Publications by authors named "Stacy Gelhaus"

The enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid is proposed to yield trihydroxytetraene species (termed lipoxins) that resolve inflammation via ligand activation of the formyl peptide receptor, FPR2. While cell and murine models activate signaling responses to synthetic lipoxins, primarily lipoxin A (LXA), there are expanding concerns about the reported biological formation, detection, and signaling mechanisms ascribed to LXA and related di- and tri-hydroxy ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids. The generation and signaling actions of LXA and its primary 15-oxo metabolite were assessed in control, lipopolysaccharide-activated, and arachidonic acid-supplemented RAW264.

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  • CART therapy is effective in treating leukemia, but many patients experience relapse, potentially due to the exhaustion of T cells during their expansion process.
  • Researchers explored using AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulation to enhance T cell function and persistence after their expansion in the lab.
  • The study found that T cells treated with the AMPK agonist Compound 991 showed improved survival and effectiveness against leukemia in mice, suggesting new ways to support CART therapy in long-term cancer treatment.*
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The monomeric heme protein myoglobin (Mb) is aberrantly expressed in approximately 40 % of breast tumors. Mb expression is associated with better patient prognosis, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect are unclear. In muscle, Mb's heme moiety confers oxygen storage and delivery.

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Aberrant mitochondrial fission/fusion dynamics are frequently associated with pathologies, including cancer. We show that alternative splice variants of the fission protein Drp1 (DNM1L) contribute to the complexity of mitochondrial fission/fusion regulation in tumor cells. High tumor expression of the Drp1 alternative splice variant lacking exon 16 relative to other transcripts is associated with poor outcome in ovarian cancer patients.

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Children are susceptible to influenza infections and can experience severe disease presentation due to a lack of or limited pre-existing immunity. Despite the disproportionate impact influenza has on this population, there is a lack of focus on pediatric influenza research, particularly when it comes to identifying the pathogenesis of long-term outcomes that persist beyond the point of viral clearance. In this study, juvenile outbred male and female mice were infected with influenza and analyzed following viral clearance to determine how sex impacts the persistent inflammatory responses to influenza.

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Unlabelled: The monomeric heme protein myoglobin (Mb), traditionally thought to be expressed exclusively in cardiac and skeletal muscle, is now known to be expressed in approximately 40% of breast tumors. While Mb expression is associated with better patient prognosis, the molecular mechanisms by which Mb limits cancer progression are unclear. In muscle, Mb's predominant function is oxygen storage and delivery, which is dependent on the protein's heme moiety.

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Dicarboxylic fatty acids are generated in the liver and kidney in a minor pathway called fatty acid ω-oxidation. The effects of consuming dicarboxylic fatty acids as an alternative source of dietary fat have not been explored. Here, we fed dodecanedioic acid, a 12-carbon dicarboxylic (DC12), to mice at 20% of daily caloric intake for nine weeks.

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The enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid is proposed to yield trihydroxytetraene species (termed lipoxins) that resolve inflammation via ligand activation of the formyl peptide receptor, FPR2. While cell and murine models activate signaling responses to synthetic lipoxins, primarily 5,6,15-trihydroxy-7,9,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid (lipoxin A, LXA), there are expanding concerns about the biological formation, detection and signaling mechanisms ascribed to LXA and related di- and tri-hydroxy ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids. Herein, the generation and actions of LXA and its primary 15-oxo metabolite were assessed in control, LPS-activated and arachidonic acid supplemented RAW 264.

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Background: Sepsis is a common and deadly syndrome, accounting for more than 11 million deaths annually. To mature a deeper understanding of the host and pathogen mechanisms contributing to poor outcomes in sepsis, and thereby possibly inform new therapeutic targets, sophisticated, and expensive biorepositories are typically required. We propose that remnant biospecimens are an alternative for mechanistic sepsis research, although the viability and scientific value of such remnants are unknown.

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  • Metabolic changes in pediatric diffuse midline glioma are influenced by the H3K27M histone mutation, which activates oncogenic pathways.
  • The RAS pathway and ERK5 kinase are crucial for tumor growth in these gliomas, with ERK5 playing a key role in cell proliferation and glycolysis.
  • Targeting the ERK5-PFKFB3 signaling axis with multi-targeted drugs could be an effective treatment strategy for patients with this type of cancer.
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DNA damage and cellular metabolism exhibit a complex interplay characterized by bidirectional feedback mechanisms. Key mediators of the DNA damage response and cellular metabolic regulation include Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) and the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1), respectively. Previous studies have established ATR as a regulatory upstream factor of mTORC1 during replication stress; however, the precise mechanisms by which mTORC1 is activated in this context remain poorly defined.

