Immunology

Fetal-placental antigens and the maternal immune system: Reproductive immunology comes of age – DocWire News

This article was originally published here

Immunol Rev. 2022 May 29. doi: 10.1111/imr.13090. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Reproductive physiology and immunology as scientific disciplines each have rich, largely independent histories. The physicians and philosophers of ancient Greece made remarkable observations and inferences to explain regeneration as well as illness and immunity. The scientific enlightenment of the renaissance and the technological advances of the past century have led to the explosion of knowledge that we are experiencing today. Breakthroughs in transplantation, immunology, and reproduction eventually culminated with Medawars discovery of acquired immunological tolerance, which helped to explain the transplantation success and failure. Medawars musings also keenly pointed out that the fetus apparently breaks these newly discovered rules, and with this, the field of reproductive immunology was launched. As a result of having stemmed from transplantation immunology, scientist still analogizes the fetus to a successful allograft. Although we now know of the fundamental differences between the two, this analogy remains a useful tool to understand how the fetus thrives despite its immunological disparity with the mother. Here, we review the history of reproductive immunology, and how major and minor histocompatibility antigens, blood group antigens, and tissue-specific self antigens from the fetus and transplanted organs parallel and differ.

PMID:35643905 | DOI:10.1111/imr.13090

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Fetal-placental antigens and the maternal immune system: Reproductive immunology comes of age - DocWire News

Immunology

Asthma and Allergic Airway Diseases Are the Focus of World Allergy Week 2022 – 69News WFMZ-TV

World Allergy Organization emphasizes integrated care of asthma and airway allergies

MILWAUKEE, June 5, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- World Allergy Organization (WAO), serving its membership of professional allergy/immunology societies around the world, launches World Allergy Week, from June 5 to 11. The most common chronic diseases in humans are allergic airway diseases of the respiratory system.

"Allergies and asthma often occur together. Upper airway diseases may worsen asthma. It is essential to diagnose and treat them together," according to Yoon-Seok Chang, MD, PhD, of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea, who is Chair of World Allergy Week 2022.

Research reports up to 38% of asthma cases in patients with allergic rhinitis. Nasal symptoms present in patients with asthma can be as high as 85%. Asthma affects over 350 million people worldwide, and allergic rhinitis affects between 10% and 50% of the population, depending on geographic location. Other allergic airway diseases include chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic cough, eosinophilic bronchitis, and allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis (ABPM).

"House dust mites, molds, and pollens, and other airborne allergens which enter the body through the nose, can trigger inflammation in more than one part of the airways," according to Motohiro Ebisawa, MD, PhD, Sagamihara National Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan, who is President of WAO.

Persons with sensitivity to these triggers can experience an allergic reaction with symptoms such as breathing difficulty, wheezing, coughing, and phlegm. Both asthma and allergic rhinitis affect sleep, ability to concentrate, school or work performance, social life, recreation and sports, and other aspects of quality of life.

Presentations by international experts during a complimentary webinar will describe the similar inflammation process that asthma allergic airway diseases have. They will also discuss the latest treatments and management approaches that, along with avoidance of triggers, can help patients breathe better and lead a normal life. Special topics also will include biodiversity, global issues, and unmet needs regarding allergic airway diseases.

WAO will host the webinar, "Breathe Better: The Asthma and Allergy Connection", on June 9, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. EDT (New York) with a live question-and-answer session. Click here to search for your corresponding local time: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter-classic.html.

Find more details about the WAO webinar at: http://www.worldallergyweek.org.

To find a professional allergy/immunology member society of WAO in your country or region, visit http://www.worldallergy.org/about-wao/member-societies.

References:

Broek J et al, Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines 2016 revision, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2017, Vol 140, Issue 4, pp 950-058.

EAACI Global Atlas of Asthma 2021 update, European Academy of Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology

Nunes C et al, "Asthma costs and social impact", Asthma Research and Practice 2017, Vol 3, Article 1.

