CBC 18th Annual Symposium: POSTER SESSION

Chicago Biomedical Consortium (CBC)

Thank you for joining us at the CBC 18th Annual Symposium: "Immunology and Immunoengineering Response to COVID-19" and welcome to the CBC Virtual Poster Session!

Feel free to browse through the posters during the Poster Session between 12:10 PM - 12:50 PM. Some posters may include links to pre-recorded presentations and some may include a "Chat with Presenter" button where, if clicked, will take you to a zoom session where you can chat with the presenter and ask questions. We welcome any comments. Just click on the "Join the Discussion" button and leave a message for the poster owner!

Posters will remain online and accessible over the weekend between 11/5 - 11/7. You will be able to leave comments and watch any pre-recorded videos, but the "Chat with Presenter" button will no longer be available.

Thank you again! Enjoy and don't forget to log back into the symposium webinar at 12:50 PM using this link: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/92227344054

More info: https://chicagobiomedicalconsortium.org/education/symposia/symposia-2021/

Filter displayed posters (12 tags)

#cbcsymp2021, 6 #CBC_ChiBiomed 4 #CBC_ChiBiomed, 2 show more… #cbc_chibiomed, 1 #cbcan 1 #cbcsymp2021 1 @dianagrass2 1 Asthma, 1 Differences, 1 Inflammation, 1 Ozone, 1 Sex 1

Show posters with Video Chat with Recorded Presentation

Alzheimer’s Disease Related Neuroimmunological Consequences of COVID-19 in vaccinated Older African Americans

Diana Grass - Rutgers University Newark

Abstract: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) involves disruption of the immune system and has a disproportionate impact on African Americans. AD is known to damage the hippocampus, a key structure within the brain responsible for encoding and storing new information, and to be closely linked with a deterioration in the aging process. Both AD and aging, have been associated with expansions of senescent T cells- a critical component of the adaptive immune response system. The Bocarsly lab recently reported that compared to younger individuals, older individuals have an increasing accumulation of senescent CD8+ T cells, and to a lesser extent, senescent CD4+ T cells. T cells become senescent due to age-related dysfunction in telomeres, and outside factors that induce cellular stress, including immune response to infections. This leads us to ask whether higher levels of CD8+ T-cell senescence, the aging of the immune system is associated with the risk and progression of AD. Therefore, it might serve as an immune biomarker for AD. To test this, we recruited 29 COVID-19 vaccinated older African Americans (ages 60 and above) who underwent immunological, cognitive, behavioral, and neural assessments as part of the ongoing longitudinal study of Pathways to Healthy Aging in African Americans at Rutgers University. Our preliminary data showed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from African Americans display high CD8+ T cells with high senescence-associated -galactosidase (SA-Gal) activity in participants with lower levels of P-Tau 231 (a measure of AD pathology), and a increase in dynamic flexibility of the Medial Temporal Lobe network from fMRI resting-state measures of connectivity. Moreover, a deeper understanding of the neuroimmunological linkages between cellular senescence and AD may result in better treatments and advances in the field of AD and related dementias.
Presented by: Diana Grass <Diana.grass@rutgers.edu>
Institution: Rutgers University Newark
Other Affiliations: Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience
Hashtags: #cbcsymp2021, #CBC_ChiBiomed, @dianagrass2

Chat with PresenterAvailable November 5 at 12:10pm - 12:50pm Join the Discussion

EPITHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR TRANSCRIPTS IDENTIFIED IN CROATALUS ATROX VENOM FOR MEDICAL PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS

Ivan Lopez, Ying Jia Biology Department, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Abstract: Epithelial Growth Factor (EGF) is the primary source in regeneration and stimulation of essential fibroblasts cells commonly found in epithelium. It is a polypeptide comprised of 53 amino acids, with most of these amino acids coming from mammalian species. Studies have shown that snake venom components are becoming a growing factor in treating illnesses such as cancer, muscular dystrophy, chronic pain, blood pressure, blood clotting, etc. More specifically, the use of venom from Crotalus atrox can be used to treat the further reproduction found in the receptors in EGF. In this study, we cloned and retrieved the transcripts of EGF from the venom of Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox).
Presented by: Ivan Lopez <ivan.lopez03@utrgv.edu>
Institution: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
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Poster: A SUBSTANTIAL AND PERSISTENT HUMORAL RESPONSE TO THE PFIZER BNTB162B2 VACCINE DEVELOPS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE HEMODIALYSIS

A SUBSTANTIAL AND PERSISTENT HUMORAL RESPONSE TO THE PFIZER BNTB162B2 VACCINE DEVELOPS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE HEMODIALYSIS

Yi-Shin Chang, UIC; Kai Huang, UIC; Christen L Vagts, UIC; Christian Ascoli, UIC; Md-Ruhul Amin, UIC; Mahmood Ghassemi, UIC; Claudia M Lora, UIC; Russell Edafetanure-Ibeh, UIC; Yue Huang, UIC; Ruth A Cherian, UIC; Nandini Sarup, UIC; Samantha R Warpecha, UIC; Sunghyun Hwang, UIC; Rhea Goel, UIC; Benjamin A Turturice, UIC, Stanford U; Cody Schott, UIC, UCDenver; Montserrat Hernandez, UIC; Yang Chen, UIC; Julianne Jorgensen, UIC; Wangfei Wang, UIC; Mladen Rasic, UIC; Richard M Novak, UIC; Patricia W Finn, UIC; David L Perkins, UIC.

