Biology subjects

Davis, S. C.

Publications and source records attributed to Davis, S. C..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

From Wikipedia to AI: Measuring 25 years of synthesis of human genetics research in the public-facing information ecosystem

Genetics research frequently intersects with ethnicity, nationality, and race, making it uniquely vulnerable to misrepresentation. Yet, 25 years after the initial sequencing of the human genome, there is little understanding of how human genetics research exists in the public-facing information ecosystem. We analyze 3,050,422 historical revisions from 6,738 Wikipedia pages about ethnicity, nationality, and race spanning 25 years. We find genetics terminology is present in 14.8% of these pages (55.5% in the top 1,000 pages) and in 67.8% of pages about nationalities, suggesting research is synthesized to present a biological element to ethnicity and nationality. We also find that 10.1% of 56,908 discussions from these pages contain genetics terminology. We further analyze responses from three popular chatbots queried about nationalities and find that they commonly reference both genetics and Wikipedia. Lastly, we analyze 133 pages from Grokipedia, an AI-generated encyclopedia, and find it mentions genetics more frequently than Wikipedia and hallucinates or misrepresents human genetics research.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2023

Pharmacokinetic profile of the synthetic mu-opioid receptor agonist Dermorphin-IRDye(R)800CW and its feasibility as a biomarker for opioid use disorder

BackgroundOpioid use disorder (OUD) affects more than 14 million Americans and poses a high risk of relapse, overdose, and death. Current treatments are not tailored to individual needs and do not monitor the effectiveness of the medication. We propose a novel method to measure the occupancy of mu opioid receptors (MOR), which are key targets for opioid pharmacotherapy, in peripheral tissues with high MOR density. We developed a fluorescent peptide agonist that binds to MOR and can be detected by non-invasive point-of-care techniques. We present in vitro and in vivo results that demonstrate the feasibility and potential of this method to assess MOR availability and treatment efficacy in OUD patients. MethodsA new fluorescent-labeled synthetic peptide agonist [Lys7]Dermorphin-IRDye800CW, called DRM-800, was synthesized and characterized in vitro to evaluate binding and internalization. Wildtype and MOR knock-out mice were used to quantify plasma kinetics and, using a cyromacrotome, fluorescence images were acquired post-mortem on whole-body sections 150 um apart. These volumes were used to compare in vivo enhancement of MOR-rich structures. ResultsIn vitro assays and microscope visualization of DRM-800 showed high MOR-affinity and rapid, robust internalization. Plasma half-life following intravenous injection in mice was 8-12 minutes. Specific binding by tissue structures of interest, measured by the ratio of relative fluorescent units in wild-type vs. MOR knockout mice showed high binding in dorsal root ganglia, spiral ganglia and trigeminal ganglion, as well as in the small and large intestine. ConclusionsThe pharmacokinetics and distribution, binding kinetics and rapid internalization suggests that MOR-specific fluorescence enhancement corresponding to opioid rich structures could serve as a potential biomarker in opioid use disorder.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2022

Maternally transferred monoclonal antibodies protect neonatal mice from herpes simplex virus-induced mortality and morbidity

Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections often result in significant mortality and neurological morbidity despite antiviral drug therapy. Maternally-transferred HSV-specific antibodies reduce the risk of clinically-overt neonatal HSV (nHSV), but this observation has not been translationally applied. Using a neonatal mouse model, we tested the hypothesis that passive transfer of HSV-specific human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can prevent mortality and morbidity associated with nHSV. The mAbs were expressed in vivo by vectored immunoprophylaxis, or administered in vivo following recombinant expression in vitro. Through these maternally-derived routes or through direct administration to pups, diverse mAbs to HSV glycoprotein D protected against neonatal HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection. Using in vivo bioluminescent imaging, both pre- and post-exposure mAb treatment significantly reduced viral load. Administration of mAb also reduced nHSV-induced behavioral morbidity, as measured by anxiety-like behavior. Together these studies support the notion that HSV-specific mAb-based therapies may prevent or improve HSV infection outcomes in neonates. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=93 SRC="FIGDIR/small/476098v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (29K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@175f6eaorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a59e39org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@36c484org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@19fec96_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Different antibody sources were used to maternally-transfer or directly administer HSV-specific mAbs to mouse pups. Neonatal mice were challenged with wild type or bioluminescent virus before or after mAb acquisition. Following infection, pups were assessed for survival, virus-induced bioluminescence and anxiety-like behavior as a measure of neurological morbidity. Efficacy was time and mAb dependent. Notably, all HSV-specific mAbs prevented nHSV-associated mortality.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2019

Effects of Topical Antimicrobial Formulations on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm in an In vivo Porcine Burn Wound Model

Silver has been incorporated into a variety of wound dressings and topical agents to prevent and combat wound infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of burn wound infections and well-known biofilm producer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a panel of wound dressings containing different silver formulations on P. aeruginosa biofilms using an in vivo porcine burn wound model. Second-degree burns were created on the skin of specific pathogen-free pigs (n = 3) and inoculated with 2.14 x 105 cfu P. aeruginosa per wound. Biofilms were allowed to develop for 24 h, and then each wound was treated with one of 6 treatments: silver oxynitrate dressing (OXY), silver oxynitrate powder (POWD), nanocrystalline silver dressing (NANO), silver chloride dressing (AGCL), silver sulfadiazine (SSD), or a negative control polyurethane film with no silver-based formulation (NEG). Wounds were cultured at D3 post-infection (n = 3 per pig per treatment) and at D6 post-infection (n = 3 per pig per treatment) for quantification of bacteria. On D6, biopsies (n = 3 per treatment) were taken from POWD, SSD, and NEG wounds and wound healing progress was evaluated histologically. At the time of treatment initiation, 24 h post-infection, 8.71 log cfu P. aeruginosa were present in burn wounds. On D3 and D6, all treatments significantly reduced bacterial counts in wounds as compared to NEG, but POWD caused an approximately 7-log reduction in bacterial counts on both days and was the only treatment to reduce the bacterial counts to below the threshold for detecting bacteria. The OXY, NANO, and SSD treatments had similar reductions in bacterial recovery on D3 and D6 of approximately 2.5-4 log. The histological healing metrics of reepithelialization percentage, epithelial thickness, white cell infiltration, angiogenesis, and granulation tissue formation were similar among wounds from POWD, SSD, and NEG groups at 6 days post-infection. Silver oxynitrate powder reduced P. aeruginosa growth in burn wounds more effectively than other silver-based dressings but did not impact wound healing.

microbiology↗