Macrophage migration inhibitory factor enhances influenza-associated mortality in mice.

Influenza-associated mortality continues to occur annually despite available antiviral therapies. New therapies that improve host immunity could reduce influenza virus disease burden. Targeting macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has improved the outcomes of certain inflammatory diseases, but its role in influenza viral infection is unclear.

Influenza virus inoculum volume is critical to elucidate age-dependent mortality in mice.

The elderly exhibit increased mortality to influenza viral infection for unclear reasons. Mice are frequently used to model how aging impacts disease. Several studies have shown that aged mice exhibit an increased mortality to influenza virus, but two recent studies demonstrated the opposite.

Excessive neutrophil levels in the lung underlie the age-associated increase in influenza mortality.

Neutrophils clear viruses, but excessive neutrophil responses induce tissue injury and worsen disease. Aging increases mortality to influenza infection; however, whether this is due to impaired viral clearance or a pathological host immune response is unknown. Here we show that aged mice have higher levels of lung neutrophils than younger mice after influenza viral infection.

Aging Impairs Alveolar Macrophage Phagocytosis and Increases Influenza-Induced Mortality in Mice.

Influenza viral infections often lead to increased mortality in older people. However, the mechanisms by which aging impacts immunity to influenza lung infection remain unclear. We employed a murine model of influenza infection to identify these mechanisms.

Aging and the immune response to organ transplantation.

An increasing number of older people receive organ transplants for various end-stage conditions. Although organ transplantation is an effective therapy for older patients (i.e.

Gold nanoparticles to improve HIV drug delivery.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved lifespan and quality of life of patients infected with the HIV-1. However, ART has several potential limitations, including the development of drug resistance and suboptimal penetration to selected anatomic compartments. Improving the delivery of antiretroviral molecules could overcome several of the limitations of current ART.

Nanoscale structure-activity relationships, mode of action, and biocompatibility of gold nanoparticle antibiotics.

The emergence of resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents by pathogenic bacteria has become a significant global public health threat. Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria have become particularly problematic, as no new classes of small-molecule antibiotics for Gram-negative bacteria have emerged in over two decades. We have developed a combinatorial screening process for identifying mixed ligand monolayer/gold nanoparticle conjugates (2.

Gastrointestinal bioavailability of 2.0 nm diameter gold nanoparticles.

The use of gold nanoparticles as imaging agents and therapeutic delivery systems is growing rapidly. However, a significant limitation of gold nanoparticles currently is their low absorption efficiencies in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract following oral administration. In an attempt to identify ligands that facilitate gold nanoparticle absorption in the GI tract, we have studied the oral bioavailability of 2.