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Recent Publications
MixOmics Integration of Biological Datasets Identifies Highly Correlated Variables of COVID-19 Severity
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Despite several years passing since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, challenges remain in understanding the factors that can predict the severity of COVID-19 disease and complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While many large-scale multi-omic datasets have been published, integration of these datasets has the potential to substantially increase the biological insight gained, allowing a more complex comprehension of the disease pathogenesis. Such insight may improve our ability to predict...
Maternal α-cypermethrin and permethrin exert differential effects on fetal growth, placental morphology, and fetal neurodevelopment in mice
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Pyrethroid insecticides represent a broad class of chemicals used widely in agriculture and household applications. Human studies show mixed effects of maternal pyrethroid exposure on fetal growth and neurodevelopment. Assessment of shared pyrethroid metabolites as a biomarker for exposure obscures effects of specific chemicals within this broader class. To better characterize pyrethroid effects on fetal development, we investigated maternal exposure to permethrin, a type I pyrethroid, and...
Ceramide-induced FGF13 impairs systemic metabolic health
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Ceramide accumulation impairs adipocytes' ability to efficiently store and utilize nutrients, leading to energy and glucose homeostasis deterioration. Using a comparative transcriptomic screen, we identified the non-canonical, non-secreted fibroblast growth factor FGF13 as a ceramide-regulated factor that impairs adipocyte function. Obesity robustly induces FGF13 expression in adipose tissue in mice and humans and is positively associated with glycemic indices of type 2 diabetes. Pharmacological...
Transcriptional repressor Capicua is a gatekeeper of cell-intrinsic interferon responses
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Early detection of viral infection and rapid activation of host antiviral defenses through transcriptional upregulation of interferons (IFNs) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) are critical for controlling infection. However, aberrant production of IFN in the absence of viral infection leads to auto-inflammation and can be detrimental to the host. Here, we show that the DNA-binding transcriptional repressor complex composed of Capicua (CIC) and Ataxin-1 like (ATXN1L) binds to an 8-nucleotide motif...
CF airway epithelia display exaggerated host defense responses and prolonged cilia loss during RSV infection
Sunday, February 16, 2025
CONCLUSIONS: These findings further our understanding of innate immune dysfunction in the CF airway epithelium and suggest that virus-induced cilia injury may further compromise host defenses in CF airways.