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines, while proven to be efficacious in the general population, still require detailed assessments of immune protection in vulnerable patient populations. End-stage renal disease patients experience uremia-driven immune compromise including high vaccination failure rates. This immune compromise, coupled with greater risk of exposure to infectious disease at maintenance hemodialysis (HD) centers, necessitate an examination of vaccine efficacy in the HD population.

Methods: The humoral immune response to the Covid-19 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine was assessed in 20 HD patients and cohort-matched controls. Anti-Spike IgG titers and antibody neutralization assays were quantified prior to the first vaccination dose (V1D0) and seven days after the second dose (V2D7). Anti-Spike IgG titers were additionally quantified six months after initial vaccination. Clinical history and lab values in HD patients were obtained to identify baseline and early predictors of vaccination response.

Results: Anti-Spike IgG titers and neutralizing function were substantially elevated in both controls and HD at V2D7, with only a slight reduction in titers in HD groups (p < 0.05). Anti-Spike IgG remained elevated above baseline at six months in both subject groups. Anti-Spike IgG titers at V2D7 were highly predictive of 6-month titer levels. Additionally, baseline serum ferritin values in the intermediate range and log-fold change in WBCs were predictive of antibody development.

Conclusion: We show that patients on maintenance HD develop a substantial humoral immune response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and that antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are persistently elevated six months after initial vaccination.
Presented by: Jessica Lee
Institution: University of Illinois at Chicago, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, Bioengineering, and Medicine
Hashtags: #cbcsymp2021, #CBC_ChiBiomed

Chat with PresenterAvailable November 5 at 12:10pm - 12:50pm Join the Discussion

CBC Entrepreneurial Fellows Award Program

Michelle Hoffmann, CBC Executive Director

Abstract: The Chicago Biomedical Consortium (CBC) stimulates collaboration among scientists and funds great science with commercial potential. Ask us about the 1-year paid fellowship to learn the business of biotech in Chicago!
Presented by: Michelle Hoffmann <michelle.hoffmann@northwestern.edu>
Institution: Chicago Biomedical Consortium
Hashtags: #cbcsymp2021, #CBC_ChiBiomed

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The Role of Epigenetic Changes in Pancreatic Beta Cells in the Etiology of Diabetes

Thomas Heinbockel, Antonei B. Csoka Department of Anatomy, Howard University, Washington DC, 20059

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the cells of the body do not respond properly to the insulin produced, resulting in high levels of sugar in the bloodstream. We hypothesized that epigenetic changes in pancreatic beta cells in the pancreas, the main insulin-producing cells in the body, may contribute to the etiology of diabetes. To test this hypothesis, we treated human pancreatic beta cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with either high (20 mM) or low (2mM) glucose for 14 days. We found epigenetic changes in several hundred genes, including those involved in many signaling pathways, especially glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. Other pathways affected were those involved in oxytocin metabolism, gastric acid secretion, calcium signaling, and adrenergic signaling. Our study suggests that diabetes may, at least in part, be caused by epigenetic changes in pancreatic beta cells.
Presented by: Rasha Alhazzaa <rasha.alhazzaa@bison.howard.edu>
Institution: Howard University
Hashtags: #cbcsymp2021, #CBC_ChiBiomed

Chat with PresenterAvailable November 5 at 12:10pm - 12:50pm Join the Discussion

CBC Accelerator Award Program and CBCAN

Nancy Tyrrell

Abstract: The Accelerator Award program supports translational research and provide university researchers with “early commercial guidance.” Accelerator Awards intend to support the initial, and therefore highest risk, stage of commercially-directed research focused on the development of a therapeutic or an associated biomarker or diagnostic. The program encourages interactions between academic researchers and industry/pharmaceutical experts early in the development of projects and provides advice to award recipients in setting and progressing toward commercialization milestones. Award recipients will be mentored by faculty, industry experts, tech transfer officers and CBC personnel. Accelerator awardees will provide project updates at CBCAN meetings.

