Noel Verjan García

Análisis genómico al azar de Edwardsiella tarda ETSJ54: anotación de genes relacionados con virulencia

As an initial step to understand the pathogenic mechanisms displayed by Edwardsiella tarda during infection in fish, we conducted a random genome sequencing of cosmid and plasmid DNA libraries generated from a virulent E. tarda strain (ETSJ54) to identify putative virulence-related genes. The assumed virulence-related genes of E. tarda were grouped into nine categories including chemotaxis and motility, adhesion and invasion, endotoxin (LPS), toxin secretion by type I and type III secretion systems, iron uptake, proteases, and intra-macrophage survival. The results reveal that E. tarda is equipped with a wide range of genes involved in virulence and pathogenesis of diverse bacterial genera and species including Salmonella, Yersinia and Vibrios species. The results also indicate a high genetic flux in the E. tarda genome that could explain in some extent its potential to infect and to cause disease in a number of animal species.

Signal regulatory protein alpha blockade potentiates tumoricidal effects of macrophages on gastroenterological neoplastic cells in syngeneic immunocompetent mice

Immunotherapies blocking the CD47‐SIRPα pathway by targeting CD47 enhance macrophage phagocytosis of neoplastic cells in mouse models. As SIRPα exhibits relatively restricted tissue expression, SIRPα antagonists may be better tolerated than agents targeting CD47, which is ubiquitously expressed in many tissues. Here, we investigated the therapeutic impact of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD47 and/or SIRPα on gastroenterological tumors in syngeneic immunocompetent mouse models.