WAO White Book on Allergy, Update 2013, World Allergy Organization

__________

About the World Allergy Organization

The World Allergy Organization (WAO) is an international alliance of 108 regional and national allergy, asthma and immunology societies. Through collaboration with its Member Societies WAO provides a wide range of educational and outreach programs, symposia, and lectureships to allergists/immunologists around the world and conducts initiatives related to clinical practice, service provision, and training in order to understand and address the challenges facing allergists/immunologists worldwide. (http://www.worldallergy.org)

Media Contact

Sofia Dorsano, CAE, World Allergy Organization, 414-276-1791, sdorsano@worldallergy.org

SOURCE World Allergy Organization

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Asthma and Allergic Airway Diseases Are the Focus of World Allergy Week 2022 - 69News WFMZ-TV

Immunology

Immune Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Expansion of its Board of Directors – StreetInsider.com

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ORLANDO, Fla, June 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immune Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC:BB IMUN), a specialty pharmaceutical company involved in the development, commercialization, distribution and marketing of novel, patented therapies to combat chronic, life-threatening diseases through the activation and modulation of the bodys immune system, today announced that it will expand its Board of Directors from two to five members.

Joining the Board effective May 31st, 2022, will be Dr. Stephen Wilson, Dr. Clifford Selsky, and Mr. Robert Wilson who were appointed for interim terms until such time as an annual meeting of shareholders can be organized to provide a formal vote on the candidates.

Dr. Stephen Wilson. Dr. Wilson is a trained immunologist with more than 25 years of experience in biomedical research and executive management. He is the Chief Innovation Officer of Statera Biopharma, Inc. and an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego. Prior, he served as Chief Operating Officer at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology; during his tenure the Institute grew from $14M in annual R&D to become a global leader in immunology research with nearly $1B in total operations as well as ranked #1 place to work in the world by The Scientist magazine. His original research has been published in high impact journals, and he has served as principal or co-principal investigator on more than $75M in competitive grants and awards, most recently developing the 2021 X-Prize winning rapid CoVID-19 diagnostic test. Dr. Wilson has served as an advisor to elite medical research organizations, served on national boards and is a founding scientist and board member of Invivoscribe Technologies, Inc., a leading molecular diagnostics and oncology therapeutics company. Dr. Wilson earned his doctorate from the University of Arizonas College of Medicine in Immunology, and was a fellow of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Selsky has been a practicing pediatrician in Central Florida for the past twenty years. He is the founder of the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Disease at Florida Hospital cancer institute, which he established after training in pediatrics at Yale New Haven hospital and completing a pediatric hematology and oncology fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Selsky is board certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric hematology and oncology and Palliative medicine. Currently, he is a pediatrician at Family First Pediatrics which he established in 2013.

Also, an accomplished scientist, Dr. Selsky obtained his PH.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He then did DNA repair research studies at the radiobiology laboratory at Harvard School of Public Health and the biophysics laboratory at Stanford University.

Mr. Wilson has spent more than 25 years building and launching companies. As a business strategist, retail marketer and content developer, Robert is experienced is assessing business situations, conducting research, creating strategic plans, recommending solutions to management, monitoring competitors, and measuring the results of marketing strategies. Robert has been involved in securing more than $150 million in early round and angel funding, developing launch and pivot strategies, and identifying growth opportunities for more than two dozen public companies ranging from the energy sector and electric vehicles to healthcare and lifestyle brands.

Note: Dr. Stephen Wilson and Mr. Robert Wilson are not related.

Kevin Phelps, CEO commented; We are pleased to welcome our new members to the Board. The Company is at an inflection point in development of its strategy and the experience and skills of these individuals will be invaluable moving forward. We are fortunate to be able to attract such talent.

Terms under which the Board Members will be compensated have not been finalized, but new members have requested deferment of their compensation until the Company has attained strategic funding and operational objectives.

