Biology subjects

Scherer, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Scherer, E..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

B/T cell crosstalk and aberrant inflammatory IgG exacerbate autoimmune intestinal inflammation

Dysregulated B cell responses have been described in inflammatory-bowel disease (IBD) patients; however, the role of B cells in IBD pathology remained incompletely understood. We here described Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome interacting protein deficient (Wipf1-/-) mice as novel mouse model of spontaneous, chronic colitis modelling human IBD. Concomitant with aberrant IgG production in colonic tissue of Wipf1-/- mice, we identified systemic, hypo-sialylated IgG as drivers of IL-1{beta} production in monocytes. Pathological antibody production was promoted by the hyper-reactivity of Wipf1-/- B cells in response to LPS stimulation, resulting in efficient activation of the MAPK/Erk and mTOR/Akt/4E-BP1 pathways and heightened metabolic activity. In addition to abundant inflammatory IgG, we found that B cells directly promoted the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by intestinal CD4+ T cells. B/T co-culture assays defined the co-stimulatory molecule CD86 as driver of IFN-{gamma} and GM-CSF production by CD4+ T cells. CD86 expression was further enhanced by the presence of sCD40L, which was elevated in sera of Wipf1-/- mice. Similarly, colonic B cells of IBD patients expressed increased mRNA levels of CD86 correlating with enhanced levels of systemic sCD40L. Together, B cell-mediated pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and B cell-derived inflammatory antibody production contributed to exacerbated pathogenesis during intestinal inflammation. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=168 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/507066v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (35K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1449ae8org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@116045borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@77f3f2org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@130a271_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG One Sentence SummaryB cells fuel intestinal inflammation

immunology↗

bioRxiv2020

Neuroplasticity associated with conversational turn-taking following a family-based intervention

Childrens early language environments are associated with linguistic, cognitive, and academic development, as well as concurrent brain structure and function. This study investigated neurodevelopmental mechanisms linking language input to development by measuring neuroplasticity associated with an intervention designed to enhance language environments of families primarily from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Families of 52 4-to-6 year-old children were randomly assigned to a 9-week, interactive, family-based intervention or no-contact control group. Children completed pre- and post-assessments of verbal and nonverbal cognition (n=52), structural magnetic resonance imaging (n=45), and home auditory recordings of language exposure (n=39). Families who completed the intervention exhibited greater increases in adult-child conversational turns, and changes in turn-taking mediated intervention effects on language and executive functioning measures. Collapsing across groups, turn-taking changes were also positively correlated with cortical thickening in left inferior frontal and supramarginal gyri, the latter of which mediated relationships between changes in turn-taking and childrens language development. This is the first study of longitudinal neuroplasticity in response to changes in childrens language environments, and findings suggest that conversational turns support language development through cortical growth in language and social processing regions. This has implications for early interventions to enhance childrens language environments to support neurocognitive development.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

Enhancing senior high school student engagement and academic performance using an inclusive and scalable inquiry-based program

The multi-disciplinary nature of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers often renders difficulty for high school students navigating from classroom knowledge to post-secondary pursuits. Discrepancies between the knowledge-based high school learning approach and the experiential approach of undergraduate studies leaves some students disillusioned by STEM. We present Discovery, a semester-long inquiry-focused learning model delivered by STEM graduate students in collaboration with high school educators, in the context of biomedical engineering. Entire classes of high school STEM students representing diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds engaged in iterative, problem-based learning designed to emphasize critical thinking concomitantly within the secondary school and university environments. Assessment of grades and survey data suggested positive impact of this learning model on students STEM pursuits, notably in under-performing cohorts, as well as repeating cohorts that engage in the program on more than one occasion. Discovery presents a scalable platform blurring the divide between secondary and post-secondary learning, providing valuable learning opportunities and capturing cohorts of students that might otherwise be under-engaged in STEM.

scientific communication and education↗