Publications by authors named "Taylor B Chance"
Sci Transl Med
February 2022
Article Synopsis
- Effective therapies have been created for treating acute Ebola virus disease (EVD), but the long-term effects on survivors, particularly regarding viral persistence, are still uncertain.
- Research on rhesus macaques showed that even after treatment with monoclonal antibodies (mAb), Ebola virus (EBOV) can persist in the brain's ventricular system, leading to severe tissue damage.
- The study emphasizes the need for monitoring potential long-term health issues in human EVD survivors, as the treated macaques experienced fatal infections confined to the brain after initial recovery.
Front Microbiol
April 2021
Article Synopsis
- The text discusses a gram-negative bacterium responsible for glanders, highlighting its serious health risks, including pneumonia and septicemia, and the lack of FDA-approved vaccines or effective treatments.
- Research conducted on non-human primates using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed significant changes in host protein expression in response to aerosolized exposure to the bacterium.
- The study identified important biological processes involved in the immune response and established a predictive protein-protein interaction network, suggesting that the regulation of inflammation (specifically IL-1β) is crucial during the disease's progression.
Article Synopsis
- * The study compares three nonhuman primate species to find the best model for studying B. mallei infection, focusing on susceptibility and clinical symptoms.
- * African green monkeys (AGMs) were found to be the most susceptible, with a high mortality rate from acute infection; they are recommended as the optimal model for future research on glanders and related diseases.
BMC Immunol
February 2020
Article Synopsis
- Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is a complex disease often mimicking other conditions like tuberculosis, making diagnosis challenging, especially in regions like Southeast Asia and Northern Australia.
- The study focused on how different strains of B. pseudomallei affect the immune response in chronically infected BALB/c mice, revealing common immune responses along with some variation based on the strain.
- Findings showed significant immune activation in the form of pyogranulomatous lesions, increased levels of IgG, and elevated proinflammatory cytokines in the spleens of the infected mice, indicating a robust yet varied host immune response to the different bacterial strains.
J Infect Dis
November 2018
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on developing fully human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to effectively treat Zaire ebolavirus, aiming to overcome challenges in creating rapid therapeutics for emerging infections.
- Researchers used VelocImmune mice to produce specific anti-EBOV antibodies and identified three clones that were effective in neutralizing the virus and activating immune responses.
- The combination of these three antibodies showed significant protective effects against EBOV in nonhuman primates, demonstrating the potential for future use in human trials and responses to Ebola outbreaks.*
Article Synopsis
- The persistence of the Ebola virus (EBOV) in asymptomatic individuals and the health issues it causes have become major public health concerns following the 2013-2016 EVD outbreak in Western Africa.
- Researchers discovered that EBOV can persist in immune-privileged sites, such as the eyes and brain, of asymptomatic rhesus monkeys, which survived the infection either naturally or after treatment.
- The study highlights the role of certain immune cells (CD68 cells) as reservoirs for the virus in these areas and suggests that this monkey model can help advance understanding of EVD sequelae and inform the development of effective treatments for EBOV persistence.
Article Synopsis
- Recent research on Ebola virus variants with different glycoprotein structures raises concerns about the safety and effectiveness of current clinical trial products.
- An experiment was conducted where naïve and vaccinated macaques were exposed to either a 7U or 8U variant of the virus, revealing no differences in survival rates but notable delays in disease progression and other health metrics for naïve animals.
- For vaccinated macaques, survival rates were similar between the two variants, indicating that while the glycoprotein variations affect disease course timing, they do not influence overall survivorship.
Article Synopsis
- Multiple products for treating filoviral infections are being developed, and their effectiveness will be tested on nonhuman primates to meet licensing requirements.
- There isn't a standardized method for deciding when to euthanize these primates after virus exposure, highlighting the need for objective criteria to avoid unnecessary distress and improve research validity.
- Historical data from monkeys exposed to Ebola have been analyzed to identify clinical signs that can predict survival, which could help establish standardized practices for euthanasia in future studies.
Article Synopsis
- Countering aerosolized filovirus infections, like Ebola, is crucial for biodefense, and this study develops a murine model to better understand these infections in mice.
- The research tested both wild-type and mouse-adapted strains of the Ebola virus on various mouse strains, revealing that immunocompromised mice were significantly affected, while most immunocompetent mice showed resilience.
- Among 60 recombinant inbred mouse strains tested, researchers found five strains where aerosol exposure to mouse-adapted Ebola virus resulted in uniform lethality, indicating potential for studying severe disease outcomes and testing vaccines.
