Category: Microbiology

Emerging Translational Insights from Shigella Evasion of Host Pyroptosis

May 31, 2022 Jacob Davis
Jacob Davis Introduction: Shigella is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria that causes dysentery which can be life-threatening in resource-limited settings.1 No vaccines are currently available.1 Recent investigations have demonstrated the importance of pyroptosis—a lytic and inflammatory form of cell death—in defense against Shigella infection. For instance, NAIP-NLRC4 (an inflammasome upstream…
Featured Abstracts Microbiology

SARS-CoV-2 in Pregnancy and the Inflammatory Response of IL-6 on Intrauterine Development of the Brain

May 31, 2022 Elaine Avshman
Elaine Avshman Purpose. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly contagious and infectious disease that has rapidly spread worldwide.1 As of September 2021, more than 125,000 cases of SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in pregnant women.1 Pregnant women are more likely to develop severe symptoms, as they are prone…
Featured Abstracts Inflammation Microbiology Neuroscience

The Microbiota Protects Against Respiratory Infection through GM-CSF Signaling, Primed by IL-17, to Induce Alveolar Macrophages and Downstream ERK Effects

May 31, 2022 Nada Alshaer
Nada Alshaer Introduction. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive, extracellular, opportunistic pathogen and is a leading cause of a wide range of infections, including otitis media, community-acquired pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis.1 Colonization occurs in the mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and its spread into the lower airways, other organs…
Immunology Microbiology

Restoring the Endometrial Microbiota to Overcome the Consequence of Infertility in Women with a History of Gynecologic Infection

August 18, 2021 Medha Narwankar
Medha Narwankar Introduction. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a broad spectrum of reproductive tract infections that can cause inflammation and damage to fallopian tubes1,2. The endometrial microbiome creates a biofilm and dynamic interface that supports interaction between gametes, the embryo, and maternal tissue3. Statistics have shown that 2.5 million reproductive-aged…
Gynecology Microbiology

COVID-19 Cytokine Storm Causes Myocarditis Characterized by Reduced Cardiac Function, Fibrosis, and Increased Mortality

August 16, 2021 Brianna Cathey
Brianna Cathey Introduction. Myocarditis is the most frequent manifestation of COVID-19 cardiac involvement, causing up to 7% of COVID related deaths.1,2 Cardiac injury occurs in approximately 12% of patients and has shown a 51% mortality rate in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.3 While it has been established that COVID-19 particles enter the…
Cardiology Microbiology

Fecal Microbiota Transplant Modulates Clostridium Clusters XIVa, IV, and Caudovirales Bacteriophages to Induce Remission in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

August 16, 2021 Adam Saleh
Adam Saleh Introduction: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disorder of the colon with continuous inflammation beginning in the rectum and ascending proximally. The disease can present clinically with varying severity of diarrhea and blood in stool, urgency, and tenesmus1. The pathogenesis of UC likely has contributions from…
Gastroenterology Microbiology

Gut Dysbiosis in Type 1 Diabetes: Islet Cell Cytokine Response to Co-Culture with Bacteroides Dorei

August 10, 2021 Tanner Walker
Tanner Walker Introduction. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease, affecting 1.6 million Americans, that destroys β cells in the pancreas resulting in chronic hyperglycemia if left untreated with daily exogenous insulin 1 – 4. With 64,000 Americans being newly diagnosed each year, a juvenile onset, and a…
Endocrinology Featured Abstracts Microbiology