Publications by authors named "Zachariah L Lee"

Background: Despite ongoing improvements to regimens preventing allograft rejection, most cardiac and other organ grafts eventually succumb to chronic vasculopathy, interstitial fibrosis, or endothelial changes, and eventually graft failure. The events leading to chronic rejection are still poorly understood and the gut microbiota is a known driving force in immune dysfunction. We previously showed that gut microbiota dysbiosis profoundly influences the outcome of vascularized cardiac allografts and subsequently identified biomarker species associated with these differential graft outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

is a widely distributed commensal bacterial genus that displays beneficial pro-homeostatic and anti-inflammatory immunomodulatory properties. Depletion or absence of in humans and model organisms is associated with autoimmune responses and impaired immune homeostasis. At the cellular level, upregulates suppressive regulatory T cells, maintains intestinal barrier function, modulates dendritic cell and macrophage activity, and dampens intestinal Th2 and Th17 programs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose Of Review: The microbiota plays an important role in health and disease. During organ transplantation, perturbations in microbiota influence transplant outcome. We review recent advances in characterizing microbiota and studies on regulation of intestinal epithelial barrier function and mucosal and systemic immunity by microbiota and their metabolites.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

, the causative agent of the infectious disease, cholera, is commonly found in brackish waters and infects human hosts via the fecal-oral route. is a master of stress resistance as dynamic lifestyle across different physical environments constantly exposes it to diverse stressful circumstances. Specifically, has dedicated genetic regulatory networks to sense different environmental cues and respond to these signals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF