Publications by authors named "W G Unger"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how specific lipid mediators (LMs) relate to lung inflammation in young cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, focusing on their levels during early disease progression.
  • Researchers analyzed bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from children aged 1-5, finding that certain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid derivatives correlated with neutrophilic inflammation and lung damage.
  • The results indicate a shift from linoleic acid (LA) derivatives to arachidonic acid (AA) derivatives in the lung lipid profile, suggesting that this change is associated with the progression of lung disease in CF.
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Article Synopsis
  • A non-pathogenic Mycoplasma pneumoniae is being used to create live biotherapeutic products for treating respiratory diseases, but there are concerns about its connection to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) after infection.
  • Research identified galactolipids, particularly galactocerebroside (GalCer), as likely triggers for autoimmune responses linked to GBS, leading scientists to engineer strains without genes for galactolipid biosynthesis.
  • Some modified strains showed reduced antibody recognition from GBS patients; however, other glycolipids beyond GalCer were also found to influence this recognition, prompting discussions on selecting safe Mycoplasma strains for potential therapeutic use.
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Microbial biofilm formation creates a persistent and resistant environment in which microorganisms can survive, contributing to antibiotic resistance and chronic inflammatory diseases. Increasingly, biofilms are caused by multi-drug resistant microorganisms, which, coupled with a diminishing supply of effective antibiotics, is driving the search for new antibiotic therapies. In this respect, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short, hydrophobic, and amphipathic peptides that show activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria and biofilm formation.

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Introduction: Sepsis is characterized by a dysregulated innate immune response. It is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns, in particular for newborns that are born premature. Although previous literature indicate that the pro-inflammatory response may be impaired in preterm newborns, serum levels of monocyte-derived cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, vary highly between newborns and can reach adult-like concentrations during sepsis.

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Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in school-aged children and can be preceded by asymptomatic carriage. However, its role in recurrent respiratory tract infections is unclear. We studied the prevalence of M.

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