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Immune Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Expansion of its Board of Directors - StreetInsider.com

Immunology

New nanoparticles may pave the way for development of clinical sepsis therapy – News-Medical.Net

Sepsis, the body's overreaction to an infection, affects more than 1.5 million people and kills at least 270,000 every year in the U.S. alone. The standard treatment of antibiotics and fluids is not effective for many patients, and those who survive face a higher risk of death.

In new research published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology today, the lab of Shaoqin "Sarah" Gong, a professor with the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of WisconsinMadison, reported a new nanoparticle-based treatment that delivers anti-inflammatory molecules and antibiotics.

The new system saved the lives of mice with an induced version of sepsis meant to serve as a model for human infections, and is a promising proof-of-concept for a potential new therapy, pending additional research.

The new nanoparticles delivered the chemical NAD+ or its reduced form NAD(H), a molecule that has an essential role in the biological processes that generate energy, preserve genetic material and help cells adapt to and overcome stress. While NAD(H) is well known for its anti-inflammatory function, clinical application has been hindered because NAD(H) cannot be taken up by cells directly.

"To enable clinical translation, we need to find a way to efficiently deliver NAD(H) to the targeted organs or cells. To achieve this goal, we designed a couple of nanoparticles that can directly transport and release NAD(H) into the cell, while preventing premature drug release and degradation in the bloodstream," says Gong, who also holds appointments in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

The interdisciplinary work was led by Gong along with Mingzhou Ye and Yi Zhao, two postdoctoral fellows in the Gong lab. John-Demian Sauer, a professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, also collaborated on the project.

Sepsis can be deadly in two phases. First, an infection begins in the body. The immune system responds by creating drastic inflammation that impairs blood flow and forms blood clots, which can cause tissue death and trigger a chain reaction leading to organ failure. Afterward, the body overcorrects itself by suppressing the immune system, which in turn increases infection susceptibility. Controlling complications caused by inflammation is vital in sepsis therapy.

The lipid-coated calcium phosphate or metal-organic framework nanoparticles designed by the Gong lab can be used to co-deliver NAD(H) and antibiotics. Gong's lab tested the NAD(H)-loaded nanoparticles in multiple mouse models including endotoxemia, multidrug-resistant pathogen-induced polymicrobial bacteremia, as well as a puncture-induced sepsis model with secondary infection by a common illness-causing bacteria called P. aeruginosa.

The nanoparticle treatment performed much better than using NAD(H) alone. For instance, in an endotoxemia mouse model, mice without any treatment or treated with free NAD(H) died within two days. In contrast, mice treated with NAD(H)-loaded nanoparticles all survived. These animal studies demonstrated that the NAD(H) nanoparticles can help maintain a healthy immune system, support blood vessel function and prevent multiorgan injury.

This technology may pave the road for the development of a new clinical therapy for sepsis that could also be applied in other inflammation-related scenarios, such as COVID-19 treatment. An additional benefit of this therapy is the ability to treat infection with lower amounts of antibiotics, which reduces their overuse. Further research in larger animal models will be necessary before clinical trials in people could begin.

The NAD(H) nanoparticles have the potential to treat many other diseases because NAD(H) is involved with so many biological pathways. There is strong evidence for the use of NAD(H) as an intervention or aid in critical illnesses."

Shaoqin "Sarah" Gong, Professor, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of WisconsinMadison

Source:

Journal reference:

Ye, M., et al. (2022) NAD(H)-loaded nanoparticles for efficient sepsis therapy via modulating immune and vascular homeostasis. Nature Nanotechnology. doi.org/10.1038/s41565-022-01137-w.

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New nanoparticles may pave the way for development of clinical sepsis therapy - News-Medical.Net

Immunology

ASLAN Pharmaceuticals to Host Third Webinar in A KOL Series: Dialogues With International Thought Leaders in Dermatology’ – Marketscreener.com

MENLO PARK, Calif. and SINGAPORE, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ASLAN Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ASLN), a clinical-stage, immunology-focused biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments to transform the lives of patients, today announced that it will host the third and final webinar in its series of Key Opinion Leader (KOL) events on the emerging atopic dermatitis (AD) landscape and eblasakimab (ASLAN004) on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at 10:00am ET.

