animals were subjected to a standardized burn pattern by applying a branding iron to 10 different locations on the back of the rat for 1 seconds to 14 seconds, creating a range of burn depths and severities.

Design: Animal burn shock and resuscitation model.

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The present study dissected the role of a Th2 bias in pathogenesis of Cryptococcus neoformans H99 infection by comparing inhalational H99 infections in wild-type BALB/c and IL-4/IL-13 double knockout mice. H99-infected wild-type mice showed all major hallmarks of Th2 but not Th1/Th17 immunity in the lungs and lung-associated lymph nodes. In contrast, the IL-4/13(-/-) mice developed robust hallmarks of Th1 and Th17 but not Th2 polarization.

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Background: The cellular processes that contribute to cell death in burns are poorly understood. This study evaluated the distribution and extent of apoptosis in an established rat model of acute dermal burn injury.

Materials And Methods: A branding iron (100 degrees C) was applied to the depilated dorsum of seven rats, creating burn contact times of 1-8, 10, 12, and 14 s.

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Zinc-finger protein transcription factors (ZFP TFs) can be designed to control the expression of any desired target gene, and thus provide potential therapeutic tools for the study and treatment of disease. Here we report that a ZFP TF can repress target gene expression with single-gene specificity within the human genome. A ZFP TF repressor that binds an 18-bp recognition sequence within the promoter of the endogenous CHK2 gene gives a >10-fold reduction in CHK2 mRNA and protein.

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Acoustic cavitation has been shown to load drugs, proteins and DNA into viable cells as a complex function of acoustic and nonacoustic parameters. To better understand and quantify this functionality, DU145 prostate cancer cell suspensions at different cell concentrations (2.5 x 10(5) to 4.

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DNA methylation is now seen as a primary signal in the cell for mediating transcriptional repression through chromatin formation. The construction and evaluation of enzymes capable of influencing this process in vivo is therefore of significant interest. We have fused the C5-cytosine DNA methyltransferases, M.

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Ultrasound has been shown to deliver small compounds, macromolecules, and DNA into cells, which suggests potential applications in drug and gene delivery. However, the effect of molecular size on intracellular uptake has not been quantified. This study measured the effect of molecule size (calcein, 623 Da; bovine serum albumin, 66 kDa; and two dextrans, 42 and 464 kDa) on molecular uptake and cell viability in DU145 prostate cancer cells exposed to 500 kHz ultrasound.

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