Publications by authors named "Glen N Barber"

Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are readily activated after phagocytosing infected or DNA-damaged cells but not normal apoptotic cells for reasons that are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that after DNA damage events, cytosolic dsDNA species trigger intrinsic STING signaling and the production of key immunogenic proteins, including CCL5, which renders such cells capable of APC activation upon phagocytosis. These events involve the generation of immunogenic STING-inducible endosomal vesicles (SIEVEs) additionally comprising critical autophagy-associated proteins associated with cytosolic DNA species.

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  • Sterile inflammation from metabolic disorders affects blood vessel function, and this study investigates how hyperglycemia-linked inflammation, particularly through the STING pathway, contributes to endothelial dysfunction in diabetic mice.
  • Researchers found that high blood sugar levels increased STING and DNA damage markers in the aorta, and deleting STING improved blood vessel response to certain stimuli in diabetic conditions.
  • The study concluded that the STING pathway exacerbates endothelial dysfunction and suggests that targeting STING could be a potential treatment for these issues related to high blood sugar levels.
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  • The STING pathway is crucial for maintaining gut health and managing inflammation, but its role in MHC-matched allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) was unclear until this study.
  • Research shows that STING signaling in nonhematopoietic cells actually promotes graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in MHC-matched aHSCT, indicating that its activity may have complex effects.
  • Mice with a human STING variant linked to reduced activity experienced less GVHD, suggesting that targeting the STING pathway could help regulate GVHD outcomes in clinical settings depending on the MHC match.
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  • STING is crucial for detecting cytosolic DNA and triggering IFN-I responses, which help the body fight infections; however, its specific function in T cells was not well understood.* -
  • Costimulation with the STING ligand cGAMP and T cell receptor (TCR) enhances IFN-I production but also inhibits T-cell growth by affecting mTORC1 activity; IRF3 and IRF7 play important roles in this process.* -
  • T cells produce more IFN-I than innate cells when stimulated with cGAMP, and using STING in T cells shows potential for boosting anti-tumor responses in live models.*
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