Dr Peter A Lio, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at Northwestern University, will be the third KOL to speak at ASLANs A4 webinar series: Aspects of Atopic Dermatitis and ASLAN004. The webinar will feature a presentation by Dr Lio on the limitations of the current treatment landscape in AD and the resulting unmet medical needs.

Dr Lio will highlight patient journeys to illustrate the potential of novel treatments in patients who do not respond optimally to current standards of care and will discuss comorbidities experienced by patients with Type 2 inflammation. Dr Lio has published over 150 peer-reviewed publications on AD and is a Director of the Board for the National Eczema Association, Americas largest non-profit organization for patients with AD.

Dr Carl Firth, CEO, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, will share new insights from recent market research in AD and provide an overview of eblasakimab(ASLAN004) - a novel, first-in-class monoclonal antibody in phase 2b clinical development for the treatment of moderate-to-severe AD.Eblasakimabtargets the IL-13 receptor 1 subunit (IL-13R1), one of the components of the Type 2 receptor. By blocking the Type 2 receptor,eblasakimabprevents signaling through both interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 13 (IL-13) - the key drivers of inflammation and itch in AD. The unique mechanism of action has the potential to deliver a differentiated safety and efficacy profile, as well as an improved dosing regimen.

A fireside chat will follow Dr Lios presentation which will focus on how new entrants may be positioned alongside existing therapies to address the unmet needs of AD patients. A live question and answer session will follow the formal presentations.

How to Register

To register for this webinar, please click here. A replay of the event will be available on ASLAN Pharmaceuticals Investor Relations website.

About the featured KOL

Dr Peter A Lio, MD, is Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine and is Director of the Northwestern University Eczema Care and Education Center.

Dr Lio obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School where he completed his dermatology training and served as Chief Resident in Dermatology. Dr Lio completed his internship in Pediatrics at Boston Childrens Hospital. Dr Lio served as a full-time faculty at Harvard for three years, stationed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Childrens Hospital, before joining Northwestern and Lurie Childrens hospital.

Currently, Dr Lio serves as a board member and scientific advisory committee member for the National Eczema Association, is a member of the American Academy of Dermatologys Atopic Dermatitis Expert Resource Group and is a founding faculty member of the Integrative Dermatology Program, a training course for Board Certified dermatologists seeking to expand an integrative treatment approach into their practice outside of what is taught in conventional medical schools.

Dr Lio has spoken nationally and internationally on atopic dermatitis and integrative medicine and remains active in clinical research. He serves as a section editor for the Archives of Diseases in Childhood and has published two textbooks and over 150 publications in peer-reviewed literature, receiving a Leader of Distinction Award, a Presidential Citation from the American Academy of Dermatology, and numerous teaching awards.

About ASLANs A4 (Aspects of Atopic Dermatitis and ASLAN004) webinar series

ASLANs A4 webinar series: Dialogues with International Thought Leaders in Dermatology is a series of Key Opinion Leader (KOL) events on the emerging Atopic Dermatitis (AD) landscape and ASLAN004. The first episode of the series held October 2021 featured Dr Jonathan Silverberg MD, PhD, MPH, who discussed Heterogeneity of Atopic Dermatitis, and was followed by an episode featuring Dr April Armstrong, MD MPH, who discussed Key factors Impacting Responses in Atopic Dermatitis Clinical Trials. A replay of the first webinar can be accessed here and the replay for the second episode can be accessed here.

About ASLAN PharmaceuticalsASLAN Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:ASLN) is a clinical-stage, immunology-focused biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments to transform the lives of patients. ASLAN is currently evaluating eblasakimab, a potential first-in-class antibody targeting the IL-13 receptor, in atopic dermatitis, and farudodstat (also known as ASLAN003), a potent oral inhibitor of the enzyme, DHODH, in autoimmune disease. ASLAN has a team in Menlo Park, California, and in Singapore. For additional information please visit http://www.aslanpharma.com or follow ASLAN on LinkedIn.

