Rational design of an adhesin-based pneumococcal vaccine targeting colonization
Currently licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have been successful in preventing invasive disease; however, overall colonization rates have remained fairly constant and serotype replacement by non-vaccine serotypes is now common. This along with other weaknesses points to a need for a broadly protective protein-based vaccine. Current protein candidates for such a vaccine have primarily been identified […]
Hypertension and Neuroinflammation during Pregnancy – The Impact on Maternal Behavior and Offspring Neurodevelopment
Wallace, Kedra Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome affect 10-20% of women with severe preeclampsia. Studies have identified HELLP syndrome as a condition of pregnancy in which women are affected with hypertension, neurological compromise, immune system dysregulation, and dysregulation of the soluble placental factors, sFlt-1 and sEndoglin, which are significantly increased compared […]
Myxobacterial predatory antimicrobial production in response to quorum sensing signal interception
Project Summary The 30-year absence of a clinically approved natural product-derived antibiotic with a novel scaffold demonstrates the dire need for unique methods to access new antimicrobial scaffolds and activities. However, the recent surge in scrutiny of microbial genomes provides evidence to indicate that an abundance of chemical scaffolds hidden within nascent biosynthetic pathways (BSPs) […]
Center for Translational Pediatric Research
The Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) proposes to establish a thematic, multidisciplinary research center titled the Center for Translational Pediatric Research (CTPR). ACHRI is located at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, which is the only pediatric hospital in Arkansas; thus, providing a unique environment and clinical population to study pediatric diseases including cancer. Dr. Alan Tackett, […]
The role of Piezo1 in bone homeostasis and mechanotransduction
Mechanical stimuli promote bone growth and are critical for skeletal homeostasis during adulthood. Loss of mechanical signals decreases bone mass and increases fracture risk. Osteocytes, which are cells buried in the bone matrix and derived from osteoblasts, are able to sense changes in mechanical load and orchestrate bone remodeling. Several lines of evidence suggest that […]
Roadmap for Intestinal Regeneration
Digestive diseases affect millions of Americans each year, and a significant number will die from them. The main culprits of these diseases are disrupted cellular mechanisms for homeostatic control and deficient repair mechanisms. Repair mechanisms play an important role in healing after natural events that damage the digestive tract and also after gastrointestinal surgery. Accordingly, […]
Establishment of a multi-user high-performance MALDI ToF/ToF mass spectrometer in the University of Puerto Rico, Molecular Science Research Center
The main goal of this revised application is to purchase a high-performance MALDI ToF/ToF mass spectrometer at the University of Puerto Rico, Molecular Science Research Center (MSRC). Planning of this instrumentation proposal has brought together 16 scientists from three research centers (UPR-Rio Piedras, UPR-Medical Sciences, and Institute of Neurobiology in San Juan) in a common […]
Efficacy testing of an injectable matrix gel for the treatment of fatty muscle infiltration
Each year approximately 400,000 rotator cuff surgeries are performed in the United States. While operative techniques have improved, the failure rate remains unacceptably high (30-35%). A recognized risk factor for surgical failure is fatty muscle infiltration. The muscles of the rotator cuff undergo progressive fatty infiltration following tendon tear. While surgical techniques have been developed […]
Mitochondrial Degeneration – the Root of Skeletal Muscle Atrophy
Muscle atrophy is a hallmark of many chronic diseases resulting in impaired function and reduced quality and quantity of life. However, current interventions to prevent muscle atrophy are not fully efficacious. Therefore, a critical need remains to fully elucidate mechanisms of muscle atrophy. We have evidence of muscle wasting in severe obesity associated with altered […]
Partnerships for Biomedical Research in Arkansas
This proposal will continue to pursue the primary goals of the Arkansas IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) to expand biomedical research capacity in Arkansas. Building upon infrastructure developed during the earlier BRIN/INBRE phases, two research-intensive, lead institutions in the state—the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville […]