Publications by authors named "Hannah Ivester"
Article Synopsis
- SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has led to a global pandemic with high death rates, prompting the need for more effective antiviral treatments.
- The study highlights lonafarnib (LNF), an FDA-approved drug, as an effective inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2, working well both alone and in combination with existing antivirals, while also showing effectiveness against various virus variants.
- In tests on humanized mice, LNF demonstrated the ability to reduce viral levels and improve lung health, suggesting it could be a valuable oral treatment option for COVID-19 and possibly other viral infections.
Article Synopsis
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergic condition that causes inflammation of the esophagus and affects a significant number of people, yet treatment options are limited.
- This study utilized microarray analysis on esophageal biopsies from EoE patients of various ages to find overlooked biomarkers that could aid in diagnosis and treatment.
- The research identified new gene families that are differentially expressed in EoE, indicating a disturbance in epithelial function, which could lead to future therapeutic targets beneficial for both adults and children with the condition.
Article Synopsis
- New therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer are urgently needed, and the current lack of effective pre-clinical animal models limits the development of treatments.
- The researchers established an orthotopic porcine model using immunocompromised pigs to better simulate human pancreatic cancer and tested histotripsy as a treatment method.
- The study successfully demonstrated tumor engraftment and targeted ablation, highlighting histotripsy's potential as a non-invasive treatment while also addressing challenges in ultrasound-guided ablation in the pancreas.
Improved Therapeutic Delivery Targeting Clinically Relevant Orthotopic Human Pancreatic Tumors Engrafted in Immunocompromised Pigs Using Ultrasound-Induced Cavitation: A Pilot Study.
Pharmaceutics
May 2023
Article Synopsis
- - Pancreatic tumors often resist drug treatment due to high pressure, dense tissue, and irregular blood vessels, making effective therapy challenging.
- - A new technique using low-intensity ultrasound and gas-containing SonoTran Particles shows promise in enhancing the delivery of cancer drugs to these tumors in mouse models.
- - Tests on genetically modified pigs with human pancreatic cancer revealed that ultrasound cavitation significantly boosted the concentration of key cancer drugs, indicating this method could improve treatment outcomes in human patients.
The hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) tolerates insertion of foreign epitopes and maintains its ability to self-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs). We constructed a ∆HBcAg-based VLP vaccine expressing three predicted severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B and T cell epitopes and determined its immunogenicity and protective efficacy. The recombinant ∆HBcAg-SARS-CoV-2 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and shown to form VLPs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe innate immune system plays a key role in modulating host immune defense during bacterial disease. Upon sensing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), the multi-protein complex known as the inflammasome serves a protective role against bacteria burden through facilitating pathogen clearance and bacteria lysis. This can occur through two mechanisms: (1) the cleavage of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β/IL-18 and (2) the initiation of inflammatory cell death termed pyroptosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs more infectious viruses emerge that result in respiratory illness, there is a significant need to standardize airway harvests and maximize data acquisition. Animal models of respiratory viral infections have been outlined to allow for the analysis of the host immune response and viral pathogenesis kinetics. This chapter outlines two separate tissue harvest protocols following the intranasal infection of mice to investigate both the host immune response and viral pathogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for COVID-19, leading to severe cases that can cause serious lung damage, often requiring mechanical ventilation due to conditions like acute lung injury and ARDS.
- The study highlighted that infection with SARS-CoV-2 results in an inflammatory response marked by elevated levels of specific chemokines (CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11) and cytokines (IL-6, TNFα, IFN-γ) in lung cells and infected mouse models.
- It found that blocking certain signaling pathways, particularly the AKT pathway, significantly reduces the expression of these harmful chemokines, suggesting potential therapeutic targets to mitigate inflammation and improve outcomes in COVID-19 patients.