Diet and the microbiome as mediators of prostate cancer risk, progression, and therapy response.

Complex relationships between the human microbiome and cancer are increasingly recognized for cancer sites that harbor commensal microbial communities such as the gut, genitourinary tract, and skin. For organ sites that likely do not contain commensal microbiota, there is still a substantial capacity for the human-associated microbiota to influence disease etiology across the cancer spectrum. We propose such a relationship for prostate cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males in the United States.

Use of Micropipette-Guided Drug Administration as an Alternative Method to Oral Gavage in Rodent Models.

Oral gavage (OG) with the use of a cannula attached to a syringe is one of the most common methods used to deliver precise dosing of compounds to the stomach of research animals. Unfortunately, this method comes with difficulties for both the operator and the research animal. Studies have shown that OG may lead to complications, including esophagitis, perforation of the esophagus, and inadvertent tracheal drug administration.

Thermal and pigment characterization of environmental fungi in the urban heat island of Baltimore City.

One of the major barriers of fungal infections of mammals is the inability to grow and/or survive at mammalian body temperature, typically around 37°C. This has provided mammals an advantage over fungi. However, environmental fungi may soon adapt to persist at higher temperatures, consistent with mammalian body temperature, due to thermal selection pressures imposed by climate change, global warming, and increased frequency of extreme heat events.

Airway-delivered short-chain fatty acid acetate boosts antiviral immunity during rhinovirus infection.

Background: Microbiota are recognized to play a major role in regulation of immunity through release of immunomodulatory metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Rhinoviruses (RVs) induce upper respiratory tract illnesses and precipitate exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through poorly understood mechanisms. Local interactions between SCFAs and antiviral immune responses in the respiratory tract have not been previously investigated.