Publications by authors named "Edgar P Anaya"

Article Synopsis
  • - Acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI) is a leading cause of child mortality globally, particularly affecting children in Papua New Guinea (PNG) due to Streptococcus pneumoniae.
  • - Researchers conducted whole-exome sequencing on children in PNG and found a specific genetic variant (a single-nucleotide variant in the COQ6 gene) that is linked to higher morbidity from ALRI, with evidence from both human and mouse studies supporting its role.
  • - The COQ6 variant plays a significant role in the biosynthesis of ubiquinone and impacts how the immune system responds to infections, highlighting a new genetic risk factor for pneumonia in PNG and the enzyme's involvement in inflammatory responses.
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Macrophage adhesion and stretching have been shown to induce interleukin (IL)-1β production, but the mechanism of this mechanotransduction remains unclear. Here we specify the molecular link between mechanical tension on tissue-resident macrophages and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which governs IL-1β production. NLRP3 activation enhances antimicrobial defense, but excessive NLRP3 activity causes inflammatory tissue damage in conditions such as pulmonary fibrosis and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

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Asplenia imparts susceptibility to life-threatening sepsis with encapsulated bacteria, such as the pneumococcus. However, the cellular components within the splenic environment that guard against pneumococcal bacteremia have not been defined. The actin-bundling protein L-plastin (LPL) is essential for the generation of marginal zone B cells and for anti-pneumococcal host defense, as revealed by a mouse model of genetic LPL deficiency.

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