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Research

Sex-Specific Environmental Impacts on Initiation and Progression of Multiple Sclerosis

The immunological mechanisms that contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) differ between males and females. Females are 2-3 times more likely to develop MS compared to males, however the reason for this discrepancy is unknown. Once MS is established, there is a more inflammatory yet milder form of disease in females whereas males generally suffer from more severe disease and faster progression, neural degradation, and disability.

Research

Metabolic dysfunction induced by a high-fat diet modulates hematopoietic stem and myeloid progenitor cells in brown adipose tissue of mice

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) may be an important metabolic regulator of whole-body glucose. While important roles have been ascribed to macrophages in regulating metabolic functions in BAT, little is known of the roles of other immune cells subsets, particularly dendritic cells (DCs). Eating a high-fat diet may compromise the development of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs)-which give rise to DCs-in bone marrow, with less known of its effects in BAT. We have previously demonstrated that ongoing exposure to low-dose ultraviolet radiation (UVR) significantly reduced the 'whitening' effect of eating a high-fat diet upon interscapular (i) BAT of mice.

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Immunoinflammatory responses to febrile lower respiratory infections in infants display uniquely complex/intense transcriptomic profiles

the association between infant LRTI and risk for persistent wheeze/asthma in this cohort is generally stronger for fLRTIs than for other infection categories

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Altered immunity and dendritic cell activity in the periphery of mice after long-term engraftment with bone marrow from ultraviolet-irradiated mice

To investigate the immune capabilities of peripheral tissue DCs generated in vivo from the BM of UV-irradiated mice, chimeric mice were established.

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Interactions between innate and adaptive immunity in asthma pathogenesis: new perspectives from studies on acute exacerbations

Atopic asthma, which is at its highest prevalence during childhood/young adulthood, represents the main focus of this review.

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The role of dendritic cells and regulatory T cells in the regulation of allergic asthma

Airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is one of the major clinical features of allergic airways disease including allergic asthma

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Risk Factors for Gut Dysbiosis in Early Life

Dysbiosis refers to a reduction in microbial diversity, combined with a loss of beneficial taxa, and an increase in pathogenic microorganisms. Dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota can have a substantial effect on the nervous and immune systems, contributing to the onset of several inflammatory diseases.

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Distinguishing benign from pathologic TH2 immunity in atopic children

In addition to its role in blocking TH2 effector activation in the late-phase allergic response, IL-10 is a known IgG1 switch factor

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T regulatory cells in childhood asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways, most commonly driven by immuno-inflammatory responses to ubiquitous airborne antigens.

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Defective aeroallergen surveillance by airway mucosal dendritic cells as a determinant of risk

A hallmark of atopic asthma is development of chronic airways hyper-responsiveness (AHR) that persists in the face of ongoing exposure to perennial...