Publications by authors named "Dominique Bloemker"
There is an urgent global need for a safe macrofilaricide drug to accelerate elimination of the neglected tropical diseases onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. From an anti-infective compound library, the macrolide veterinary antibiotic, tylosin A, was identified as a hit against This bacterial endosymbiont is required for filarial worm viability and fertility and is a validated target for macrofilaricidal drugs. Medicinal chemistry was undertaken to develop tylosin A analogs with improved oral bioavailability.
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- Several lines of evidence suggest the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) could play a role in retroviral infections, but data is limited and inconsistent.
- Infection with Friend virus (FV) led to a significant temporary drop in noradrenaline (NA) levels in the spleen, coinciding with viral-induced spleen enlargement.
- Inhibiting enzymes that degrade catecholamines reduced viral load and spleen size, while prior removal of sympathetic nerves worsened the infection, highlighting the importance of NA in influencing retroviral disease progression.
Article Synopsis
- * Chronic infection with L.s. leads to better survival rates from sepsis induced by E. coli, as it enhances bacterial clearance and reduces markers of inflammation by modulating macrophage activity.
- * The beneficial effects of L.s. on sepsis are mediated through macrophages and require TLR2 signaling; this suggests that helminths and their components could be valuable for enhancing immune responses against severe bacterial infections.
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays a crucial role in the course and development of autoimmune disease in Fas-deficient lpr/lpr mice. As regulatory T cells (Tregs) are considered important modulators of autoimmune processes, we analyzed the interaction between the SNS and Tregs in this murine model of lymphoproliferative disease. We found that the percentage of Tregs among CD4(+) T cells is increased in the spleen, lymph nodes, and thymus of lpr/lpr mice as compared to age-matched C57Bl/6J (B6) mice.
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