Publications by authors named "Stephanie Orozco"

Humans and their microbiota have coevolved a mutually beneficial relationship in which the human host provides a hospitable environment for the microorganisms and the microbiota provides many advantages for the host, including nutritional benefits and protection from pathogen infection. Maintaining this relationship requires a careful immune balance to contain commensal microorganisms within the lumen while limiting inflammatory anti-commensal responses. Antigen-specific recognition of intestinal microorganisms by T cells has previously been described.

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Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a deadly disease that comprises 60% of all head and neck squamous cell cancers. The leaves of the Neem tree () have been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat numerous oral maladies and are known to have significant anti-inflammatory properties. We hypothesize that a highly pure super critical CO Neem leaf extract (SCNE) prevents initiation and progression of OSCC via downregulation of intra-tumor pro-inflammatory pathways, which promote tumorigenesis.

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Although autoimmune disorders are a significant source of morbidity and mortality in older individuals, the mechanisms governing age-associated increases in susceptibility remain incompletely understood. Central T cell tolerance is mediated through presentation of self-antigens by cells constituting the thymic microenvironment, including epithelial cells, dendritic cells, and B cells. Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and B cells express distinct cohorts of self-antigens, including tissue-restricted self-antigens (TRAs), such that developing T cells are tolerized to antigens from peripheral tissues.

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