Despite the ubiquity of normal age-related cognitive decline there is an absence of effective approaches for improving neurocognitive health. Fortunately, moderate intensity physical activity (PA) is a promising method for improving brain and cognitive health in late life, but its effectiveness remains a matter of continued skepticism and debate because of the absence of a Phase III clinical trial.
Influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) continue to be major health burdens, each year causing millions of illnesses and tens of thousands of hospitalizations & deaths in the U.S. Although designed to reduce this burden, influenza vaccine has variable effectiveness (VE) from year to year due to host factors, environment, and virus & vaccine characteristics. Data from the US Flu VE Network helps CDC to evaluate vaccine policy, WHO to select vaccine strains and clinicians to use antivirals.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infects over one billion people, resulting in 9 million cases of tuberculosis (TB) annually, and over 1 million deaths each year. The majority of Mtb-infected individuals are unable to eliminate the pathogen, but can control it and establish latent TB. One of the biggest risk factors for developing active TB is co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Recent studies have shown that the majority of co-infected individuals are infected with HIV first and subsequently co-infected with Mtb.
Acute respiratory illness (ARI) and acute gastroenteritis (AGE) are leading causes of disease in children in the U.S. and globally. These infections contribute a substantial burden of morbidity, mortality, and direct health care costs, in addition to the indirect costs associated with parental leave from work. Many cases of ARI are caused by viruses, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and others. Similarly, most AGE in the U.S. is associated with viruses, including rotavirus and others.
The goal of this research is to develop a series of interconnected models of therapeutic response in the diseased lung, focused primarily on cystic fibrosis (CF), that will ultimately provide a means for predicting in vivo response based on patient-specific in vitro testing, allowing for the optimization and personalization of therapies. Our center has an extensive history with the use of human bronchial epithelial (HBE) and more recently human nasal epithelial (HNE) cell cultures to study CF pathophysiology.
The coordination of lipid synthesis and degradation in metabolism and aging ABSTRACT/SUMMARY Lipid imbalances are characteristic of obesity and a feature of many age-related ailments and reproductive pathologies in humans. Yet, the relationship between lipid metabolism, aging and reproduction remains poorly studied. We propose to use the nematode C. elegans to characterize this relationship. In particular, we propose to investigate how the balance between lipid synthesis and breakdown influences an organism's rate of aging and health. In C.
This new application from the University of Pittsburgh is for an O'Brien Urology Cooperative Research Center Grant to elucidate "Molecular mechanisms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and related lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)". The Center investigators have expertise in an array of fields, including urology endocrinology, molecular biology, pharmacology, physiology, neuroscience, genetics and pathology.
Tightly regulated flux of materials and signals across the exquisitely organized plasma membrane (PM) is essential for healthy cellular function. Disruption of this careful choreography is a common mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of many genetic and infectious diseases. Therefore, a central problem in cell biology is to understand the key molecular components that direct this intricate organization of signaling, transport and structural machinery at the PM.
The perinatal period, from pregnancy through the first postpartum year, has important implications for women's health. Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is linked to deleterious health outcomes; yet most women exceed guidelines established for GWG, particularly women who begin pregnancy overweight or obese. These women are likely to remain overweight or obese at one year postpartum even if GWG is within guidelines and pregnancy-related weight gain is lost postpartum.
The goal of this Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research is to enhance the ability of Dr. Jeremy Kahn to mentor students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty in critical care organizational science with a focus on implementation of evidence-based practice for patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Efficient translation of evidence into practice is an enduring problem in critical care, with many patients not receiving therapies proven to save lives, particularly complex therapies that require the coordinated efforts of an interprofessional care team.
