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Research
Attenuation of maternal inflammatory responses during pregnancy to promote normal immune and behavioral outcomes in the offspringThis study will identify how the immune system contributes to neurodevelopmental outcomes and will investigate the use of an agent from traditional medicines.
Research
The impact of Influenza infection during early life on immune developmentThis study will investigate the why disease is worse in infants and how early life viral infection impacts the developing immune system.
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Mapping changes in immune cell populations in gestational tissues over the course of pregnancyThis is a strategic “pilot” project in which we are seeking basic information on the immune cell content of gestational tissues.
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Long-term derangement of antigen presenting cell populations in the respiratory tract following Influenza A infectionThis project investigates how different populations of cells within the respiratory tract immune system are altered during a viral infection.
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Epstein–Barr virus infection, B-cell dysfunction and other risk factors converge in gut-associated lymphoid tissue to drive the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis: a hypothesisMultiple sclerosis is associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection, B-cell dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, and environmental and genetic risk factors, including female sex.
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Protection against neonatal respiratory viral infection via maternal treatment during pregnancy with the benign immune training agent OM-85Incomplete maturation of immune regulatory functions at birth is antecedent to the heightened risk for severe respiratory infections during infancy. Our forerunner animal model studies demonstrated that maternal treatment with the microbial-derived immune training agent OM-85 during pregnancy promotes accelerated postnatal maturation of mechanisms that regulate inflammatory processes in the offspring airways.
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Risk Factors for Gut Dysbiosis in Early LifeDysbiosis 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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Potential immunological effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy in transgender people – an unexplored area of researchThere are well-described sex-based differences in how the immune system operates. In particular, cisgender (cis) females have a more easily activated immune system; associated with an increased prevalence of autoimmune diseases and adverse events following vaccinations. Conversely, cis males have a higher threshold for immune activation, and are more prone to certain infectious diseases, such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
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Tissue-resident memory T cells in the era of (Neo) adjuvant melanoma managementTissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells have emerged as key players in the immune control of melanoma. These specialized cells are identified by expression of tissue retention markers such as CD69, CD103 and CD49a with downregulation of egress molecules such as Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor-1 (S1PR1) and the lymphoid homing receptor, CD62L.
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Protection against severe infant lower respiratory tract infections by immune training: Mechanistic studiesResults from recent clinical studies suggest potential efficacy of immune training (IT)-based approaches for protection against severe lower respiratory tract infections in infants, but underlying mechanisms are unclear.