Publications by authors named "Debbie Bratt"
Article Synopsis
- Since late 2020, new SARS-CoV-2 variants have frequently appeared, showing differences that may help them evade immunity from past infections.
- The Early Detection group within the NIH's SARS-CoV-2 program utilizes bioinformatics to track these variants' emergence, spread, and traits, highlighting important ones for further study.
- Since April 2021, this group has successfully prioritized variants each month, assisting NIH researchers by providing timely data on SARS-CoV-2 evolution for guiding experiments.
Article Synopsis
- The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants threatens the effectiveness of immunity from previous infections or vaccinations.
- To tackle this issue, the NIH launched the SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) program for real-time assessment of variant risks that might impact transmission and vaccine efficacy.
- The program focuses on gathering and analyzing data on emerging variants and their effects on immunity, using animal models, while also addressing future challenges in monitoring rapidly evolving viruses.
A critical issue in transgene delivery studies is immune reactivity to the transgene- encoded protein and its impact on sustained gene expression. Here, we test the hypothesis that immunomodulation by rapamycin can decrease immune reactivity after intrathecal AAV9 delivery of a transgene (GFP) in non-human primates, resulting in sustained GFP expression in the CNS. We show that rapamycin treatment clearly reduced the overall immunogenicity of the AAV9/GFP vector by lowering GFP- and AAV9-specific antibody responses, and decreasing T cell responses including cytokine and cytolytic effector responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and the liver are exposed to microbes and microbial products from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, making them immunologically unique. The GI tract and associated MLN are sites of early viral replication in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the MLN are likely important reservoir sites that harbor latently-infected cells even after prolonged antiretroviral therapy (ART). The liver has been shown to play a significant role in immune responses to lentiviruses and appears to play a significant role in clearance of virus from circulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlike peripheral lymph nodes (PLN), the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) draining the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are exposed to microbes and microbial products from the intestines and as such, are immunologically distinct. GI draining (MLN) have also been shown to be sites of early viral replication and likely impact early events that determine the course of HIV infection. They also are important reservoir sites that harbor latently-infected cells and from which the virus can emerge even after prolonged combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).
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