Publications by authors named "T B Burt"
Article Synopsis
- Fine particulate matter (PM) exposure can lead to immune system issues through epigenetic changes, potentially impacting pregnancy outcomes.
- The study used advanced profiling techniques to link PM exposure with altered immune responses and specific histone modifications in immune cells of both pregnant and nonpregnant women.
- Findings suggest that high maternal PM exposure correlates with lower IL-27 levels in newborns and affects the inflammatory response in pregnant women, indicating possible pathways for complications during pregnancy.
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) profoundly impacts host T and NK cells across the lifespan, yet how this common congenital infection modulates developing fetal immune cell compartments remains underexplored. Using cord blood from neonates with and without congenital HCMV (cCMV) infection, we identify an expansion of Fcγ receptor III-expressing (FcγRIII-expressing) CD8+ T cells following HCMV exposure in utero. Most FcγRIII+CD8+ T cells express the canonical αβ T cell receptor (TCR), but a proportion express noncanonical γδ TCR.
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- Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a common heart rhythm issue in children, with vagal maneuvers being effective less than 50% of the time, so adenosine is used as the first-line treatment despite minor side effects.
- A study reviewed the use of adenosine in kids under 18 at two emergency departments over a span of 20 years to understand the incidence of serious side effects.
- The results showed that while 17 patients had brief ventricular beats post-administration, no serious complications like syncope occurred, and one patient experienced temporary hypotension that resolved on its own.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of efficient drug discovery in respiratory disease. The traditional set up of clinical trials is expensive and allows for significant attrition of new drugs, many of which undergo extensive safety testing before being abandoned for lack of efficacy. Phase 0 trials, named as they sit between pre-clinical research and phase I, allow for the testing of sub-clinical microdoses in humans to gather early pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD) and mechanistic data, before deciding on which drugs to advance further.
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- Following the detection of a novel highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 in Newfoundland in late 2021, Canada ramped up surveillance efforts of wild birds to track the spread of the virus nationwide.* -
- During the first year of surveillance (November 2021-November 2022), over 6,000 sick and dead birds were tested, revealing that 27.4% were positive for HPAIV across various species and regions, particularly in the Atlantic and Central Flyways.* -
- The findings highlighted the need for ongoing monitoring and collaboration, as wild birds serve as both victims and reservoirs of the virus, with a notable prevalence of Eurasian-origin strains identified throughout