Publications by authors named "Elizabeth Waffarn"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how B cell populations and their receptors evolve in the intestines of humans, particularly after intestinal transplantation, using biopsies for observation.
- Researchers employed advanced techniques like polychromatic flow cytometry and B cell receptor sequencing to differentiate between donor and recipient B cells and assess their development in the transplanted intestines.
- Findings reveal that recipient B cells, including memory B cells, rapidly populate the transplanted intestines mainly in infants, and their B cell receptors evolve differently in the graft compared to circulation, with notable clonal mixing remaining years after the transplant.
Article Synopsis
- Human immune system (HIS) mice are used to study how human immune responses work, especially in relation to diseases and treatments.
- The study finds that T cells from different thymus sources contribute differently to autoimmune diseases, with those developing in a mouse thymus causing faster disease onset compared to those from a human thymus.
- Specific helper-like T cells (Tph and Tfh) were shown to induce autoimmune responses, highlighting their role and pointing towards future research on treating human autoimmune diseases.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers analyzed blood, lymphoid, and gut samples from 16 ITx patients using flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing to explore the origins and specificities of TRMs.
- * Findings showed that recipient TRM repertoires in transplanted ileum are influenced by donor age and T cell macrochimerism, with a notable overlap of T cell receptor sequences between gut and blood, suggesting ongoing interactions for years post-transplant.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines how B cell populations and their receptors (BCRs) are formed and maintained in the intestine after intestinal transplantation (ITx).
- Researchers used advanced techniques to analyze B cells from both donors and recipients, revealing that recipient B cells, including memory B cells, quickly established themselves in the transplant's mucosa, especially in infants.
- Despite ongoing changes in B cell populations post-transplant, there is no evidence of a stable B cell repertoire being formed in the gut tissue, even years after the procedure.
Xenotransplantation
July 2021
Article Synopsis
- - The study addresses the challenge of organ transplantation from pigs to humans, focusing on the issue of immune rejection caused by human antibodies reacting to pig cells.
- - Researchers used a humanized mouse model to explore whether establishing mixed pig-human chimerism could help reduce the production of pig-reactive antibodies by human B cells.
- - Results showed that mixed chimerism significantly lowered the levels of anti-pig antibodies in these mice, indicating a potential method for promoting tolerance to pig organs in human transplants.
Article Synopsis
- In patients receiving intestinal transplants, the presence of donor T cell macrochimerism (more than 4%) is common and linked to lower rates of organ rejection without causing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).
- Research shows that higher ratios of graft-versus-host to host-versus-graft T cell clones in these patients contribute to the chimerism process, helping control the immune response against the transplant.
- Donor T cells, particularly the GvH reactive ones, are found in the recipient's bone marrow and intestinal tissue long after the transplant, indicating that these cells may play a critical role in achieving tolerance to the transplanted organ by attacking recipient cells but without triggering GVHD.
Eur J Immunol
January 2020
Article Synopsis
- - We created a quick way to take out the mouse thymus from NSG mice, enabling better studies of human immune cell behavior.
- - This method helps us see how human immune cells act when human T cells are present versus when they are not.
- - It's important for researching human thymopoiesis (the development of T cells) in grafted thymic tissue within humanized mice.
Am J Transplant
January 2020
Article Synopsis
- - Siplizumab, a humanized anti-CD2 monoclonal antibody, is used in hematopoietic cell transplantation and helps create immune tolerance by depleting T cells and increasing regulatory T cells (Tregs) after transplantation.
- - In vitro studies show that siplizumab effectively reduces the levels of CD4 and CD8 effector memory T cells while promoting the growth of specific Tregs that also express the FoxP3 marker.
- - High-throughput TCRβ sequencing demonstrated that siplizumab leads to the selective expansion of donor-reactive Tregs and a decrease in donor-reactive effector/memory T cells, suggesting its potential role in modulating immune responses in transplantation settings. *
Cell Stem Cell
February 2019
Article Synopsis
- Human intestinal transplantation can lead to a blend of donor and recipient blood cells in patients over time, known as mixed chimerism.
- In a 5-year study of 21 patients, researchers found donor-derived stem cells not only in the blood but also in various intestinal tissues, highlighting their important role.
- The study revealed that these donor stem cells could help the recipient's immune system accept the transplant, showing potential for improved tolerance in future transplants.
Article Synopsis
- B-1a lymphocytes quickly move to mediastinal lymph nodes during influenza infections to produce protective antibodies (IgM).
- Type I interferons, released during the infection, are crucial for activating B-1 cells and allowing their accumulation in these lymph nodes.
- The study identifies CD11b as a specific integrin that helps B-1 cells adhere and migrate to the lymph nodes in response to interferon signals.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
December 2015
Article Synopsis
- Mouse B-1 cells are important for producing both steady-state natural antibodies and responding quickly to infections and inflammation.
- Research suggests that B-1 cells are a diverse group with different development paths and unique functions depending on their location in the body, such as the spleen versus the peritoneal cavity.
- Understanding these differences in B-1 cell function and development could lead to new strategies for prevention and treatment of diseases.
Article Synopsis
- The regulation of B lymphocyte responses during infections, especially with influenza virus, is more intricate than previously thought based on studies with proteins and hapten-carrier systems.
- B cell subsets play distinct roles in creating strong and long-lasting immune responses that can protect against various strains of the virus.
- Insights from these B cell responses to influenza could inform the development of effective vaccines and vaccination strategies.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
April 2010
Article Synopsis
- - MHC class I molecules play a critical role in immune surveillance by presenting peptides from both internal (cellular) and external (pathogen) proteins to CD8(+) T cells, allowing for detection of infected or abnormal cells.
- - Typically, cells have around 100,000 MHC class I molecules, which could lead to biases in presenting the most common proteins, but this representation system is designed to be more diverse.
- - The study highlights how cells utilize defective ribosomal products (DRiPs) and compartmentalization to generate peptides, which ensures that T cells can detect peptides from less common proteins, enhancing immune response and surveillance.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how certain viral peptides, particularly PA(224-233), can stimulate CD8(+) T cell responses, highlighting the unusual properties of this peptide.
- It reveals that PA(224-233) forms a large pool in the cytoplasm for extended periods, which aids in its effective presentation despite the inhibition of protein synthesis.
- The research suggests that the lack of strong immune responses from natural proteasome products is due to their rapid degradation, rather than an inability to be presented by antigen-presenting cells.
