Publications by authors named "B A Samad"
Current efforts investigating parturition timing mechanisms have focused on the proximal triggers of labor onset generated in late pregnancy. By studying the delayed parturition phenotype of mice with uterine fibroblast deficiencies in the histone H3K27me3 demethylase KDM6B, we provide evidence that parturition timing is regulated by events that take place in early pregnancy. Immediately after copulation, uterine fibroblasts engage in a locus-specific epigenetic program that abruptly adjusts H3K27me3 levels across their genome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCD206 is a common marker of a putative immunosuppressive "M2" state in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). We made a novel conditional CD206 (Mrc1) knock-in mouse to specifically visualize and/or deplete CD206+ TAMs. Early depletion of CD206+ macrophages and monocytes (Mono/Macs) led to the indirect loss of conventional type I dendritic cells (cDC1), CD8 T cells, and NK cells in tumors.
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- SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets myeloid populations, particularly human alveolar macrophages, in the lungs, where ACE2 expression allows viral entry and infection.
- The infection of these macrophages results in the production of more viruses while evading strong interferon responses, making it harder for the immune system to detect and combat the virus.
- This hidden viral reservoir in lung myeloid cells during the early stages of infection facilitates viral growth and may contribute to immune-related complications.
Article Synopsis
- Tumor progression leads to fibrosis, which involves excessive buildup of extracellular matrix and reduces immune cell infiltration, particularly affecting CD8 T cells.
- Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) adapt to the stiff fibrotic environment by promoting collagen production through signaling from transforming growth factor-β.
- This collagen production by TAMs creates a challenging metabolic environment that limits the effectiveness of CD8 T cells, hindering their ability to mount strong antitumor responses in breast cancer patients.
The bone marrow is the main site of blood cell production in adults, however, rare pools of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with self-renewal and differentiation potential have been found in extramedullary organs. The lung is primarily known for its role in gas exchange but has recently been described as a site of blood production in mice. Here, we show that functional hematopoietic precursors reside in the extravascular spaces of the human lung, at a frequency similar to the bone marrow, and are capable of proliferation and engraftment.
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