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Aberrant mitochondrial fission/fusion dynamics have been reported in cancer cells. While post translational modifications are known regulators of the mitochondrial fission/fusion machinery, we show that alternative splice variants of the fission protein Drp1 () have specific and unique roles in cancer, adding to the complexity of mitochondrial fission/fusion regulation in tumor cells. Ovarian cancer specimens express an alternative splice transcript variant of Drp1 lacking exon 16 of the variable domain, and high expression of this splice variant relative to other transcripts is associated with poor patient outcome.

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Loss of oral tolerance (LOT) to gluten, driven by dendritic cell (DC) priming of gluten-specific T helper 1 (Th1) cell immune responses, is a hallmark of celiac disease (CeD) and can be triggered by enteric viral infections. Whether certain commensals can moderate virus-mediated LOT remains elusive. Here, using a mouse model of virus-mediated LOT, we discovered that the gut-colonizing protist Tritrichomonas (T.

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Purpose: Diastolic dysfunction is an increasingly common cardiac pathology linked to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Previous studies have implicated glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists as potential therapies for improving diastolic dysfunction. In this study, we investigate the physiologic and metabolic changes in a mouse model of angiotensin II (AngII)-mediated diastolic dysfunction with and without the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide (Lira).

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Obesity and associated changes to the gut microbiome worsen airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in asthma. Obesogenic host-microbial metabolomes have altered production of metabolites that may influence lung function and inflammatory responses in asthma. To understand the interplay of the gut microbiome, metabolism, and host inflammation in obesity-associated asthma, we used a multi-omics approach to profile the gut-lung axis in the setting of allergic airway disease and diet-induced obesity.

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The use of probiotics by cancer patients is increasing, including among those undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. Here, we elucidate a critical microbial-host crosstalk between probiotic-released aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist indole-3-aldehyde (I3A) and CD8 T cells within the tumor microenvironment that potently enhances antitumor immunity and facilitates ICI in preclinical melanoma. Our study reveals that probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri (Lr) translocates to, colonizes, and persists within melanoma, where via its released dietary tryptophan catabolite I3A, it locally promotes interferon-γ-producing CD8 T cells, thereby bolstering ICI.

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Background: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid prostaglandin D₂(PGD₂) levels are increased in patients with severe, poorly controlled asthma in association with epithelial mast cells (MCs). PGD₂, which is generated by hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (HPGDS), acts on 3 G protein-coupled receptors, including chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on TH2 lymphocytes (CRTH2) and PGD₂ receptor 1 (DP1). However, much remains to be understood regarding the presence and activation of these pathway elements in asthmatic patients.

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Nitrated fatty acids are the product of nitrogen dioxide reaction with unsaturated fatty acids. The discovery of peroxynitrite and peroxidase-induced nitration of biomolecules led to the initial reports of endogenous nitrated fatty acids. These species increase during ischemia/reperfusion, but concentrations are often at or near the limits of detection.

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Multi-drug resistance protein (MRP) 4, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, has broad substrate specificity. It facilitates the transport of bile salt conjugates, conjugated steroids, nucleoside analogs, eicosanoids, and cardiovascular drugs. Recent studies in liver carcinoma cells and hepatocytes showed that MRP4 expression is regulated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2).

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The metabolism of fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid (AA) and linoleic acid (LA), results in the formation of oxidized bioactive lipids, including numerous stereoisomers(1,2). These metabolites can be formed from free or esterified fatty acids. Many of these oxidized metabolites have biological activity and have been implicated in various diseases including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, asthma, and cancer(3-7).

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Stable isotope dilution mass spectrometry (MS) represents the gold standard for quantification of endogenously formed cellular metabolites. Although coenzyme A (CoA) and acyl-CoA thioester derivatives are central players in numerous metabolic pathways, the lack of a commercially available isotopically labeled CoA limits the development of rigorous MS-based methods. In this study, we adapted stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) methodology to biosynthetically generate stable isotope labeled CoA and thioester analogues for use as internal standards in liquid chromatography/multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (LC/MRM-MS) assays.

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4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a carcinogenic nitrosamine produced upon curing tobacco. It is present in tobacco smoke and undergoes metabolism to 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) in the lungs. NNAL undergoes further uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT)-mediated metabolism to give N- and O-glucuronide metabolites, which together with free (non-conjugated) NNAL are then excreted in the urine.

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Environmental carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), require metabolic activation to DNA-reactive metabolites in order to exert their tumorigenic effects. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a prototypic PAH, is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (P450) 1A1/1B1 and epoxide hydrolase to (-)-B[a]P-7,8-dihydro-7,8-diol (B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol). B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol then undergoes further P4501A1/1B1-mediated metabolism to the ultimate carcinogen, (+)-anti-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-B[a]P (B[a]PDE), which forms DNA-adducts primarily with 2'-deoxyguanosine (dGuo) to form (+)-anti-trans-B[a]PDE-N(2)-dGuo (B[a]PDE-dGuo) in DNA.

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