Media and IR contacts

2022 GlobeNewswire, Inc., source Press Releases

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ASLAN Pharmaceuticals to Host Third Webinar in A KOL Series: Dialogues With International Thought Leaders in Dermatology' - Marketscreener.com

Immunology

Asymptomatic COVID-19 during pregnancy could have potential long-term consequences for the baby – News-Medical.Net

According to a new University of Kentucky College of Medicine study, asymptomatic COVID-19 infection during pregnancy could still have potential long-term consequences for a developing baby.

The study led by Ilhem Messoudi, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, was published in Cell Reports May 25.

The research shows that COVID-19 infection in pregnant mothers who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms still triggered immune responses causing inflammation in the placenta.

Prior to this study, this response was only thought to occur in severe COVID-19 cases. We now know that even a mild infection that doesn't even register with a patient is still being registered by the maternal immune system. The placenta had very clear signs of having sensed that there was an infection."

Ilhem Messoudi, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics

Because the placenta protects a developing fetus from many pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, transmission of the virus between mother and baby is extremely rare, but the greatest risk for a fetus is how the mother's immune system responds to the virus.

Immune responses triggering inflammation of the placenta can be linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes including preterm labor and preeclampsia, as well as neonatal complications due to reduced immune function of the baby, Messaoudi says.

Using single-cell RNA-sequencing and multicolor flow cytometry, Messaoudi's team analyzed immune cells in placenta tissue and blood from pregnant mothers who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 prior to delivery. Samples from women with asymptomatic/mild COVID-19 were then compared to those without infection.

Results show that while patients testing positive had activated T-cells, they had reduced levels of specialized macrophage cells that regulate the tissue. The immune cells in the placenta were "rewired" in a way that made the tissue more prone to inflammation.

The findings add to scientists' growing understanding of the maternal immune system and SARS-CoV-2 and will help lead to future studies on potential long-term impacts for mothers and babies.

"This tells us how capable the maternal immune system is while at the same time shows how detrimental COVID-19 can be even when the infection is not severe," Messaoudi said. "These are all reasons why it's so important that pregnant mothers get vaccinated."

Source:

Journal reference:

Sureshchandra, S., et al. (2022) Single cell RNA sequencing reveals immunological rewiring at the maternal-fetal interface following asymptomatic/mild SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cell Reports. doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110938.

Link:
Asymptomatic COVID-19 during pregnancy could have potential long-term consequences for the baby - News-Medical.Net

Immunology

Luke O’Neill: Why the flu shot is more important than ever – Newstalk

Getting the flu shot is more important than ever this year, as people have not been exposed to it due to COVID-19.

That's according to Luke O'Neill, professor of biochemistry at the School of Immunology at Trinity College Dublin.

Prof O'Neill, who's currently lecturing at the Norwegian Immunology Summer School, told Pat Kenny this is on the back of large outbreaks in Australia.

"The Australians are noticing a huge increase in flu - it's the winter there.

"There's a 10-fold increase in flu in Australia compared to last year.

"Will we get it in Ireland, is one question, and it's happening for definite.

"It seems to be because, of course, having been in isolation for two years - if you like - people are back out in the open again [and] they're picking up flu.

"And now it's becoming more severe in people."

He says the flu shot has been proven to work in the past.

"There's a 63% increase in flu week-on-week in New South Wales at the moment.

"What this means is get the flu shot, that's going to be the big watch, because the flu shots really work.

"So again as we move into the autumn in Ireland, like every year, the flu shot is recommended.

"But now more than ever it's important to have it, because people wouldn't have been exposed to flu in the past couple of years".

Meanwhile, a new major study has found that any combination of coronavirus vaccines boost immunity.

The research involved some 100 million people who were analysed across 53 studies.

