Publications by authors named "E R Fontaine"
Nociceptor neurons play a crucial role in maintaining the body's homeostasis by detecting and responding to potential environmental dangers. However, this function can be detrimental during allergic reactions, as vagal nociceptors contribute to immune cell infiltration, bronchial hypersensitivity, and mucus imbalance in addition to causing pain and coughing. Despite this, the specific mechanisms by which nociceptors acquire pro-inflammatory characteristics during allergic reactions are not yet fully understood.
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- Nociceptor neurons help the body detect environmental dangers, but in allergy cases, they can worsen symptoms like pain and coughing by promoting inflammation and mucus imbalance.
- The study identified a type of vagal nociceptor neuron that specifically targets airways and undergoes significant changes during allergic reactions, such as increased expression of the NPY receptor influenced by cytokines like IL-1β and IL-13.
- Findings suggest that blocking the NPY receptor in nociceptors leads to higher inflammation in asthmatic mice, while reducing nociceptor activity through chemical means can lower airway inflammation, indicating a complex balance in their roles during allergic inflammation.
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- Small RNAs, particularly piRNAs, are essential for male germ cell development, with disruptions leading to male infertility through issues like spermatogenic defects and oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT).
- The HENMT1 gene is critical for the biogenesis of piRNAs, and its dysfunction can cause severe sperm abnormalities and infertility, as seen in both knockout mice and patients with HENMT1 variants.
- The study aimed to explore the potential for using sperm from two patients with HENMT1 variants in assisted reproductive technologies, but despite thorough analyses and multiple IVF-ICSI attempts, no live births were achieved.
Cancer cells are highly dependent on bioenergetic processes to support their growth and survival. Disruption of metabolic pathways, particularly by targeting the mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes (ETC-I to V) has become an attractive therapeutic strategy. As a result, the search for clinically effective new respiratory chain inhibitors with minimized adverse effects is a major goal.
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