The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multi-protein complex that drives sterile and pathogen-dependent inflammation. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome occurs in two steps: priming and activation. Priming occurs in response to an inflammatory stimulus, such as LPS. LPS-primed macrophages are subsequently activated by a second stimuli, most of which require K+...
In the United States, allergic disease affects approximately 60 million people and impacts more people every year. While prevalence of allergic disease has steadily increased, there has concurrently been an increase in rates of metabolic syndrome—characterized by increased abdominal girth, decreased sensitivity to insulin, and higher levels of circulating blood...
One of the fundamental observations in oncology is that the rate of cancer malignancy increases with age, which applies to most human malignancies including breast cancer. Therefore, it is crucial to elucidate the mechanistic connection between aging and carcinogenesis. The NAD+-dependent sirtuin family, specifically SIRT3, the primary mitochondrial deacetylase, which...
Some of the oldest drugs targeting metabolism are the antifolates such as aminopterin and methotrexate (MTX). MTX started being used in the 1950s to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Aminopterin and MTX both target one carbon metabolism and inhibit proliferation of cells. MTX was a potent inhibitor of inflammation, because it prevented...