Prof O'Neill says the results were clear.

"The question is should you mix and match - for example, should you have three shots or two?

"And the evidence is compelling: three jabs are fantastically effective - 96% decrease risk of death and severe disease.

"Any combination works, [which] is the important thing.

"You can take one vaccine in three doses, or you can mix and match, and they all give the same effectiveness really.

"And that's important - of course - if we go to a fourth shot.

"Any fourth shot as a booster should work very well, so it's really important data".

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Luke O'Neill: Why the flu shot is more important than ever - Newstalk

Physiology

Lishko named BJC Investigator – The Source – Washington University in St. Louis – Washington University in St. Louis

Polina V. Lishko, a noted molecular biologist and entrepreneur, has been named a BJC Investigator at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Lishko, whose innovative investigations of molecular mechanisms of bioactive lipid signaling has advanced scientific understanding in fields as varied as reproductive biology, vision and neurodegeneration, joins theDepartment of Cell Biology & Physiology.

TheBJC Investigator Programbrings to the School of Medicine scientists who will have a transformational impact on research programs, bring innovative approaches to major biological questions, and whose discoveries stand to inform new ways of understanding disease and developing treatments.

Lishko is an associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Her appointment at Washington University begins Dec. 1.

The BJC Investigators Program is focused on basic science and was inspired by the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes philosophy of investing in scientists with exceptional creative talent. The program aims to bring 10 highly regarded researchers to the School of Medicine and the life sciences ecosystem in St. Louis. Lishko is the seventh BJC Investigator named.

BJC Investigators are recommended by a search committee of leading scientists at the School of Medicine. Their charge is to select candidates who already have indelibly changed their fields, whose discoveries will result in new and fundamental shifts in scientific thinking, and whose laboratories have become hubs for even more work that can galvanize and advance the impact of the schools preclinical departments.

I am so pleased to announce that Dr. Polina Lishko has accepted our offer to join the School of Medicine, said David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the George and Carol Bauer Dean, and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. Through her dedication to understanding basic biological mechanisms, Dr. Lishko has made breakthroughs and overturned established dogma within multiple fields. Her expertise and innovative approaches to investigating bioelectricity and regulation of ion channels has transformed scientific understanding of the physiology of the retina, fluid flow in the brain and fertility. Dr. Lishkos ability to link detailed molecular mechanisms to disease processes and her broad scientific interests will set the stage for collaborations across the campus that could lead to translational advances in many fields.

Lishko is best known for basic reproductive biology research that has advanced our understanding of male and female infertility and could lead to alternatives to hormonal contraceptives. Many contraceptives for women such as birth control pills, patches and injections; vaginal rings; and some intrauterine devices contain synthetic hormones that prevent pregnancy but cause unpleasant side effects such as weight gain, headaches and mood changes. Effective nonhormonal contraceptives could reduce the burden of birth control for women and perhaps also provide better contraceptive options for men.

Lishko has discovered a protein receptor on sperm cells that revs up sperm so they have the power to drill through the protective outer layer of a human egg and fertilize it, as well as several compounds that can interfere with this process. Separately, she and colleagues identified a drug that short-circuits the energy supply in sperm cells, leaving sperm short of the fuel needed to swim to the egg. These and other findings form the basis of promising experimental contraceptives for women and men.

In 2018, Lishko co-founded the startup company YourChoice Therapeutics. While she has since stepped away from the company, YourChoice Therapeutics continues to build on her research to develop temporary, nonhormonal contraceptives.

Lishkos wide-ranging interests also extend to neurodegeneration and vision. In the field of neurodegeneration, she is studying whether the drop in sex hormones that occurs at menopause changes fluid flow and waste removal in the brain, and contributes to older womens increased risk of Alzheimers disease. In vision, she is developing an eyedrop to prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over age 60, by encouraging normal function of supportive cells in the eye. Lishko has co-founded another startup company, BioTock, to move this translational research from bench to bedside.

