Publications

The programmed death-ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, reside on tumor cells and can bind with programmed death-1 protein (PD-1) on T-cells, resulting in tumor immune escape. PD-1 ligands are highly expressed in some CD30+ large cell lymphomas, including classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL), primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBL), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (EBV+ DLBCL), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).

Growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHSR1a)-the receptor for orexigenic hormone ghrelin-is a G protein-coupled receptor that is widely distributed in the brain, including the hippocampus. Studies have demonstrated that genetic deletion of GHSR1a affects memory, suggesting the importance of ghrelin/GHSR1a signaling in cognitive control. However, current reports are controversial, and the mechanism underlying GHSR1a modulation of memory is uncertain.

To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, an assortment of vaccines has been developed. Nucleic acid vaccines have the advantage of rapid production, as they only require a viral antigen sequence and can readily be modified to detected viral mutations. Doggybone DNA vaccines targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 have been generated and compared with a traditionally manufactured, bacterially derived plasmid DNA vaccine that utilizes the same spike sequence.

The COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new era with the approval of many SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. In spite of the restoration of an almost normal way of life thanks to the immune protection elicited by these innovative vaccines, we are still facing high viral circulation, with a significant number of deaths. To further explore alternative vaccination platforms, we developed COVID-eVax-a genetic vaccine based on plasmid DNA encoding the RBD domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Lgr5 has been identified as a marker of the stem/progenitor cells in the murine ovary and oviduct by lineage tracing. However, little is known regarding LGR5 expression or its functional significance in human ovary tissues. Here, using RNA in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemistry, we thoroughly investigated LGR5 expression in normal human ovaries, fallopian tubes and various ovarian tumors. We discovered that LGR5 expression is negligible in the human ovary surface epithelium, whereas ovarian stromal cells normally express low levels of LGR5.

Severe and prolonged social stress induces mood and cognitive dysfunctions and precipitates major depression. Neuroinflammation has been associated with chronic stress and depression. Rodent studies showed crucial roles of a few inflammation-related lipid mediators for chronic stress-induced depressive-like behaviors. Despite an increasing number of lipid mediators identified, systematic analyses of synthetic pathways of lipid mediators in chronic stress models have not been performed.

Protocadherin 9 (Pcdh9) is a member of the cadherin superfamily and is uniquely expressed in the vestibular and limbic systems; however, its physiological role remains unclear. Here, we studied the expression of Pcdh9 in the limbic system and phenotypes of Pcdh9-knock-out mice (Pcdh9 KO mice). Pcdh9 mRNA was expressed in the fear extinction neurons that express protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 1 B (Ppp1r1b) in the posterior part of the basolateral amygdala (pBLA), as well as in the Cornu Ammonis (CA) and Dentate Gyrus (DG) neurons of the hippocampus.

The endometrium plays a crucial role in reproduction and, in humans, is cyclically remodeled under hormonal control. Estradiol favors tissue proliferation whereas progesterone inhibits tissue growth and induces morphological changes. Endometriosis is often associated with fertility issues and with exacerbated estrogen and reduced progesterone concentration or response in the eutopic endometrium. However, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component (PGRMC) 1 is a protein able to modulate progesterone response and its murine knockout reduced fertility.

Growth hormone (GH) acts in several hypothalamic neuronal populations to modulate metabolism and the autoregulation of GH secretion via negative-feedback loops. However, few studies have investigated whether GH receptor (GHR) expression in specific neuronal populations is required for the homeostatic control of GH secretion and energy homeostasis. In the present study, we investigated the consequences of the specific GHR ablation in GABAergic (VGAT-expressing) or glutamatergic (VGLUT2-expressing) cells.

Metabolism and circadian rhythms are intimately linked, with circadian glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion by the intestinal L-cell entraining rhythmic insulin release. GLP-1 secretion has been explored in the context of obesogenic diets, but never in a rodent model of type 2 diabetes (T2D). There is also considerable disagreement regarding GLP-1 levels in human T2D. Furthermore, recent evidence has demonstrated decreased expression of the β-cell exocytotic protein, secretagogin in T2D.