The CBC Accelerator Network (CBCAN) program brings together industry experts, university tech transfer officers, researchers and others from the local and extended biomedical ecosystem with discoveries that may have commercial potential. The aim is to move promising discoveries into and forward in the pipeline towards commercialization, providing early commercial guidance that universities and university-based researchers need.
Presented by: Nancy Tyrell
Institution: Chicago Biomedical Consortium
Hashtags: #cbcsymp2021, #CBC_ChiBiomed, #cbcan

Chat with PresenterAvailable November 5 at 12:10pm - 12:50pm Join the Discussion

Sex Differences in Lung Inflammation in Asthmatic Mice Exposed to Ambient Ozone

Keishla Colón Montañez1 (UChicago) Fuentes, PhD1 and Patricia Silveyra, PhD1 (Indiana University Bloomington)

Abstract: Exposure to air pollution is a major health risk, as it can worsen lung disease symptoms. Ambient ozone, a product of photochemical reactions between volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, is known to be one of the most dangerous air pollutants. Ozone inhalation can aggravate inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma and COPD, which are more frequently diagnosed in females than males. Despite this, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of ozone in the male and female lung have yet to be discovered. We hypothesized that exposure to ozone exerts differential inflammatory and immune responses in the lungs of male and females with asthma. To examine this, we treated adult male and female C57BL/6J mice with an allergen (house dust mite extract) intranasally for 5 weeks to trigger asthma. We then exposed asthmatic mice to 2 ppm of ozone or filtered air (FA) for 3 hours, and collected lung tissue 24 hours later. We extracted lung RNA with Trizol and retro-transcribed it to measure the expression of 92 immune response associated genes by PCR with the TaqMan® Array 96-well Mouse Immune Response Plate (ThermoFisher). Our preliminary results show that, after exposure to ozone, asthmatic male mice had higher lung expression of immune response genes (cell surface receptors and signaling molecules) whereas asthmatic females had higher expression of proinflammatory cytokines, transcription factors, and regulators of immunity than mice exposed to FA. We conclude that ozone exposure triggers differential inflammatory/immune mechanisms in the male and female lungs of asmathic mice.
Presented by: Keishla Colon Montanez <keishlac@uchicago.edu>
Institution: The University of Chicago
Hashtags: Sex Differences, Asthma, Ozone, Inflammation, #cbc_chibiomed, #cbcsymp2021

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Poster: HYPERCAPNIA INCREASES ACE2 PROTEIN EXPRESSION AND PSEUDO-SARS-COV-2 VIRUS ENTRY IN EPITHELIAL CELLS THROUGH A STEROL-REGULATORY ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN 2 (SREBP2)-DEPENDENT MECHANISM

HYPERCAPNIA INCREASES ACE2 PROTEIN EXPRESSION AND PSEUDO-SARS-COV-2 VIRUS ENTRY IN EPITHELIAL CELLS THROUGH A STEROL-REGULATORY ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN 2 (SREBP2)-DEPENDENT MECHANISM

S.Marina Casalino-Matsuda, NU; Fei Chen, NU; Aiko Matsuda, NU; Scott Budinger, NU; and Peter H.S. Sporn, NU

Abstract: Rationale: Individuals with COPD who develop COVID-19 are at increased risk of hospitalization, ICU admission and death. COPD is associated with increased airway epithelial expression of ACE2, that binds and mediates SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells. Hypercapnia, elevation of CO2 in blood and tissue, commonly develops in advanced COPD and is associated with frequent and potentially fatal pulmonary infections. We previously showed that hypercapnia alters expression of viral response genes and increases cholesterol bio-synthesis genes in primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Interestingly, cellular cholesterol is involved in virus entry. Thus, in the current study, we explored whether hypercapnia increases ACE2 expression and uptake of a Pseudo-SARS-CoV-2 baculovirus into the cells and if the master regulator of cholesterol metabolism, sterol-regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2), is involved in these effects.

Methods: Differentiated HBE cells, BEAS-2B or VERO cells were incubated in normocapnia (5% CO2, PCO2 36 mmHg) or hypercapnia (15% CO2, PCO2 108 mmHg). ACE2 protein expression was assessed by immunoblot or immunofluorescence, and cholesterol by Amplex red assay. Also, cells pre-exposed to normocapnia or hypercapnia were infected with Pseudo SARS-CoV-2. For in vivo studies, C57BL/6 mice were pre-exposed to normoxic hypercapnia (10% CO2/21% O2) for 7 days, or air, and ACE2 expression in airways was assessed by immunofluorescence. SREBP2 was blocked using betulin or AM580.

Results: Hypercapnia increased cellular cholesterol and ACE2 protein expression in epithelial cells in vivo and in vitro. This effect was reversed by blocking SREBP2. Additionally, hypercapnia augmented Pseudo SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells, effect reduced by SREBP2 inhibitors.

Conclusion: Hypercapnia creates a high-cholesterol cellular environment that induces increased ACE2 expression and Pseudo-SARS-CoV-2 entry. This may lead to a greater burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with hypercapnia, and in part account for worse clinical outcomes of COVID-19 pneumonia in advanced COPD and other severe lung diseases.
Presented by: Marina Casalino-Matsuda
Institution: Northwestern University
Hashtags: #cbcsymp2021, #CBC_ChiBiomed

Chat with PresenterAvailable November 5 at 12:10pm - 12:50pm Join the Discussion