Publications by authors named "Roisin Floyd-O'Sullivan"

Immunological priming-in the context of either prior infection or vaccination-elicits protective responses against subsequent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. However, the changes that occur in the lung cellular milieu post-primary Mtb infection and their contributions to protection upon reinfection remain poorly understood. Using clinical and microbiological endpoints in a non-human primate reinfection model, we demonstrated that prior Mtb infection elicited a long-lasting protective response against subsequent Mtb exposure and was CD4 T cell dependent.

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Article Synopsis
  • Immunological priming from prior infections or vaccinations provides long-lasting protection against reinfection, but the specific changes in lung cell environments are not fully understood.
  • In a study using non-human primates, it was found that depleting CD4 T cells before reinfection significantly weakens this protective response, highlighting their critical role.
  • The research indicates that retaining CD4 T cells during reinfection leads to a milder lung inflammation and improved immune responses, suggesting new strategies for vaccines and treatments that enhance both T cell activity and innate immune responses to reduce disease severity.
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The functional role of CD8+ lymphocytes in tuberculosis remains poorly understood. We depleted innate and/or adaptive CD8+ lymphocytes in macaques and showed that loss of all CD8α+ cells (using anti-CD8α antibody) significantly impaired early control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, leading to increased granulomas, lung inflammation, and bacterial burden. Analysis of barcoded Mtb from infected macaques demonstrated that depletion of all CD8+ lymphocytes allowed increased establishment of Mtb in lungs and dissemination within lungs and to lymph nodes, while depletion of only adaptive CD8+ T cells (with anti-CD8β antibody) worsened bacterial control in lymph nodes.

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Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a promising technology for population-level surveillance of COVID-19. In this study, we present results of a large nationwide SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring system in the United States. We profile 55 locations with at least six months of sampling from April 2020 to May 2021.

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