We are delighted that Dr. Lishko will be joining our department and bringing her expertise in biophysical and physiological investigations to enrich our research community, saidDavid W. Piston, the Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Professor and head of theDepartment of Cell Biology & Physiology.Beyond her research accomplishments, Dr. Lishko has an exceptional record as a mentor who has made a major impact through teaching and educational leadership positions. We welcome her to Washington University and look forward to collaborating with her.

Lishko earned her doctorate in biophysics at the Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine. After completing her degree, she undertook postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Francisco, before joining the faculty at UC Berkeley in 2012. Among her numerous accolades, she was selected as a Sloan Foundation Fellow and a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences in 2015, and received a MacArthur Genius Grant in 2020.

Lishkos husband, Yuriy Kirichok, will join theDepartment of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysicsat Washington University School of Medicine. He is a professor of physiology at the University of California, San Francisco. His pioneering work focuses on channels and transporters that move charged ions across the outer membrane of mitochondria tiny organelles that generate power and serve other functions for cells and how such channels and transporters affect mitochondrial function and contribute to conditions such as diabetes, obesity and neurodegenerative diseases.

Washington University School of Medicines 1,700 faculty physicians also are the medical staff ofBarnes-JewishandSt. Louis Childrenshospitals. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, and currently is No. 4 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked toBJC HealthCare.

Originally published by the School of Medicine

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Lishko named BJC Investigator - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis - Washington University in St. Louis

Physiology

Cannabis users can misperceive how well their romantic relationships are functioning – EurekAlert

Cannabis users may think their approaches to managing conflict in romantic relationships are better than they are and dont recognize potentially problematic dynamics that might exist, according to a collaborative study conducted by Rutgers and Mount Holyoke College.

The study, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, is one of a few to examine how cannabis use is associated with how couples relate. Researchers say the findings can assist couples in which at least one of the partners uses cannabis better navigate conflict discussion and resolution.

We looked at different indicators of relationship functioning: how satisfied and committed people felt about their relationship, their behavior and physiology during a laboratory-based conflict interaction and their perceptions about their conflict discussion and relationship afterward, said author Jessica Salvatore, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

In the study, 145 couples in which at least one partner used cannabis were asked to report how often they used the substance and how satisfied they were in their relationship. The couples were videotaped engaging in a 10-minute discussion on a topic that they identified as a major source of conflict, during which researchers measured their physiological stress response through their heart rate and respiration.

The couples then had a five-minute discussion on areas where they were in agreement. After, researchers asked how they thought the conversations went and how satisfied they were with conflict resolution.

The videos were observed by two sets of trained raters who assessed each partners conflict behavior, including avoidance (deflecting, skirting or ignoring areas of disagreement) and negative engagement (making demands for change, criticizing or blaming) on separate five-point scales.

A separate set of raters assessed the extent to which partners were able to transition out of conflict, regardless of resolution, toward a discussion of agreements and positive aspects of their relationship. They assigned low scores when participants made no substantive contributions to the discussion of positive aspects of the relationship and high scores when they nominated areas of agreement or positive aspects of the relationship or when they elaborated upon their partners suggestions.

The researchers found participants who used cannabis more frequently showed less parasympathetic withdrawal during their interaction with their partner indicating reduced capacity to flexibly respond to stress. They also issued more criticism and demands, avoided conflict during the discussion and were less able to reorient themselves to a discussion about the positive aspects of their relationship. Yet, paradoxically, when asked how they thought the conflict conversation went, cannabis users reported greater satisfaction with how the conflict was resolved and did not perceive themselves as having used demand or avoidance strategies.

The assessments by the cannabis users were almost the exact opposite of what independent raters found, said Salvatore. However, it is important to note that this studys findings do not mean that cannabis use is wholesale good or bad for relationships. Rather, it gives insight into how couples can better navigate conflict and come to a resolution. When you dont see problems, you cant solve them.

