Publications by authors named "Juselyn D Tupik"
Article Synopsis
- * In healthy host cells, NLRX1 acts as a tumor suppressor, slowing down tumor growth and lung metastasis by inhibiting certain tumor characteristics.
- * In contrast, in tumor cells like 4T1, NLRX1 facilitates cancer aggressiveness and spread by enhancing key processes like cell migration and metabolism.
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.
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.
Article Synopsis
- * NLRX1's role in cancer is complex; it can act as both a promoter and suppressor of tumors, depending on the cell type and context.
- * Research shows that NLRX1 can lead to increased cell death and reduced growth and spread of pancreatic cancer cells, possibly by affecting key signaling pathways related to inflammation and energy production.
The 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 PDFUnderstanding the innate immune system and how aberrant activation or impaired inhibition leads to the development of hyperinflammatory conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, is crucial for patient management and treatment. An emerging area of interest surrounding dysregulated inflammation focuses on membrane bound transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels. These channels are permeable to calcium and other cations involved in the balance of leukocyte membrane potential and function, as well as afferent neuron signaling within the myenteric plexus of the GI tract, bladder, and skin.
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 PDFis a zoonotic pathogen that causes brucellosis. Because of unique LPS layer and intracellular localization predominately within macrophages, it can often evade immune detection. However, pattern recognition receptors are capable of sensing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS).
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- Breast cancer leads to high mortality rates, with 40,000 deaths and 30% of new diagnoses among females in the U.S. in 2019, primarily due to metastasis.
- The 4T1 breast cancer model allows researchers to study advanced stages of breast cancer but traditionally relies on manual counting of metastases, which can lead to errors.
- A new method using Fiji-ImageJ automates the quantification of metastatic burden by analyzing stained images for consistency and speed, although it requires careful image capture to minimize variability in results.
NLRP1 is an inflammasome forming pattern recognition receptor (PRR). When activated by pathogen- and damage- associated molecular patterns (PAMPS/DAMPS), NLRP1 inflammasome formation leads to inflammation through the production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-18 and IL-1β. As with other inflammasome forming NLR family members, NLRP1 also regulates cell death processes, termed pyroptosis.
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