S. Thomas

Rapid mortality in captive bush dogs (Speothos venaticus) caused by influenza A of avian origin (H5N1) at a wildlife collection in the United Kingdom

This study reports an unusual mortality event in captive bush dogs caused by avian-origin H5N1 influenza A virus.

Exploitation of CD3ζ to enhance TCR expression levels and antigen-specific T cell function

This study shows that CD3ζ enhances TCR surface expression and function in human T cells by increasing endogenous TCRβ expression and reducing mispairing with endogenous chains.

ROCK1 activates mitochondrial fission leading to oxidative stress and muscle atrophy

This study identifies ROCK1 activation as a driver of mitochondrial fission and oxidative stress in CKD-induced muscle wasting, showing pharmacological inhibition of ROCK1 can alleviate these effects.

pH-responsive upconversion mesoporous silica nanospheres for combined multimodal diagnostic imaging and targeted photodynamic and photothermal cancer therapy

This paper develops ATRAM-functionalized upconversion mesoporous silica nanospheres for multimodal imaging and combined photodynamic/photothermal cancer therapy, showing effective tumor targeting and treatment with minimal toxicity.

Exploration of T-cell immune responses by expression of a dominant-negative SHP1 and SHP2

This study investigates the role of SHP1 and SHP2 in T-cell immunosuppression by expressing truncated variants and shows that dSHP2 can alleviate PD1-mediated suppression in CAR T cells.

Enhancing CAR T cell therapy using Fab-Based Constitutively Heterodimeric Cytokine Receptors

This paper introduces a dimerization domain from IgG1 antibodies to create engineered cytokine receptors that mimic natural heterodimerization, enhancing CAR T cell therapy efficacy.

Machine-learning dissection of Human Accelerated Regions in primate neurodevelopment

The paper uses machine learning to analyze human-chimpanzee variants in HARs, finding 43% affect chromatin state and 14% affect neurodevelopmental enhancer activity, with species-specific activity predicted by transcription factor footprints.

Outer surface lipoproteins from the Lyme disease spirochete exploit the molecular switch mechanism of the complement protease C1s

This study identifies ElpB and ElpQ as lipoproteins from Borreliella burgdorferi that inhibit the classical complement pathway by blocking C4 cleavage through exosite binding on C1s.

Regulation of oxidative phosphorylation by Nuclear myosin 1 protects cells from metabolic reprogramming and tumorigenesis in mice

This study shows that nuclear myosin 1 regulates oxidative phosphorylation and prevents metabolic reprogramming and tumorigenesis in mice by modulating mitochondrial function and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Death-seq identifies regulators of cell death and senolytic therapies

Death-seq identifies enhancers of cell death and senolytic therapies through a CRISPR screen, revealing synergistic combinations that clear senescent cells without thrombocytopenia.

Antibodies to Coagulase of Staphylococcus aureus crossreact to Efb and reveal different binding of shared Fibrinogen Binding repeats

The paper characterizes monoclonal antibodies against Staphylococcus aureus coagulase that cross-react with Efb and distinguish two functionally different Fg-binding epitopes.

FLAMs: A self-replicating ex vivo model of alveolar macrophages for functional genetic studies

This paper develops FLAMs, a self-replicating model of alveolar macrophages, enabling functional genetic studies to identify genes regulating AM maintenance and function.

Short-chain fatty acids activate acetyltransferase p300

This study shows that propionate and butyrate activate the acetyltransferase p300, challenging the belief that SCFAs mainly regulate chromatin by inhibiting HDACs.

A Human Accelerated Region is a Leydig cell GLI2 Enhancer that Affects Male-Typical Behavior

The paper identifies a human accelerated region (HAR) that functions as a Leydig cell enhancer for Gli2, affecting male-typical behavior in mice.

Prophylactic intranasal administration of a TLR2 agonist reduces upper respiratory tract viral shedding in a SARS-CoV-2 challenge ferret model

Comparison of Rhesus and Cynomolgus macaques as an authentic model for COVID-19.

This study compares rhesus and cynomolgus macaques as models for mild to moderate COVID-19, showing similar viral replication, immune responses, and histopathology.

Toward a single dose cure for Buruli ulcer

A single dose of TELACEBEC (Q203) eradicates Mycobacterium ulcerans in a mouse model of Buruli ulcer without relapse.

Temporally integrated single cell RNA sequencing analysis of controlled and natural primary human DENV-1 infections

The paper compares the transcriptional responses of controlled and natural primary DENV-1 infections using scRNA-seq, finding similar inflammatory responses but more pronounced suppression of translation and mitochondrial function in natural infections.

A pan-genome method to determine core regions of the Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli genomes

This paper introduces a pan-genome method to identify core genomic regions in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, which are likely to contain essential genes and should be avoided for genetic modifications.

Dose-dependent response to infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the ferret model: evidence of protection to re-challenge

This study investigates the dose-dependent response of ferrets to SARS-CoV-2 infection, showing protection against re-challenge and mild clinical disease.

Effective Combination Immunotherapy using Oncolytic Viruses to Deliver CAR Targets to Solid Tumors

This study combines oncolytic viruses with CAR T cells to deliver CD19 antigen to solid tumors, enhancing CAR T cell anti-tumor responses.

Immune profiling in M. tuberculosis infection enables stratification of patients with active disease

This study compares TruCulture and QFT methods for detecting active TB, finding TruCulture better distinguishes active disease from latent infection using IFN-gamma and cytokine responses.

Validation of a low-cost, carbon dioxide-based cryoablation system for percutaneous tumor ablation

This paper validates a low-cost cryoablation system using carbon dioxide for tumor ablation in resource-constrained settings, showing effective necrosis in rat and porcine models.

The Epstein-Barr virus episome maneuvers between nuclear chromatin compartments during reactivation

This paper shows that the Epstein-Barr virus episome shifts between repressive and active nuclear compartments during latency and reactivation, using interchromosomal interactions to regulate transcription.