The Development and Characterization of Two Monoclonal Antibodies Against the Conjugates and Derivatives of the Immunometabolite Itaconate.

We have developed two monoclonal antibodies, CPTC-2MeSC-1 and CPTC-2MeSC-2, against itaconate and its conjugates with sulfhydryl-containing biomolecules such as cysteines. Itaconate is a dicarboxylic acid metabolite that has recently gained much interest for its anti-inflammatory properties in many biological models. We have synthesized an itaconate-cysteine conjugate ITA-Cys designed to mimic in vivo Michael adducts of itaconate.

PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS toxicokinetic considerations for the development of an in vivo approach for assessing PFAS relative bioavailability in soil.

A Sprague-Dawley rat model was utilized to elucidate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) toxicokinetics with a goal of developing an in vivo approach for quantifying PFAS relative bioavailability in impacted soil. Following single dose administration (gavage) of ∼ 0.2-2000 µg kg BW of PFOA, PFOS or PFHxS, differences in PFAS blood, organ and excreta concentrations were observed over 120 h although linear dose responses were determined for area under the blood plasma time curves (AUC; PFOA, PFHxS), liver accumulation (LA: PFOS) and urinary excretion (UE; PFOA, PFHxS).

Soil amendments reduce PFAS bioaccumulation in Eisenia fetida following exposure to AFFF-impacted soil.

The efficacy of RemBind® 300 to immobilize per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF)-impacted soil (∑ PFAS 1280-8130 ng g; n = 8) was assessed using leachability (ASLP) and bioaccumulation (Eisenia fetida) endpoints as the measure of efficacy. In unamended soil, ∑ PFAS leachability ranged from 26.0 to 235 μg l, however, following the addition of 5% w/w RemBind® 300, ∑ PFAS leachability was reduced by > 99%.

Characterization of an expanded set of assays for immunomodulatory proteins using targeted mass spectrometry.

Immunotherapies are revolutionizing cancer care, but many patients do not achieve durable responses and immune-related adverse events are difficult to predict. Quantifying the hundreds of proteins involved in cancer immunity has the potential to provide biomarkers to monitor and predict tumor response. We previously developed robust, multiplexed quantitative assays for immunomodulatory proteins using targeted mass spectrometry, providing measurements that can be performed reproducibly and harmonized across laboratories.

Wuchereria bancrofti Lymphatic Filariasis, Barrancabermeja, Colombia, 2023.

We describe a recent case of lymphatic filariasis in Colombia caused by Wuchereria bancrofti nematodes. Our study combines clinical-epidemiologic findings with phylogenetic data. Resurgence of lymphatic filariasis may be linked to increasing urbanization trends and migration from previously endemic regions.