The study was conducted in collaboration with Katherine C. Haydon, an associate professor in the psychology and education department at Mount Holyoke College.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Observational study

People

Relationship perceptions and conflict behavior among cannabis users

6-Jun-2022

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Cannabis users can misperceive how well their romantic relationships are functioning - EurekAlert

Physiology

Unlocking the mysteries of cell migration – EurekAlert

image:Atsuo Sasaki, PhD view more

Credit: Photo/Colleen Kelley

When youre hungry and find your cupboards are bare, youll probably find yourself heading to the grocery store to restock on food.

Human cells act similarly when starved for energy, showing a remarkable resiliency to move to an energy-rich environment to gather nutrients. However, cancer cells also have this ability, and moving toward nutrients can help cancer cells grow and spread (or metastasize) throughout the body.

It is still unclear exactly what mechanisms help cells move to meet energy demands, and an international research group including the University of Cincinnatis Atsuo Sasaki, PhD, has been awarded a $1.5 million Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) research grant to learn more. Each of the three lead researchers and their institutions, including Sasaki and UC, will receive $500,000 of funding for the project.

HFSP awards grants for basic research projects that require collaboration from an international team of researchers from different disciplines with a goal of explaining sophisticated and complex mechanisms within living organisms. The grants are highly competitive and difficult to earn, but are reserved for top-tier research, as 28 HFSP awardees have gone on to win the Nobel Prize in fields including physiology, medicine, chemistry and physics.

Sasaki has focused his research on cellular energy and metabolism and said his fourth HFSP application proved successful after finding collaborators Laura Machesky of the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Scotland and Yasufumi Takahashi of Kanazawa Universitys Nano Life Science Institute in Japan.

About two years ago, Sasaki connected with Machesky, an expert on cellular invasion, a process where cells move and infiltrate nearby tissues. Cancer cells that become invasive help the cancer grow and metastasize to secondary sites.

Takahashi, who specializes in cellular imaging, rounded out the team. Takahashi is a pioneer in a technique known as scanning ion-conductance microscopy (SICM), which uses ion currents to produce high-resolution images of individual cell structures that can be as small as a single micrometer in length.

Sasaki and his lab have focused their study on an energy molecule called GTP. Previous studies have found that brain tumors use a special process to utilize GTP for energy, and tumors in animal models shrunk when that process was blocked.

More recent research from Sasakis team suggests GTP is brought to the front of the cell to help cancer cells move, grow and spread, but it is not known exactly how this happens.

GTP-specific enzymes cannot just go to the front of the cell, said Sasaki, associate professor at the UC College of Medicine. So once we can identify this system, probably we can shut off this GTP-driven cell metastasis. Thats our goal: to identify it, then target it to suppress cancer metastasis.

One of the studys goals is to observe and confirm that GTP is indeed synthesized at the front of cells, which will be accomplished using Takahashis SICM imaging technique. SICM will allow the team to detect cellular metabolic changes at the subcellular level, something that has never been done before, as well as identify specific protein machinery at the front of cells that help cells migrate and grow.

The team will develop a system able to be controlled remotely so that SICM imaging can be performed by anyone, anywhere in the world, a useful feature for international research like this project. They will also explore machine learning technology so that artificial intelligence can use SICM to identify cellular characteristics automatically without the need for human analysis.

The hope is that this new information will help better define what mechanisms are used to help cells move, utilize energy and allocate energy to cell movement, Sasaki said. These mechanisms could become the next generation of targets for cancer drugs.

If we can [observe] this system, then some tumor-specific metabolic or metastatic components can be targeted, Sasaki said. Maybe we can shut off that process to directly suppress the cell migration, or we can control the cells migratory process. Thats the long-term goal of this project.

Cell migration is also involved in certain neurological conditions and defense from bacterial infections, so the knowledge gained from this research may also extend beyond treatments for cancer.

There are so many potential applications, Sasaki said. We are hopeful that this technology can provide a new platform.

Sasaki is the first UC researcher to ever be awarded an HFSP research grant.

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