Discovery in Medicine Starts with Research!
The research conducted at CIIDI plays an invaluable role for advancing the discovery of novel approaches to modern medicine. Our biorepository of samples and accompanying data can be used for a myriad of research purposes as it pertains to inflammation, infectious disease, and immunity
covid-19 News
In rural Northeast Tennessee on March of 2020, the novel coronavirus was unlike anything we had ever seen before in the rapid way it spread.
COVID-19 "Long haulers"
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SARS-CoV-2 specific memory T cell epitopes identified in COVID-19-recovered subjects
Defined levels of SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses are generated in some, but not all, COVID-19-recovered subjects, fostering hope for the protection of a proportion of COVID-19-exposed individuals against reinfection. Investigate... -
Blockade of SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein‑mediated cell–cell fusion using COVID‑19 convalescentplasma
COVID-19 convalescent plasma may not only inhibit SARS-CoV-2-S but also cross-neutralize SARS-CoV-S-mediated membrane fusion and virus entry, supporting its potential as a preventive and/or therapeutic agent against SARS-CoV-2 as well as other SARS-CoV infections. Investigate... -
Trained Immunity: An Overview and the Impact on COVID-19
Understanding the mechanisms by which training agents activate innate immune cells to reprogram immune responses may prove beneficial in developing preventive and therapeutic targets against COVID-19. Investigate... -
Cardiovascular Dysfunction in COVID-19: Association Between Endothelial Cell Injury and Lactate
We provide an overview of cardiovascular injuries and metabolic alterations caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also propose that lactate plays a potential role in COVID-19-driven endothelial cell injury. Investigate... -
Plasma biomarkers for systemic inflammation in COVID-19 survivors
Our results indicate that several inflammatory proteins remain aberrantly dysregulated in COVID-19 survivors and CXCL10 might serve as a potential biomarker to typify COV-LH. Further characterization of these signature inflammatory molecules might improve the understanding of the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and provide new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 survivors with PASC. Investigate...
HIV/AIDS Center of Excellence
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Mitochondrial Functions Are Compromised in CD4 T Cells From ART-Controlled PLHIV
The hallmark of HIV/AIDS is a gradual depletion of CD4 T cells. Investigate... -
HIV-1 Latency and Viral Reservoirs: Existing Reversal Approaches and Potential Technologies, Targets, and Pathways Involved in HIV Latency Studies
Reactivation of HIV latency and killing of virus-infected cells, the so-called "kick and kill" or "shock and kill" approaches, are a popular strategy for HIV cure. Investigate... -
A Matter of Life or Death: Productively Infected and Bystander CD4 T Cells in Early HIV Infection
CD4 T-cell death or survival following initial HIV infection is crucial for the development of viral reservoirs and latent infection, making its evaluation critical in devising strategies for HIV cure. Investigate... -
The Impact of HIV- and ART-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cellular Senescence and Aging
HIV and current ART directly impact mitochondrial functions and contribute to cellular senescence and aging in PLHIV. Investigate... -
Long noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 promotes myeloid-derived suppressor cell expansion and suppressive functions through up-regulating HOXA1 expression during latent HIV infection
The HOTAIRM1--HOXA1 axis enhances differentiation and suppressive functions of MDSCs and could be a potential therapeutic target for immunomodulation during latent HIV infection. Investigate... -
Telomere and ATM Dynamics in CD4 T-Cell Depletion in Active and Virus-Suppressed HIV Infections
This study sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms of telomeric DDR and its role in CD4 T-cell homeostasis during HIV infection. Investigate...
Hepatitis C
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Insufficiency of DNA repair enzyme ATM promotes naive CD4 T-cell loss in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
This study reveals a novel mechanism for T-cell dysregulation and viral persistence, providing a new strategy to improve immunotherapy and vaccine responses against human viral diseases. Investigate... -
T-bet-mediated Tim-3 expression dampens monocyte function during chronic hepatitis C virus infection
These findings reveal a novel mechanism for Tim-3 regulation via T-bet during HCV infection, providing new targets to combat this global epidemic viral disease. Investigate... -
Interferon-α-Enhanced CD100/Plexin-B1/B2 Interactions Promote Natural Killer Cell Functions in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection
These results implied a novel mechanism by which IFN-α enhanced CD100/Plexin-B1/B2 interaction plays an important role in promoting NK functions in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Investigate...
Sepsis
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Lactate induces vascular permeability via disruption of VE-cadherin in endothelial cells during sepsis
Metabolic cross-talk between glycolysis-derived lactate and the endothelium plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. Investigate... -
Trained Immunity Enhances Human Monocyte Function in Aging and Sepsis
Immune training can be induced in aging monocytes as well as monocytes from critically ill sepsis patients. Investigate...